Sustainable Operations: Company Background, Sustainable Practices, Impacts, Issues, Risks And Opportunities

Prior to the first official client meeting, student consultants need to do their “homework” and learn as much as possible (through secondary research) and gain a good initial understanding about their client’s organization/business, operations, and current sustainable practices. They also need to undertake a preliminary assessment of its key sustainability impacts and issues (current), and risks and opportunities (potential future). This is imperative so that when you have your first official meeting with your client, you are well-informed about these things and can make a good impression on the client. Also, so that you do not waste time asking the client for information that is already available in the public domain.  

You are required to conduct secondary research from various credible (reputed and trusted) sources to collect the requisite information

Company Background

• Industry, main activities, products, services
• Locations of HQ and other main operations/facilities; the particular facility/location that you are focusing on in this project
• Organization size in terms of small, medium or large; annual sales revenue, number of employees, etc.
• Legal ownership structure (public corporation, private corporation, partnership, proprietorship), owners or major shareholders
• Major customers (if B2B), or customer segments or types of customers
• Major competitors
• Origin (founder, year started) and brief history of development (key milestones)
• Future/growth plans

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

• What kinds of sustainability-related* laws and regulations apply to the client or its industry? *e.g. environment, health & safety (EHS), employee/labour/union related permits, licences, approvals and/or other government requirements or standards.

The report is prepared on the title ‘Sustainable operations’. The first section provides information about the company background of ‘Cober’ organization. The next part focuses on the current sustainable practices adopted by the organization. The third section emphasizes on the impacts and issues of the sustainable practices. The report also provides information about the possible risks and opportunities that can emerge from sustainable practices. The key purpose of the report is to focus on the aspect of sustainability with respect to Cober business organization. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to upgrade the knowledge based on the title.  

Cober was founded in the year 1916 (Linkedin , 2019). It acts as a leader in the print industry. It provides print services to the customers and delivers effective content through print, digital, interactive, and integrated services that focus on strategy and metrics. It is also engaged in marketing and delivers communication services to the reputed brands of Canada and United States. Cober is a Canadian company located in Kitchener in Ontario (Imposition , 2018). It is a medium business enterprise with strength of around 170 employees (Pender, 2016). The annual revenue of the company is marked at around $77M (Zoominfo, 2019). It is a private business organization (Linkedin , 2019). It was owned by Peter Cober (President) (Printaction , 2016). As mentioned above, it is engaged in ‘Business to business’ service. Its main competitors in Canada are ‘The Printing House’, ‘Hemlock Printers’, and ‘Webcom’ (Meyer, 2017). Cober is engaged in constant evolution based on self-development and innovation. After rendering ser4vices for more than 100 years, it has also expanded its services including satellite operations (Pender, 2016). In the year 2014, it has attained acquisition over ‘Cute Gecko Inc.’. It owns one of the largest digital printings plants in Canada. Based on future growth, it aims to develop more sustainable practices and diversify its business activities (Cobersolution , 2019).

It has also gained an eco-certification for developing sustainable practices in its business operations.

As Cober forms the part of printing industry in Canada, it has to follow the guidelines framed under the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR). It has to gain the registration of Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA). These helps in registering as an eligible printing facility in the industry (Ontario , 2019).  

Sustainability is a major part of Cober’s values as it is constantly developing and involving innovation in its business practices. It is embracing sustainable print production through eco certification. It aims at enhancing the green practices and contributing towards the environment health. It develops plan for environment safety. Some of its key sustainable practices are mentioned below.

• Cober has developed the use of soy-based inks reducing the application of oil and petroleum based inks. It has initiated its use as it considered more environmental friendly and cost effective. Additionally, it makes it easier to recycle paper.
• It lays prior attention in recycling the paper waste. It also donates the excess paper to local schools.
• It is developing the use of eco- friendly printers as they reduce the amount of ink usage. These are inbuilt with energy saving features as it consumes around 96% less energy than a regular printer does.
• Its customers do not mainly focuses on type of ink used in the print service. Thus, it develops the uses of eco-friendly material for packaging.
• Lastly, it takes prior attention in controlling the practices that result in wasteful production (Cobersolution , 2019).

