ECSI Blog

One of the biggest obstacles organizations face when “going green” is where to start.  If not approached systematically the process can be frustrating and costly with  the end result not meeting the original objective.  Obtaining competent advice on where to begin will ensure that the end result (an effective EMS) will provide a good return on investment.

Some organizations are finding that over the years their EMS has become stale, ineffective,  and costly to operate. The typical reaction to this discovery is  “that ISO stuff is a waste of time and money”.  Unfortunately,  what they do not realize is that the failure of the EMS is largely due to misconception or misinformation of how to build and operate an effective EMS.

What is Enviro-Lean?

Enviro-Lean is based on the principals of continual improvement found in Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and ISO. Enviro-Lean creates results and discourages non-value added bureaucracy.

Who can use Enviro-Lean?

The Enviro-Lean process can be used by any organization.  It is particularly well suited for small-to-medium sized businesses and government entities because these organizations are nimble and able to act quickly to take advantage of Enviro-Lean opportunities. Large organizations can also use Enviro-Lean to supplement in house Six-Sigma and lean processes to investigate and implement incremental performance improvements.

How long does it take to see results?

Enviro-Lean results are immediate.  The first step in the process assesses areas of potential risk and controls unacceptable risks to a tolerable level.  These could include risk from unplanned releases, regulatory non-compliance or other financial exposure.  The second Enviro-Lean step identifies improvement areas within the organization  where significant cost reduction could be achieved.  The Enviro-Lean process systematically investigates these areas, identifies feasible options with attractive ROIs,  and presents these to management for review and approval.  When implemented these improvements prevent pollution.

How much does it cost?

Enviro-Lean requires some investment of effort by an organizaiton but that investment pays for itself in a short period of time (usually 6 months or less).  Contact us for more information at envirolean@envcompsys.com