01 /
Choose a specific operating issue
Waste, energy use, materials and sourcing can create different opportunities and constraints. Pick an issue relevant to the business and gather enough evidence to understand its scale. Describe the process involved rather than beginning with a broad claim about being sustainable.
Our operating model review helps connect changes with the way work is actually delivered.
02 /
Compare options and trade-offs
Consider cost, practical impact, service quality, staff effort and dependencies. A lower purchase price may not represent the full operating cost; a process change may require training or different supplier arrangements. Identify effects elsewhere in the business before choosing.
Where specialist measurement or technical advice is needed, make that a defined workstream. Keep commercial prioritisation separate from claims requiring independent technical evidence.
03 /
Set a baseline and a useful measure
Record the starting position, the period measured and the method used. If activity levels change, consider whether a per-unit measure is needed alongside a total. Agree who collects the information and checks that the comparison remains meaningful.
Use the performance diagnosis guide to distinguish a changing measure from a changing underlying cause.
04 /
Review results before communicating claims
Compare the result with the baseline and investigate unexpected effects. Record what changed, what can be attributed to the action and what remains uncertain. Describe the specific improvement rather than extending a narrow result into a whole-business claim.
A strategy map can connect the initiative to customer, operating and financial objectives. Retain the evidence behind the statements the business chooses to make.
Use this in your business
A practical prioritisation matrix
| Option | Assess | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce material waste | Process cause, feasibility and service impact. | Baseline, action and responsible person. |
| Change an energy practice | Usage pattern and operating constraints. | Comparable measurement periods. |
| Review a sourcing choice | Quality, cost, evidence and supply reliability. | Trade-offs and specialist questions. |
| Improve packaging or handling | Material use, damage and customer needs. | Results across the whole process. |
| Review the decision | Actual effect and unintended consequences. | Continue, adapt or stop, with reasons. |
A practical example
A smaller waste total needs context
An illustrative business may record less waste during a quieter production period. Comparing only the total could overstate improvement. Looking at waste per unit alongside total waste and output helps the team understand whether the process changed or the business simply produced less.
Your next move
Prioritise the changes your business can deliver
Bring the operating issue and the options you are considering. We can help prioritise practical changes and define how the business will assess their value.
Prioritise the changes your business can deliver