Company Background

Internal analysis

Cober is engaged in printing services. It delivers specific printing services via its printers. It used to rely on the usage of basic printers that has an adverse effect on the health of the human resources as it emits strong radiations.

According to the printing industry, printer ink is harmful for the environment. This is because it is developed from petroleum and specific inks also contains non-biodegradable plastic casing. Additionally, it develops the problems of disposing the printer as it is a metallic waste that can pollute the soil (Davidson, 2018).

Internal stakeholders

Internal stakeholders operate within the business. It includes employees, owner, and investors. They attain direct relation with the business enterprise. They serve the organization as they have primary responsibility towards it. In relation to Cober, its employee was facing the issue due to its business operations.

Employees: The human resource of the organization forms the part of the internal stakeholders. The Cober employee faces an issue while conducting printing operations. They were exposed to ‘ionizing radiation’ in the work process. This is because it is a strong and energetic radiation that has an adverse effect on human health in a long term (Herremans , Nazari, & Mahmoudin , 2016).

External stakeholders

External stakeholders do not form the part of the business. They are influenced with the organization’s work process and activities. They attain indirect relation and develop secondary responsibility towards the business entity. These mainly include suppliers, customers, and government bodies. In relation to Cober, its suppliers and customers are facing issues with

Suppliers: Its suppliers are facing the problem in providing the Cober with paper. It has to comply with many legal formalities to obtain raw material. This is because the procurement of raw material is based on natural resources of the country.

Government: As the Cober, is engaged in print services it requires paper and other raw material in heavy quantity. Thus, its services ultimately require heavy dependence on tress to obtain paper. Thus, government faces issue fulfilling the heavy demand of raw material and in protecting the tress for natural vegetation (Herremans , Nazari, & Mahmoudin , 2016).

In order to solve the problems faced by its stakeholders, Cober has altered some of its work process. To assists its human resource, Cober has relied on the use of green and eco-friendly printers. These printers do not develop any form of health issue to the person engaged in its usage. Additionally, these do not lay any negative effect on the environment.

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

To lower the issue faced by the government with respect to natural resources, Cober has developed the practices of reusing the waste material, minimizing the paper waste as well as developed recycling activities.

As Cober has developed the use of reuse and recycling the paper, it has directly reduces its requirement for fresh raw material. Thus, it has resulted in lowering the problems of suppliers as it does not demand raw material in heavy quantity (Cobersolution , 2019).

As mentioned above, Cober has relied on certain sustainable practices to assist its stakeholders as well as to contribute to the environment. Similarly, it has relied heavily on the use of eco-friendly printers. However, Cober is facing the issue as it has enhanced its cost of operations. This is because eco-friendly printers are generally expensive than basic printers (Zoominfo, 2019) .

PESTLE Analysis

Political factor: The Canadian government charges a corporate tax rate of 15%. Additionally, the government provides investment and financial freedom to the business enterprise (Heritage , 2019).

Economic factor: The population strength of the Canada is 36.7 million. Its Per Capita Income is marked at $48,265 (Heritage , 2019).

Social factor: According to the Canadians buying behaviour, they show high preferences towards products and services developed through sustainable practices (Cision , 2019).  

Technological factor: Canada attains a fine position in the technology. It has the fastest growing technology.

Legal factor: Canadian government assists the business organizations that develops the efficient use of natural resources and develops sustainable business practices (Heritage , 2019).

Environmental factor:  It is researched that Canada is facing high degree of air pollution (Smith, 2015).

Risk

1. On the basis of above discussion, Canada offers fine technology to business enterprise. It develops a threat for Cober, as its competitors will exceed in terms of financial gains by relying on upgraded technology available in Canada. This, in turn develops an additional risk that its competitors might give tough competition. Thus, it develops the possibility of low future profits.

