Point: Help your customers save water by making better use of your products
Story: The UN designated March 22nd as World Water Day, to draw attention to the need to manage this vital resource. Many companies are examining how to reduce their water usage. Some companies are also looking at their value chain of customers and suppliers, helping their partners reduce water consumption as well. JohnsonDiversey, one of the S.C. Johnson family of companies, is a leading global provider of institutional cleaning and hygiene products. Because it sells cleaning products to large companies, JohnsonDiversey explored how it could help its customers reduce water consumption. For example, breweries use five times as much water to clean their facilities as they do to make their product. JD realized it could help its customers improve their cleaning practices. JD audits water usage at customer plants and then shares best practices from among all customers to reduce water usage and costs. The company also helped food and beverage customers in 21 sites around the world save a billion gallons of water in 2007 through its water management program.

Action:

• In thinking about water conservation efforts, look beyond your company’s borders.
• Examine how your products influence water consumption by customers and consumers
• Create products that enable less water consumption
• Share ideas among your customers to help everyone reduce water usage and costs.

Sources: MIT Crossroads presentation by Antonio Galvao, VP Global Plan and Deliver at JohnsonDiversey and JohnsonDiversey’s Responsible Resource Solutions

Tags: Customers, How-to, resource management, Strategy, value chain