“Lean & Green” program in Alsace: searching & reapplying good ideas from the US.

On February 21st, 2012, an audience of more than 25 Members and Friends of AmCham attended a conference given by Patrick Dancourt, European Procurement Director at Steelcase and President of AmCham Alsace Lorraine, on the proven US Lean & Green program adopted and adapted in Alsace since 2010.

Patrick first shared the history and principles of the “Lean & Green” program started by the American EPA in 2004 with the creation of a Green Suppliers Network, then covered the origins of the program in Alsace and its development under the leadership of ADIRA with the close support of Steelcase and GM.

The program aims at seeking efficiencies in the production process, which in turn reduce waste and bring along cost savings: it starts with an audit of volunteer suppliers by an external consultant who identifies opportunities for improvement in terms of industrial and environmental performance. Results are of course confidential and the implementation of recommendations remains at the sole discretion of the audited company. Twenty Alsatian companies and their suppliers have participated so far, of which 7 Champions present in the Region: Steelcase, GM, Kraft, Soprema, Merck Millipore, Salm and Alstom.

In Alsace, 6 Key Ratios such as “Co2 emissions over Sales” were chosen to measure performance, enabling participating companies to benchmark themselves against each other. Metrics are being tracked by the INSA and so far have shown clear measurable progress.

Going forward, the plan is to create a “Lean & Green” Club to continue to share experiences, spread the word and deliver positive results. All in all, an exciting program that builds on US learnings to further enhance the competitiveness of companies present in Alsace.

If you want to know more about the Lean & Green program and how to join it, please contact Sébastien Leduc, 03 88 52 82 84 or sebastien.leduc@adira.com