Environmental Management Systems
During the last decade, quality became the preeminent business buzzword, and rightfully so. Now appearing on the business landscape is the Environmental Management System (EMS), and companies are encouraged to look closely.
 
The EMS is being pushed along by ISO 14001, an effort aimed at creating international standards environmental management. Some companies, recognizing the intrinsic value of ISO 14001 as a process-improvement tool, will sign on voluntarily. Others will be dragged along; if you want to do business with Fortune 100 industries, for example, you’ll need ISO 14001 certification in the not-too-distant future.
 
Simply stated, an EMS helps companies factor in environmental issues – regulations, compliance, exposure or otherwise – in its fundamental planning and decision-making processes. It used to be that the environmental impact of a company’s actions were ignored by management until something – a merger or acquisition opportunity, a visit by the EPA – prompted action. That posture has been exacerbated in a climate where companies have to “show financial improvement now”. As a result, companies were consistently choosing the latter of the “pay me now or pay me later” adage. Only it was a “pay me MORE later” proposition.
 
Companies employing an EMS, though, benefit from the fact that, by addressing environmental issues proactively, they can dramatically reduce and in some cases even eliminate exposure and the attendant cost. And The Payne Firm can help.
 
The Payne Firm assists companies in establishing an EMS by conducting an in-depth evaluation of its current status, direction and plans for growth, and how they all affect the company’s environmental responsibilities. These evaluations – conducted before deciding on any course of action – consider everything from process to opportunities, and provide the company with a realistic look at its current and future environmental exposures.
 
Such exposure, especially in industries like manufacturing, is often simply a fact of life. Proper planning and evaluation, though, helps ensure that the company isn’t caught off guard, and allows it to mitigate the bottom line effect of exposure. Identifying the risk, for example, can help the company determine the amount of cash reserves that will be necessary to handle any exposure. The company could even consider purchasing any of the myriad “environmental insurance” products currently being offered.
 
Proper planning and evaluation is even more crucial when the issue is growth – like a manufacturer taking on a massive new project – because it provides the company with options. Only then can the company decide what path makes the most sense in the long run.