My name is Jürgen Sommer and I am here to assist you with workshops, coaching and consulting services for the design, strategy and implementation of your sustainability initiatives.

Sustainable Business Development

Growth Yes, but different

In today’s rapidly changing business world, sustainability is becoming more and more important. This is where traditional growth strategies reach their limits. In addition to topics such as employee or customer loyalty, there are other economic reasons for companies to deal with the topic of sustainability.

Compliance

Laws such as the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act or sustainability reporting make it clear how important compliance is in the area of sustainability. With forward-looking and sustainable business strategies, you ensure that your company meets these legal requirements and is ready for future regulatory changes. This reduces your legal risk and shows customers and investors that you are a responsible and future-oriented company

Cost Efficiency

Studies in the field of sustainable business development have shown that investing in sustainable business practices can lead to significant cost savings. With sustainable strategies for resource optimization, waste minimization and energy efficiency, companies can significantly reduce their operating costs in the long term.

Competitive Advantage

The result of a McKinsey study showed that 78% of consumers pay attention to sustainable products when shopping during and after the pandemic and 51% of those surveyed are willing to spend more money on sustainable products.

(Source: McKinsey, PM Sustainable Consumption, 2022)

Modern management teachings require an immediate switch to sustainable business models. Easier said than done for many companies. Simply conquering new regional or global markets overnight with new, sustainable products involves an incalculable entrepreneurial risk.

As much as time is pressing, achieving more sustainability is not an add-hoc change, but a journey. Mostly lengthy, complex with many obstacles. Therefore, the SUSTAINact Sustainable Business Development approach focuses on making your business development more sustainable step-by-step and thus more successful in the long term

Whether it’s the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act or sustainability reporting, I support you with the implementation so that you meet the legal compliance requirements.

I would be happy to advise you on how to change your existing portfolio, processes and organization by using innovative and sustainable business models, such as circular economy, sharing economy and anything-as-a-service (XaaS), so that you can achieve additional competitive advantages.

Based on Michael Porter’s ‘Value Chain’, I analyze every step of your value chain with you, from the procurement of raw materials to customer service, and then – if necessary – adapt it. The aim is to make the business process and the business outcome more effective and sustainable. These savings then enable further sustainability initiatives to be implemented. Step by step.

The digital support of the processes, with which I make the integration of sustainability practices into your business model more efficient and effective, plays a decisive role.

However, the introduction of sustainable business practices requires a rethink in the company, which brings with it a number of challenges. Here my tailor-made workshops can offer a first orientation.

Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains

Doing business with respect for people and the environment

In 2021, the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, also known as the LkSG for short, was passed by the German Bundestag and will come into force throughout Germany in January 2023. It applies to companies with more than:

1000
employees in 2023
500
employees in 2024

It obliges companies with headquarters, main office, administrative headquarters, registered office or branch office in Germany to comply with human rights, respect environmental obligations and prohibitions in their supply chains. This involves, for example, avoiding child labour, respecting human rights and the environmentally friendly disposal of waste. The LkSG is intended to increase supply chain transparency, strengthen human rights and at the same time take corporate interests into account.

Even if small companies are currently not formally directly affected by the LkSG, it is foreseeable that large companies will shift the responsibility to smaller companies.

Violators will face drastic penalties.

I support you with the introduction of the LkSG according to the legal regulations. I would be happy to advise you further on how you can expand the required minimum requirements into efficient risk management in order to minimize business risks and achieve competitive advantages.

Transparency in your Supply Chain

With digital IT support

The practical implementation of the LkSG demands a lot from the companies. In addition to the necessary organizational and process changes, the gathering, evaluation and audit-proof storage of data from a wide variety of sources represents another challenge. This is hardly feasible without digital support.

To help with this, my cooperation partner, Scopewire Data GmbH, has developed an innovative, user-friendly and comprehensive software-as-a-service solution that supports the introduction and management of the LkSG. Scopewire Supply Chain is immediately available directly from the cloud and already includes all necessary templates for management, policy statement and LkSG report.

However, a software solution alone is no guarantee that it will be used and accepted by your employees. Therefore, I offer all necessary workshops and training courses for managers and users for the introduction of the Scopewire Supply Chain,. If you wish, I can support you beside meeting the legal requirements, to turn this into competitive advantages.

SUSTAINact-Scopewire

An effective team for your sustainable success in your supply chains.

I give you 1-on-1 sustainability consultancy

Innovative, experienced and strong in implementation

With over three decades of experience working in management roles at various commercial enterprises and with numerous qualifications in sustainability management, I have extensive practical experience and, rather than simply handing you slick presentations, I will guide you every step of the way on your company’s journey to sustainability. My biggest strength is: creating clear structures that work in practice. And I value 1-on-1, open discussions.