Business sustainability entails the incorporation of the objectives of sustainable development, namely social equity, economic efficiency and environmental performance, into a company's operational practices. Companies that compete globally are increasingly required to commit to and report on the overall sustainability performances of operational initiatives. The current indicator frameworks that are available to measure overall business sustainability do not effectively address all aspects of sustainability at operational level, especially in developing countries such as South Africa. Social criteria, specifically, do not receive due considerations. This article proposes a new framework to assess the sustainability of operations in the manufacturing sector.
The pressure on businesses to incorporate the principles of sustainable development into policies and activities is mounting. Project management methodologies are not excluded from this pressure. The current project management frameworks do not effectively address the three goals of sustainable development, i.e., social equity, economic efficiency and environmental performance. A prerequisite for aligning these frameworks with the principles of sustainable development is a clear understanding of the various life cycles involved in a project and the interactions between these life cycles. The way forward to achieve true Sustainable Project Life Cycle Management in the manufacturing is subsequently outlined.
Project management, as a recognized core business competency, must incorporate planning, execution and implementation procedures within a broader sustainability framework, i.e. internalizing the externalities of a project. Current project life cycle management (LCM) methodologies do not efficiently address the objectives of sustainable development, especially in developing countries such as South Africa. Social aspects are rarely considered, while environmental factors are typically only addressed by means of environmental impact assessments (EIAs). A procedure to improve the consideration of environmental aspects in project LCM is subsequently introduced for South Africa. The procedure is demonstrated by means of a case study in the process industry. A framework is further proposed of social sustainability criteria that are relevant to projects within the process industry. The acceptability of the framework to decision-makers in petrochemical companies is discussed. Case studies are further suggested to evaluate the practicability of measurable social impact indicators for project LCM.
Abstract-Companies that compete globally are progressively more required to commit to and report on the overall sustainability performances of operational initiatives, i.e. undertaken projects or technological innovations. A prerequisite for aligning these operational initiatives with the principles of sustainable development is a clear understanding of the various life cycles that are involved and the interactions between these life cycles. Tools are also necessary to evaluate the sustainability of these integrated life cycles. A detailed examination has shown that the current indicator frameworks that are available to measure overall business sustainability do not effectively address all aspects of sustainability at project and technology management level. A new framework to evaluate the sustainability of projects and technologies in the manufacturing sector is subsequently introduced. An approach to develop indicators that are relevant for the criteria of the sustainability assessment framework are subsequently proposed in the context of the South African process industry. Furthermore, case studies are described whereby these indicators are currently being tested. The way forward to achieve truly sustainable Life Cycle Management (LCM) in the manufacturing industry is therefore outlined.
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