Manufacturing SMEs doing it for themselves: developing, testing and piloting an online sustainability and eco-innovation toolkit for SMEs

Figures & data

Figure 1. The problem of a ‘slow uptake of sustainable practices in SMEs’ and six barriers to engagement.

Table 1. Conceptual requirements for the pilot framework.

Barriers for SMEs	The Pilot Framework conceptual requirements
Lack of awareness	Communicate how and where the environmental impacts of manufacturing activities occur, and the ability to measure, thus acting to improve and reduce environmental impact.
Lack of knowledge	Connect SMEs with knowledge and information on environmental legislation.
Shortage of resources	Be of little or no cost and take little time to implement.
Negative perception	Lead to an improved perception that environmental issues can benefit the business.
Insufficient supports and tools	Support voluntary SME improvements.
Limited research	Allow for feedback to contribute to knowledge.

Figure 2. External stimuli affecting eco-innovative practices in SMEs.

Table 2. Tools to support better environmental performance through eco-innovation.

	Eco-innovation Dimensions
	Design	User	Product service	Governance
This dimension addresses	Environmental impact	Acceptance within its context
Applicable Tools, training and methodologies	● Life Cycle Management (LCM) ● Design for Environment (DfE)	● Auditing tools ● Legislation tools	● Product Service Systems	● Sustainability Reporting

Figure 3. Elements combined to form the overall research approach in this study.

Figure 4. Triangulation in the SEco pilot framework development.

Table 3. Traceability matrix – design specification (tools).

URS	Functional Specification (FS)	Appropriate Tool(s)	Eco-innovation	Eco-innovation dimension
1. Life Cycle Management Tools	1.1 Evaluate the impact of a product/process/activity	Life Cycle Analysis	● Identifies areas for improvement ● Communicates a greener product/service	● Design ● User
	1.2 Measure the overall cost and impact of products and processes	Life Cycle Costing	● Identifies areas for improvement ● Identifies cost benefits ● Communicates a greener product/service ● Aids entire life-cycle purchasing decisions	● Design ● User
2. Design for Environment (DfE) methods	2.1 Evaluate compliance with legislation	Design for Environment	● Avoids environmental fines ● Meets customer requirements	● Design ● Governance
	2.2 Evaluate the compliance with customer requirements		● Identifies areas for improvement ● Meets customer requirements
	2.3 Measure and minimise the carbon footprint of products and processes		● Identifies areas for improvement ● Provides data to communicate a greener product/service offering	● Design ● Product service
3.Environmental Management Systems	3.1 Conduct a gap analysis on environmental practices	Environmental Management System	● Improves environmental management, performance and compliance	● User ● Governance
	3.2 Implement a structured environmental management		● Provides evidence for tendering and guides sustainable procurement
4. Sustainability Reporting tools	4.1 Raise awareness of the benefits	Sustainability Assessment	● Improves awareness of current practices and gaps to guide improvements	● User ● Governance
	4.2 Provide a method to report sustainability practices	Sustainability Reporting Manual	● Maintains transparency in the business
	4.3 Provide a template	Sustainability Reporting Template	● Simplifies the reporting process
5. Auditing tools	5.1 Measure and minimise waste	Waste audit tool	● Identifies opportunities for waste, water and energy prevention by tracking usage patterns	● User ● Governance
	5.2 Measure and minimise water	Water audit tool
	5.3 Measure and minimise energy	Energy audit tool
6. Legislation tool	6.1 Outline the purpose of environmental legislation	Environmental Legislation tool	● Reduces compliance costs ● Reduces the possibility of fines ● Provides guidance at the design phase	● User ● Governance
	6.2 Outline why a business should comply with legislation
	6.3 Signpost further information
7. Product Service Systems tool	7.1 Provide a framework for SMEs to investigate a more servitised business model	Product Service Systems tool	● Identifies the opportunities for developing sustainable servitised business models	● Design ● Product Service
	7.2 Provide a decision support methodology for those considering the shift to a servitised model		● Extends the life cycle of products by designing more durable products

Table 4. Traceability matrix – design specifications (training).

