Page 51 - Impiantistica industriale

producing cars powered solely by an internal
combustion engine.

Charting a tailored path

After using future back thinking to create a long-
term vision, companies can use today forward
thinking to map the pathways to get there. They
can pursue the most attractive and achievable
route, knowing that the journey is likely to change
along the way.
Indeed, companies that move the needle to the
next economy will need to pursue two tracks—
simultaneously improving and starting to reinvent
their core business. The balance between the Fig. 5
two depends on the headroom for improvement
in the core business and on whether there is a business, and improving employee and customer
fundamental problem with the sustainability of the engagement. The fourth stage involves exploring
business model (see Figure 5). new business models. The fifth and final stage is
Some companies, such as those in renewables and building coalitions that support the company’s
healthcare services, are rooted in creating social or multiple-track approach. Mike Barry, M&S’s chief
environmental value with a model that is already— sustainability officer, describes the types of new
or at least has the potential to be—sustainable business models that it considers radical shifts:
for generations to come. These companies will producing closed-loop clothing (using recycled
focus on improving the sustainability of their and recyclable fibers) and offering personalized
core business and spend less time on business wellness diets based on customers’ DNA profiles.
reinvention. At the other extreme, companies By considering possible reinvention paths alongside
engaging in environmentally or socially detrimental continued improvement of the core business,
activities need to seriously pursue reinvention or leading retailers are positioning themselves to make
prepare to manage a decline in business, as they steady progress while pioneering future trends.
will be a target for disruption or regulatory action.
Most industries fall somewhere in between—where Whatever strategy a company
there’s plenty of improvement to be made in the
core, but reinvention is still required to become chooses, making it happen will
truly sustainable and ensure a resilient, long-term “not be easy. Among the
business model. alarming findings from our
In retail, for example, leaders will follow both
tracks, continuing to focus on improving the survey: Only 4% of respondents
sustainability of their operations and products while say their companies are
simultaneously investigating alternative business
models to improve resource consumption. UK achieving or exceeding their
retailer Marks & Spencer plotted its journey sustainability goals. It also
in five stages. Three of those stages address highlights just how hard it will
core business improvement: reduction of waste
and energy, integrating that approach into the be to build a truly sustainable
economy

Whatever strategy a company chooses, making it
happen will not be easy. Among the alarming fin-
dings from our survey: Only 4% of respondents say
their companies are achieving or exceeding their
sustainability goals. Nearly half of all sustainability
programs are considered failures by the companies
deploying them—and the failure rate has doubled
in the past two years (see Figure 6 and the side-
bar, “How to avoid the failure trap”). The rise in fai-
led projects could be evidence that companies are
taking the issue seriously, and therefore more scru-
Fig. 6
pulously measuring progress and acknowledging

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