(Note: If you’re not a “save the planet” type, no worries. Sustainability offers lots of other benefits, too. Like the ability – to make money.)
“Sustainability is about making money,” says SAP’s Chief Sustainability Officer Peter Graf. Is that just the talk of a silver-tongued executive – or is it really true? What if the road to riches really is paved with green? What if a company that embraced sustainability could really rise to the top of its class and point to its sustainability efforts as a key ingredient in that success?
SAP seems to have done just that. And it seems intent on helping its customers to do the same. According to Graf, the message is a simple one. As noted in a related article on the subject, his views on sustainability are easy to understand:
So, just for a moment - forget about “saving the planet.” Instead, think in terms of the other benefits that a sustainable approach can deliver. This includes cost-savings, energy-savings, reduced waste, and less risk (safer products, less exposure to toxic materials, less reliance on rare materials, no risk of penalties due to non-compliance, etc.) And that’s just the beginning – many companies also experience an increase in product innovation, revenue growth and product quality – alongside the expected environmental and energy-related improvements.
So the question is – what’s holding companies back from integrating sustainability into their product development efforts? Is it too difficult? Too costly? Or is it simply a cultural issue – one that is characterized by a general “resistance to change”?
Even small steps can have a big impact
Actually, some of the best advice I’ve heard on this subject is that even small steps can have a big impact. This message is perhaps best illustrated by the teachings of the Bressler Group – a small product design firm based in Pennsylvania
Their free video, “Cut the Crap: A Method for Developing Greener and Cheaper Products” offers some valuable insights into the process of applying sustainability principles in product design – namely that embracing sustainability doesn’t require companies to completely overhaul their product development process. They can make even small changes – substitute a more eco-friendly material, for example; or reduce the amount of waste generated by their manufacturing operations. Such changes, multiplied over time, can really add up- and can, as the firm suggests – have a real impact on not only the environment – but on the bottom line, as well.
As Bressler Group’s Mathieu Turpault puts it:
Through its incremental approach to sustainable product design, detailed in the “Cut the Crap” webinar, Bresslergroup proves that changes can actually be made right here and now, with readily available tools. As one webinar attendee from a major consumer products company commented: “For an industrial designer who’s heard a lot about sustainable design, but never experienced anyone actually doing it, this presentation offers practical steps and real tools to begin implementing these hyped methodologies.”
So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.
It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our current research study, “Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: What’s Happening Now… and What’s Ahead?”
To learn more, see: Participate in a New Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing Research Study and Be Eligible to Win an iPad 2!
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