	Functional Specification (FS)	Appropriate Training	Eco-innovation	Eco-innovation dimension
8. Lesson 1 Introduction to eco-innovation and Sustainability	8.1 Create awareness of eco-innovation and sustainability	Sustainability eLearning Lesson	● Identifies opportunities for sustainable business practices	● User ● Governance
	8.2 Demonstrate the benefits of using case studies		● Identifies benefits of sustainable business practices
	8.2 Provide skills to implement		● Implements skills for sustainable practices
9. Lesson 2 LCA	9.1 Create awareness of LCA	LCA eLearning Lesson	● Identifies opportunities for improving the design of products and services	● Design ● User ● Governance
	9.2 Demonstrate the benefits of LCA		● Identifies benefits of using an LCA
	9.3 Provide skills to implement an LCA		● Implements skills to carry out an LCA
10. Lesson 3 LCC	10.1 Create awareness of LCC in the design of products and services and the purchase of equipment	LCC eLearning Lesson	● Identifies opportunities to improve the design of products/services and the purchase of equipment	● Design ● User ● Governance
	10.2 Demonstrate the benefits of implementing an LCC		● Identifies the benefits of using an LCC
	10.3 Provide skills to implement an LCC		● Implements LCC skills for design and equipment procurement purposes
11. Lesson 4 DfE	11.1 Create awareness of DfE in the design of products and services	DfE eLearning Lesson	● Identifies opportunities for improving the design of products and services	● Design ● User ● Governance ● Product Service
	11.2 Demonstrate benefits		● Identifies the benefits of using an DfE
	11.3 Provide skills to implement		● Implements the skills for DfE methods
12. Lesson 5 PSS	12.1 Create awareness of PSS in the design of products and services	PSS eLearning Lesson	● Identifies opportunities for improving the design of products through servitisation	● Design ● Product Service ● User ● Governance
	12.2 Demonstrate benefits of PSS		● Identifies the benefits servitisation
	12.3 Provide skills to transition towards a servitised model		● Provides a decision support methodology to assess a servitised business model

Table 5. Conceptual requirements and where they are met in the development process.

Barriers faced by SMEs	The Pilot Framework needs to …	Proposed requirements	How barriers are being addressed
A lack of awareness of their impact	● Communicate how and where the impacts occur ● Measure, improve and reduce environmental impact	● Training on the impact of products, processes, activities, and sustainable design	LCA, LCC & DfE training modules
		● Tools to measure and monitor impacts, to inform operational, organisational and design decisions	LCA, LCC, DfE & auditing tools
A lack of knowledge on legislation	Connect SMEs with accessible legislation information	● Training on legislation, EMS and signposting to resources	Legislation awareness and EMS training
A shortage of resources	Be of little or no cost, or time to implement	Framework needs to be: ● Simple ● Low cost ● Low risk ● Compensate for lack of resources and knowledge	Provided online, free of charge
The negative perception of benefits	Create a perception that environmental issues can benefit	It should highlight: ● Cost savings ● Competitive advantage ● Opportunities for sustainable business models ● Successful case studies	Auditing tools, PSS, and case studies in training modules
Insufficient supports and tools	Support voluntary improvements and avoid elements only suitable for larger organisations	Tools and training should: ● Be practical ● Be easily accessible ● Respect confidentiality ● Not need expert knowledge	Varying levels of expertise, Highlight benefits, Easily accessed online
Limited research	Allow for feedback to contribute to knowledge	● Attractive to SMEs and feedback experiences to allow for improvements	Testing to inform design

Table 6. Summary of pilot framework specifications.

