164 I NT E R V I EW “ The first thing that manufacturers need to do is set ambitious but attainable goals” CHRIS DOBBROW, AUGURY With public consciousness rising and scientific warnings growing increasingly dire, sustainability has become a concern for companies in all industries, including manufacturers. While campaigns to demonstrate sustainability efforts may once have been led by marketing teams, it is increasingly becoming a focus for both short and long-term business strategies. “There are three things driving sustainability in manufacturing today,” says James Newman, head of product and portfolio marketing at Augury. “The first is that investors, the public and the media are demanding that organisations pay more attention to sustainability and back it up with serious action. Secondly, employees themselves are much more environmentally conscious now than they were in the past, and they want to work for organisations that share those values. And finally, governments around the world are issuing regulations which demand concrete, provable actions to improve sustainability.” However, Newman is clear that the way that manufacturers perceive sustainability will have to change if real progress is to be made. “Profit and sustainability have previously been seen as competing business objectives,” he says. “The reality is that cash is king, and that has led to a lack of action on sustainability. To solve this problem will require a big cultural shift, where manufacturers come to see sustainability and profit as having a symbiotic relationship, rather than a conflicting one.” For companies that may just be starting to implement a comprehensive sustainability strategy, getting to that point can seem an onerous task. While executives may wish to improve their operations for greater sustainability, ensuring the company-wide buy-in necessary for the success of a project can be a more difficult proposition. Chris Dobbrow, vice president of business development at Augury, suggests that the key is to show evidence of progress from the outset. “The first thing that manufacturers need to do is set ambitious but attainable goals for key performance indicators (KPIs) around their production, which they can connect to their sustainability goals,” says Dobbrow. “For example, Augury’s technology offers the ability to track what the energy consumption for producing a particular product is and then demonstrate the reduction in that consumption as the process is optimised. That provides concrete proof of value to the Optimising for sustainability becomes a reality BY A L E X SM I TH Augury’s James Newman and Chris Dobbrow discuss the renewed emphasis on sustainability in the manufacturing industry and share how sustainable practices are now compatible with profitability
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