In the first part of this two-part series we explained the results from our Webinar on Sustainable Manufacturing: why it matters & how to get started. The webinar examined the business case for becoming a sustainable manufacturer, while also understanding that many businesses just don’t know where to start. We discussed the benefits of going green and highlighted practical steps to get started.
We identified that businesses with a sustainable strategy and plan were showing better operational performance, but with a clear understanding of the effort it can take, and the many different areas of the business a strong sustainability strategy touches.
So, where do you start? We identified that you really need to understand where you are. If you don’t know your start point, how do you know what you need to do? So, what is your current state? What are you doing already? What should you be doing that you’re not doing?
A COSIRI Assessment provides you with the answers to these questions. It also provides you with 5 areas of focus, tailored specifically to your business, based on your objectives, and your industry sector. It also provides you with a plan of action for these 5 areas, so you know where to focus your efforts for the greatest impact. You can’t do everything in one hit. You have to follow a step-by-step plan, that allows your business to continue to function, while you begin to embed sustainability into your day-to-day activities.
So how does COSIRI work?
The COSIRI Framework is built on 4 building blocks, Strategy & Risk Management, Sustainable Business Processes, Technology, and Organisation & Governance. Under the 4 building blocks are 9 pillars which break the building blocks into sub-sections. Beneath the 9 pillars are 24 dimensions that provide a holistic view of the entire business, to ensure all areas are considered.
The 3 things you need to have are the Enablers:
- A Sustainability Strategy - So everyone knows what they need to do in your plans
- Climate Risk Management - So you are aware of the risk and impact to your business
- Organisation and Governance - So you can manage and measure your plans
With your Enablers in place you will have actions for your Levers:
- Sustainable Operations - Monitor, control and reduce your emissions for you manufacturing processes
- Sustainable Procurement - Selection of greener materials and suppliers
- Sustainable Supply Chain - Modifying and decarbonising your current supply chain
- Circular Product Lifecycle - Improve the design and recyclability of your products
- Clean Technologies - Transform your facility through introduction of greener, more efficient technology
The holistic approach ensures you have a balanced plan, targeting the right areas of the business, not just your shop floor. It enables the people, the skills, the technology, operations and risk to all be considered and addressed equally.
Although we discuss everything considered is equally as part of the assessment, which is absolutely the right thing, every business is different, in different sectors, with different products and different customers, so COSIRI personalises the assessment to your specific business.
Using the TIER Framework, Today’s State, Impact to GHG, Essential Sustainability Objectives and References to the broader community, COSIRI looks at your business to assess your GHG Profile and Objectives, to define actions for your business in your specific industry sector.
- Today’s State - What is your current sustainability score? Where are you now?
- Impact to GHG - What is your current GHG profile? Where are your emissions coming from?
- Essential Sustainability Objectives - What are your sustainability priorities?
- References to the broader community - What is your industry sector maturity, and how do you compare?
COSIRI compares your scores to all of the manufacturing industry, but then against your industry peers. This provides a clear picture of where you sit on your sustainability journey against your competition. Are you falling behind?
With your Todays State maturity score, your GHG profile, your own essential sustainability priorities and your specific industry, COSIRI provides you with your 5 areas of focus.
Your business cannot action all 24 Dimensions at once, so you receive the 5 highest impact Dimensions shown as a 4+1 output.
4 Dimensions are selected with the highest impact, and 1 Dimension that is specifically GHG focused, so you know you will be making GHG improvements.
Your Certified COSIRI Assessor then provides you with insights, recommendations and actions on how to improve in these 5 areas.
All this information, plus all the detail gathered through the entire process is provided to you in the form of a COSIRI Assessment Report, tailored specifically for your company, so you have all you need to drive sustainability improvements through your business.
If you want to know more about COSIRI why not contact us for a discussion.
