7.30.2012

Context of the Organization – A 360 Perspective and ISO 22301:2012

Black Swan events, holistic business continuity, Emerging Risk Audits, and non-financial risk management are terms swirling in C-Suites, on Boards, and in the business, risk management and auditing literature.  Also swirling around are discussions about sustainability, corporate social responsibility, organizational resilience, as well as organizational health.

The confluence of these signals suggest an emerging business model that incorporates a 360 Perspective. Central to this perspective is a systems view and an integration orientation. Read More

Posted By | in 360 Perspective, Auditing & Metrics, Emerging Issues, ISO News, Management Systems, Risk Management | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »

3.26.2012

Strengthening CEO Links with EHS/S and Risk Management

A recent survey of leading European companies, conducted by the Ashridge Business School and University of St. Gallen and reported in the MIT Sloan Management Review (Spring 2012), suggests that links between corporate functions and the CEO could be stronger.

Some of the reported consequences of these weak links include: mixed performance, more bureaucracy, a sense of C-Suite interference, lack of cooperation from operating managers, and a focus on transactional issues as opposed to value-added ones.

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Posted By | in 360 Perspective, Auditing & Metrics, Innovation, Risk Management, Strategic Thinking & Planning | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

10.19.2011

Innovations in EHS Auditing – Breakout Session at the 19th Annual NAEM Forum

EHS auditing is a dynamic process that requires stakeholder input for success. Speakers emphasized this point during a breakout session at the 19th Annual NAEM Forum, which focused on the innovative practices that several companies are using to deliver maximum effectiveness and efficiency.

The speakers presented highlights from the recent International Audit Protocol Consortium’s survey on EHS audit practices: roughly 60 percent of respondents indicated a high rating for detecting regulatory non-compliance; 50 percent for management system conformance; 50 percent for benefit of audit results to the audited operation; and less than 50 percent for benefit to external stakeholders.

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Posted By | in Auditing & Metrics, Emerging Issues, Innovation, Management Systems, Risk Management | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

10.13.2011

Evolving to Sustainability 4.0, Value Chain Indices, and EHS/S Support with Developing Dimensions of Measurement

Sustainability has evolved from a reactive and defensive endeavor to one that is generative and central to all aspects of business decisions. This was a clear message expressed throughout the recent CR Commit Forum.

Commonly used was the phrase, “Sustainability equals efficiency.” That is, organizations that have a strong sustainability perspective and culture also have improved efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability. Yvon Chouinard et al echoes this sentiment in “The Sustainable Economy” in the current issue of the Harvard Business Review, which presents four sustainability eras: sustainability 1.0. 2.0, 3.0, and ideas for sustainability 4.0, where “sustainability will simply be [come] how business is done.”

The ideas presented in “The Sustainable Economy” are important for EHS/S professionals to understand and embrace. For instance, the phenomena of creating a sector-specific Value Chain Index (VGI) is innovative, cutting-edge, and appears to provide a powerful way to catapult sustainability, not only in an organization, but also more broadly in a market sector. The authors outline a process that Chouinard’s company (Patagonia) and Walmart, with assistance from BluSkye (a strategy consultancy), used to develop a VGI for the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).

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Posted By | in Auditing & Metrics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Emerging Issues, Innovation, Sustainability | Tags: , | No Comments »

10.4.2011

First Look: Highlights from the 3rd Annual MIT/BCG Sustainability & Innovation Global Executive Survey

Initial findings have begun to surface from the 3rd Annual MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Annual Sustainability and Innovation Global Executive Survey, which had over 4,700 respondents. In an earlier post, I discussed some of the findings that Martin Reeves shared last week at the CR Commit Forum 2011 in New York City. The current issue of the Sloan Management Review presents more findings and indicates that the full report will be available next winter.

