After working with numerous enterprise softwares over the years, I am commonly asked by clients to distinguish the difference between software configuration and customization. Both have their challenges and benefits:

Configuration means an end user (someone who is not a developer) can build, alter, and to an extent customize an enterprise software to match a client’s needs and business processes. Enterprise softwares that allow for configuration usually have a somewhat easy to use back end interface that an administrator, consultant or designer can access to alter settings as needed. Most modern enterprise softwares are built to be completely configurable. Some might argue that configuration limits a customer’s options during an implementation. For some software platforms this is true- however if the software has a solid, well developed architecture the system can be configured to match any client’s needs.

Customization usually involves developers that implement or build code for an enterprise software. Customization can be expensive as it requires constant maintenance and hiring highly skilled workers. However, sometimes customization allows a client to implement a system that fits their requirements exactly as needed.

Jobseekers often ask me about the key skills one needs to obtain to be successful in corporate sustainability. Throughout the years I have learned a lot about the various tricks of the trade, and I believe there are three skill sets every sustainability professional should know:

1. Understand highly technical practices such as Life Cycle Assessment from the product side, as well as the methods for quantifying corporate sustainability indicators from the operational side. Organizations can’t measure actual progress without quantitative practices such as these, and they are often overlooked and seen as overly difficult (especially within sustainability).

2. Additionally, learn the various software solutions available for sustainability management. Tools make quantifications of impacts automated and much easier to manage. Having a basic understanding of how these systems work is going to help immensely when a client or supervisor wants to implement one of these systems at your organization.

3. Understand how to design and implement higher level corporate sustainability initiatives, such as stakeholder engagements, sustainability strategy development, and sustainability management systems. These skills are immensely important for any candidate as:

• A stakeholder assessment identifies what sustainability aspects are important to an organization, and whom it is important to (internal and external stakeholders)
• A strategy incorporates the identified sustainability aspects into their vision and develops it into a blueprint for the organization to follow for sustainability success
• A sustainability management system is the engine that continually drives the organization toward achieving their sustainability goals and reducing risk

To me, number 3 has been the most important. It has allowed me to provide my clients with unified, cohesive solutions that have increased brand recognition, decreased cost, increased sales, and reduced risk for their organization.

You’ll notice that there aren’t any certifications, accreditation’s, or other professional sustainability “labels” mentioned above; while I think they can somewhat beneficial, they come and go and if everyone has them, how does that differentiate you? To me, it doesn’t, and the facets I have listed above can apply to more than just sustainability.

Think about how you can apply all three of these facets to your job to help your organization succeed.

Love it? Hate it? Let me know!

Today I read a great article on the Harvard Business Review about making sustainability profitable. The article highlights a study by the World Economic Forum that investigated international companies considered to be sustainability “champions” in the developing world. Some highlights from the article:

• Companies implementing sustainability practices have “above average” growth rates and profit margins
• Sustainability efforts have been the most successful in resource constrained economies
• Efforts that involve more sustainable operations can require more long term investment- but those investments have payed for themselves many times over

Business benefits like these are often overlooked when sustainability initiatives are taken into consideration. When speaking with clients that are skeptical of the business value, or that need help selling the value proposition to top management, I try to emphasize the common business benefits related to sustainability (along with some estimated dollar amounts where applicable):

• Reduced material costs- Less energy costs. Less water use. Less waste disposal costs. Less is more these days, and it is hard to deny that reducing the inputs into your product and operational systems will keep more dollars in your pocket. Easy argument to make because these are realized costs for every company.
  
• Reduced risk– Managing risk can prevent compliance issues and fines. It can also stop supply chain shortages that would prevent a company from producing more of their products. This is often overlooked because it is preventative, but it is an important consideration- and a consideration most sustainability champions have already taken care of.
• Enhanced branding- Being considered “green” is just one facet of growing a strong brand. Kraft, 3M, Toyota, Siemens, Johnson & Johnson, Honda, Volkswagen, Cisco, and HP are just a few of the high performing companies within the Fortune 500 that have deep and successful sustainability programs that have bolstered their images as top international companies. Harder to put a actual dollar amount on- unless the company is being acquired or purchased!
• Top line revenue growth- Phillips just reported that roughly half of their revenues in 2012 were attributable to green products. $15 billion in revenue is an incredibly easy argument to make, and if companies aren’t utilizing Life Cycle Assessment, green product design standards, EPD’s or other systems that improve the environmental performance of their products, they will continue to sell less of their products to high performing competitors as consumer demand for more sustainable products increases.

These are just the business values- there are other reasons, like “doing the right thing,” or the whole preserving-the-environment-for-future-generations idea (crazy, right?!). But when we are talking about business, the reality is that we need to speak in the language of money.

These opinions are my own. Love it? Hate it? Let me know!