SEco Pilot Framework Specifications
Sustainability training
Training Modules (7)	Platform	Source or author
Legislation, Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Life Cycle Costing (LCC), Design for Environment (DfE) Product Service Systems (PSS), Environmental Management Systems (EMS), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)	Articulate	Mitchell and Dimache
Sustainability tools (7 categories)
Tool	Platform	Source or author
Legislation Paper	PDF	Dimache
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) tools 1. Met Matrix 2. Eco-compass 3. Eco-indicator 99 4. Carbon Footprint	Excel	1. Brezet & Van Hemel (1997) 2. Fussler & James (1997) 3. PréConsultants (2000) 4. GHG Protocol (2011)
Life Cycle Costing (LCC) 1. Product LCC 2.Equipment LCC	Excel	Dimache
Design for Environment (DfE) 1. EcoDesign Checklist 2. LiDS Wheel	Excel	1. Tischner, et al. (2000) 2. Hemel & Brezet (1996)
Product Service Systems (PSS)	PDF Manual	Dimache
Environmental Management Systems 1. Energy Tool 2. Water Tool 2. Waste Tool	Excel	Mitchell
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 1. CSR Assessment 2. Sustainability Reporting	Word	Mitchell
User Requirements
● Simple ● Low cost ● Low risk ● Easily accessible ● Make SMEs aware of successful case studies ● Compensates for lack of resources and knowledge	● Respects confidentiality ● Focus on cost savings and competitiveness ● Practical ●Specific to SME needs ● Little time to implement ● Quick impact with visible results

Table 7. Framing the pilot framework to meet the needs of SMEs.

				Eco-innovation type			Eco-innovation dimension
Process	Features	Recommended Tools (downloadable)	Recommended training (via eLearning)	Product	Process	Organisation	Design	User	Product service	Governance
1. Reduce cost	A process to measure and monitor environmental-related costs	● Energy, Waste and Water Tracker	● Highlight benefits of sustainability ● EMS Training Course		●	●	●
	LCC to assess the life-cycle costs of equipment and products purchased	● LCC Equipment calculator ● LCC Product calculator	● LCC training course	●		●	●	●
2. Get informed: on legislation	A process to identify environmental trends and legislation issues	● Legislation tool	● Legislation training			●		●
3. Gain a competitive advantage	A process to evaluate and improve the environmental and social performance of the product/company	LCA tools: ● Eco-indicator 99 (Quantitative) ● Eco-compass (Qualitative) ● MET Matrix ● Carbon Footprint Calculator ● DfE tools: ● LiDS Wheel ● Eco-Design checklist ● CSR tools: ● Social Responsibility Assessment ● Sustainability Reporting Guide	● LCA, DfE, carbon footprint calculator, social responsibility tool ● Training course for the tools/methodologies used to support this process (LCA, DfE, Environmental Management Systems) ● Case studies	●	●	●	●
4. Identify new business opportunities	A process to generate and evaluate new product/service/business from sustainable principles	● PSS tools: ● Transition along the Product Service System (TraPSS) Manual	● PSS; training course for PSS; case studies	●				●	●

Figure 5. Main business sustainability webpage presenting the framework.

Figure 6. Common structure of the environmental training lessons.

Table 8. How reported issues with eLearning in SMEs were addressed.

Common issues reported with eLearning in SMEs (Averlill and Hall 2008, SIMPEL 2008) (McPhearson 2008, Engert, Akhmetova, and Nevskaya 2008)	How these were addressed in the Pilot SEco Framework
Cost and upfront payment	Provided for free
Content not tailored to SMEs	Owner-managers consulted at every stage of development
Pre-training required	The platform used does not require any training
Employee is too busy to undertake the learning	Clear business benefits highlighted at the outset.

Figure 7. Pilot framework testing framework.

Averlill, S., and T. Hall. 2008. “eLearning in SMEs in Canada.” In SIMPEL - Improving eLearning Practices in SMEs, 81–85. Brussels: SIMPEL.

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SIMPEL. 2008. “Strategies, Models and Guidelines to Use eLearning in SMEs.” In SIMPEL - Improving eLearing Practices in SMEs, 173–200. Brussels: UNIVERSITAS-Gyoer Nonprofit Kft.

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McPhearson, M. 2008. “A Systematic Review of the Literature into the Use of eLearning in the Workplace.” In Improving eLearning Practices in SMEs, 11–31. Brussels: UNIVERSITAS-Gyor nonprofit Kft. Brussels: SIMPEL.

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Engert, S., S. G. Akhmetova, and L. V. Nevskaya. 2008. “eLearning in Russian SMEs: The Experience of the Perm Region.” In SIMPEL - Improving eLearning Practices of SMEs, 87–91. Brussels: SIMPEL.

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