While each company’s sustainability program must be unique and customized to solve each company’s pressing problems, the basic services needed to plan, implement, evaluate and recalibrate those programs are essentially the same. The following are some of the tools that The Payne Firm would use to tailor your company’s unique sustainability program.

Opportunities Assessment
For companies that are new to sustainability, a Payne Firm Assessment is a great first step. In order to develop a roadmap, you need to know your point of departure. For corporate sustainability programs, this means defining what your company looks like today with respect to a broad variety of social, financial and environmental issues, and establishing a baseline measurement for where you want to ultimately go. Our Assessment can help you uncover opportunities present within your operations and organization to realize real financial, social, and environmental benefits in both the short and long term.

Benchmarking
The old business axioms that what gets measured gets done and you get what you measure were never more apropos than in the development of strategies for sustainable business growth. The Payne Firm compares existing corporate programs to the many possible standards, guidelines and metrics available for implementation. Understanding that no standard, guideline or metric is entirely appropriate for all companies, our Benchmarking service helps define which portions of each are appropriate for your program (See Reporting below for an explanation of the available standards).

Strategic Planning
The Payne Firm assists you in the construction of a plan that includes realistic goals and agendas; process design changes and improvements; metrics selection and prioritization; and programs to ensure that sustainability is integrated from the boardroom down to the shop floor.

Implementation
At some point, companies have to stop talking about sustainability and act. Recently, it became a legal requirement for all publicly traded companies in France to develop programs and report on their social and environmental programs along with their financial reports. Nearly all other developed countries are considering and/or outlining their new legal requirements. It is at the Implementation stage, though, that many companies falter, usually as the result of either lack of manpower or absence of the proper skill sets. The Payne Firm can be the difference-maker. We have been implementing corporate programs and training employees for nearly two decades. We can assist in everything from process improvements and compliance audits to environmental management systems and remediation strategies. It is in the implementation of the programs where the financial, social and environmental gains become obvious on the balance sheet, to the employees and to your communities.

Measurement and Adjustment
As with any management system, it is not enough to design and implement sustainability programs. They must be regularly measured and, if necessary, adjusted. Just like the autopilot on an airplane, lots of small, mid-course corrections are easier and more efficient than trying to make one sweeping adjustment well into the process. After all, sustainability is not fashion and is not the flavor of the week; rather, it is an actual strategic formulation of corporate values and methodologies that are used to bring the company, the employee and the community together for the benefit of all parties.

Reporting
Whether your company is publicly traded or a closely-held concern, you have constituents that want to know about your company’s sustainability. Indeed, sustainability reporting is poised to take its place along side similar disclosures relative to the company’s financial health. The Payne Firm will help you determine which, or which components, of the several ambitious standards, measurement standards and process standards are right for your business. Moreover, the Payne Firm can help you determine if public reporting is right for your needs at all. After all, data is nice but targets are better. The ambitious standards are those that identify company goals; however, they do not include reporting methods or an outline of actions needed to achieve those goals. Ambitious standards include the CERES Principals, Global Sullivan Principals and United Nations Global Compact. The measurement standards provide methods of reporting and tracking progress; however, they do not define what actions can be taken. Measurement standards include Sustainability’s AA1000 and the Global Reporting Initiative. The process standards describe what actions MUST be taken and along with a formal certification process are focused on harmonizing all companies’ internal codes of conduct. Clearly, a tailored report including components of many of the standards is most likely appropriate to actually solve the problems and achieve the goals of your company.

Stakeholder Engagement
There is very little use in wasting your time with the creation of a brief report that is readable but not credible or a long credible report that is not readable. If a report is released in the woods with no stakeholders, or potential investors, around to read it, then it is the same as if it never happened. Valuable time should never be wasted during the creation, implementation and ongoing management of these valuable programs. With the use of strategic partnerships, the Payne Firm can assist you with the development of the most appropriate methods used to determine what the stakeholders actually expect of your company and other leading companies in your industry. We can help you stay ahead of the curve with our continuous quest to help you improve your bottom line through sustainability.