An important finding is that while sustainability is an important issue in organizations, it is not a top near-term priority. As Reeves indicated in his keynote, companies are concerned about short-term volatility and, to some extent, survivability. The top three challenges reported for the next two years are: innovating to achieve competitive differentiation (46 percent); growing revenues (45 percent); and reducing costs and increasing efficiencies (41 percent). Fourteen percent indicated that responding effectively to threats and opportunities of sustainability was a challenge. Read More

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9.30.2011

Terms and Definitions in the CR/Sustainability Space

This past week, CR Magazine and NYSE Euronext co-sponsored the CR Commit Forum 2011 in New York City. The agenda was packed with valuable sessions that addressed a wide range of CR (Corporate Responsibility) and sustainability topics, issues, and challenges. Over the next several weeks, I will share insights and information from the Forum.

One of the predominant issues that struck me was the plethora of terms and definitions used to define the CR/sustainability space. Martin Reeves, senior partner and managing director at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), discussed this in his keynote presentation, stating that the “concepts are treacherously fuzzy.” He presented a powerful visual: a word cloud that contained more than 40 words and terms used by respondents of the 3rd Annual Sustainability Global Executive Survey, conducted by MIT’s Sloan Management Review and BCG. Read More

Posted By | in Auditing & Metrics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Strategic Thinking & Planning, Sustainability | Tags: , , | 1 Comment »

9.23.2011

Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) in Oil, Gas and Sulphur Operations – New Federal Rule

In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon event in the Gulf of Mexico, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has promulgated a regulation that requires operators of oil, gas, and sulphur in the Outer Continental Self to develop and implement a safety and environmental management system (SEMS).

The October 15, 2010 Federal Register announcement of this regulation indicates that the rule incorporates in its entirety and makes mandatory the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Recommended Practice 75, “Development of a Safety and Environmental Management Program for Offshore Operations and Facilities.” The rule became effective on November 15, 2010. Read More

Posted By | in Auditing & Metrics, Emerging Issues, Management Systems | Tags: , , | No Comments »

9.15.2011

The Era of Transparency and a Mandatory Reporting Trajectory Point to the Need for a Strong Risk Management Framework

In the sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) “space” there is increasing pressure to report on triple-bottom-line issues through reporting frameworks, such as the GRI G3. There is a trajectory toward quasi-mandatory reporting by value-chain stakeholders and actual mandatory reporting by regulatory-bodies. Quasi-mandatory reporting is seen with the inclusion of GRI sustainability reporting as tracked by Bloomberg’s Index and other financial indices. Mandatory reporting is seen in South Africa, Denmark, and France. Read More

Posted By | in Auditing & Metrics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Emerging Issues, Innovation, Management Systems, Risk Management, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

6.30.2011

Risk Management and Business Continuity with an Integrated Management System

In my previous post, I briefly discussed the integrated quality, safety, and environmental management system (QSEMS) at the Cannes Convention Center. The trend toward integrated management systems, including ISO’s movement toward a generic management system model for wide application, will provide a new tool for organizational risk management.

As evolved as risk management methods and models are, organizations struggle with integrating risk management practices. A silo phenomenon challenges risk managers as it has EHS managers for many years. In current non-financial risk management writings and research, the need for risk management integration and “silo-busting” is highlighted. An integrated risk management system can provide a way to bust silos in an organization. Read More

Posted By | in Auditing & Metrics, Emerging Issues, ISO News, Management Systems, Risk Management | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

6.22.2011

ISO 50001 Just Published – “Energy Management Systems – Requirements with Guidance for Use”

The much anticipated ISO management system for energy management was published on June 15. The ISO 50001 format closely follows ISO 14001 on environmental management. I will be posting comments over the next couple of weeks regarding things I see in it and issues that will help with implementation and integration.

At first glance, where an ISO 14001 or OHSAS 18001 management system is in place, integration of ISO 50001 will be somewhat straightforward.

A unique piece for 50001 is section 4.4.3 that addresses “energy review.” This is the equivalent of environmental aspects in 14001 and risk assessment in 18001. While this standard is new and interpretations will be fleshed out in the coming months and years, the interpretation of “energy” may not be trivial when considering conformance with 50001. The way it is defined will impact how the energy review requirements will be met. Read More

Posted By | in Auditing & Metrics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Emerging Issues, ISO News, Management Systems, Sustainability | Tags: , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

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