• Home
• SM3 Framework
• Services
• SMI
• Success Stories
• News & Links
• Meet the Team

[ SUCCESS STORIES ]

Who We Have Worked With

As management consultants we have worked with customers across multiple industries: The list of customers includes: HP, Red Bull, Wildlife Works, Cisco Systems, Silicon Graphics, Dell, WindRiver, Levi Strauss & Co. Esprit de Corp, Colgate-Palmolive, Catholic Healthcare West, Kaiser Permanente, Chevron, Courtaulds, Franklin Templeton, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, CSAA, Honda, HP, Motorola, Pacific Bell, EPRI, Textron, and Caterpillar.

Consumer Packaged Goods Success Story

Overview

FairRidge helped a consumer package goods company scale their sustainability efforts – from ad-hoc initiatives focused on “early wins & low-hanging fruit” to a holistic set of pilot programs focused on driving eco-efficiencies in all operations.

Background

The North American sales and marketing business unit of the company was facing several key challenges, including:

• Increased demands from their key customers to be more transparent with what they are doing around sustainability
• Increased environmental regulations (CA AB32, EPA Mandatory GHG reporting, etc.)
• Increased scrutiny by NGOs around specific issues such as recycling
• Changing consumer demographics showing that sustainability was becoming a more valued attribute

FairRidge Solution

This engagement was focused on helping the company move from SM3 Level 2 (Initiate) to SM3 Level 3 (Pilot) – building the level of sustainability adoption and competitive differentiation.

Specifically, FairRidge worked with the Sustainability Director to:

• Articulate the current maturity level, desired end state, and required management infrastructure programs to close the gap
• Identify & prioritize the opportunities for sustainability based on integrated bottom-line benefits
• Build an overall sustainability roadmap and budget for FY09
• Provide overall program management support across multiple pilot program tracks
• Launch a Continuous Improvement program with two pilot departments
• Assist with global collaboration efforts to help scale the sustainability program internationally

Outcome / Business Value

The outcome of the engagement was to help accelerate the adoption of sustainability into the organization, the transparency of the reporting around sustainability, and the eco-efficiency efforts – all via a series of pilot projects:

• Building Energy Initiatives (lighting retrofit pilot)
• Product Recycling Pilot Program
• Sustainable Event Pilot
• Fleet Optimization
• Continuous Improvement
• Sustainability Guidelines
• Employee Engagement

Computer Hardware Manufacturer Success Story

Overview

FairRidge helped a large computer hardware manufacture assess where they are on the SM3, identify gaps, and create and roadmap to move to the next level. The primary areas of focus were around governance, sponsorship, business value justification, messaging and implementation planning.

Background

One the largest computer hardware manufactures with a high profile and industry influencing power. They were ranked very high on the Newsweek Greenest Businesses, but still face several challenges, including:

• Need to respond to customer changing purchase requirements around full life-cycle of products, including materials, recycled content, energy efficiency, and end-of-life
• Increased environmental regulations (CA AB32, EPA Mandatory GHG reporting, etc.)
• Increased scrutiny by NGOs around specific issues such as end-of-life, BFR content, and PVC wiring coatings
• Increase competitive claims around sustainability
• Industry trends toward smart grid, digital printing, and virtual collaborations tools

FairRidge Solution

This engagement was focused on assessing the current state along the SM3 management dimensions, strategy, organization, process, measurement, people, and marketing. The team also benchmarked the governance models for 5 companies with high-profile sustainability programs

Specifically, FairRidge worked with the Sustainability Director to:

• Articulate the current maturity level, desired end state, and required management infrastructure programs to close the gap
• Review and updated existing sustainability strategy
• Build an overall sustainability implementation plan and budget for FY2010
• Develop business cases for 2 of high-priority sustainability initiatives
• Recommend a governance function structure to support the implementation of the sustainability strategy
• Create a consistent sustainability message to unify 3 autonomous business units
• Assist with the creation of an eco-assurance scorecard

Outcome / Business Value

In a very large and complex organization, these roadblocks to success are often systematic. The engagement helped the sustainability director navigate some of those roadblocks, by assessing the current sustainability effort and identifying core changes in short and long term strategy, governance structure and targeted investments that have made key sustainability investments more effective.

Testimonials

On Our Team

I really enjoyed working with the FairRidge team and wish we had more time. They are sharp, easy to work with, creative, and productive. They have a well rounded set of talents which results in them complementing each other well.

On Our Work

Our business is all about the long-term sustainability of communities and ecosystems. FairRidge Group provided key insights and valuable hands-on assistance to help enhance our business performance.

On Our Approach

The business-driven approach that was used by the team was instrumental in driving the change program at Levi Strauss & Co. They facilitated a series of working sessions with our key stakeholders, from across our international operations, to build our shared vision. Then, based on that vision, they helped us to create an actionable plan, and to execute against that plan with their program management services.