Opportunities

1. The social factor builds an opportunity for Cober, as it is engaged in adopting sustainable practices. Canadians attains high preference towards sustainable organization, thus it will become easy for the Cober to gain the attention of the customers in its printing services via its practices.
2. According to the political environment, Canadian government offers high business freedom. Thus, it builds a chance for the Cober enterprise to adopt sustainable practices as per its suitability.
3. The legal factors develop a chance for the Cober to gain financial and non-financial incentives aid, grant from the Canadian government. Thus, it will help the Cober in future business operations.
4. As mentioned above, Canada is facing environmental pollution. Thus, it develops a chance for Cober to emerge as a sustainable organization by developing the use of only green practices. This will aid in developing better word of mouth from customers. Thus, it will help in enhancing brand reputation in Canada.

Conclusion

The above discussion focuses on the Canadian based company named ‘Cober’. The company overview states that it is a profitable medium business enterprise engaged in offering print services. It develops the use of soy ink, recycling inks and green printers as its sustainable practices. The external environment analysis offers opportunities as well as risk to Cober in terms of sustainability. Thus, the above discussion concludes that green practices are highly significant in print industry as well. Thus, it should enhance the sustainable practices, as it will help the Cober in emerging as a sustainable organization in the Canada print industry. 

References

Cision . (2019, October 14). More Canadian consumers seeking green products and services in current economy. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from Cision : https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/more-canadian-consumers-seeking-green-products-and-services-in-current-economy-515057131.html

Cobersolution . (2019, October 13). About us . Retrieved October 13, 2019, from Cobersolution : https://cobersolutions.com/about/

Cobersolution . (2019, October 15). Cobersolution . Retrieved October 15, 2019, from Cobersolution : https://cobersolutions.com/

Davidson, S. (2018, November 26). PART 1: What Are The Effects Of Printing On The Environment? Retrieved October 15, 2019, from Medium: https://medium.com/@soradavidson/what-are-the-effects-of-printing-on-the-environment-bdb90d832292

Heritage . (2019, October 14). Canada. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from Heritage : https://www.heritage.org/index/country/canada

Herremans , I. M., Nazari, J. A., & Mahmoudin , F. (2016). Stakeholder relationships, engagement, and sustainability reporting. Journal of Business Ethics, 138(3), 417-435.

Imposition . (2018, September 26). Ultimate TechnoGraphics Helps Cober Gain Unmatched Productivity. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from Imposition : https://imposition.com/press-release/ultimate-technographics-helps-cober-gain-unmatched-productivity-2/

Linkedin . (2019, October 13). Cober Solutions. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/cober-evolving-solutions

Meyer, C. (2017, July 27). Six Canadian printers make top 10 in sustainability ranking. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from National Observer: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/07/27/news/six-canadian-printers-make-top-10-sustainability-ranking

Ontario . (2019, October 14). Commercial printing facilities user guide for environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR). Retrieved October 14, 2019, from Ontario : https://www.ontario.ca/page/commercial-printing-facilities-user-guide-environmental-activity-and-sector-registry-easr

Pender, T. (2016, May 4). Over 100 years, Cober has diversified with the times. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from The Record : https://www.therecord.com/news-story/6526661-over-100-years-cober-has-diversified-with-the-times/

Printaction . (2016, May 3). Cober Evolving Solutions Celebrates 100 Years. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from Printaction : https://www.printaction.com/headlines/cober-100-3581

Smith, B. (2015, August 6). Canada: Environmental Issues, Policies and Clean Technology. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from AZO: https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=563

Teknogedyet. (2019, October 14). Tecknogadyet. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from Tecknogadyet: https://www.teknogadyet.com/2019/05/inkjet-printers-eco-friendly-solution.html

Zoominfo. (2019, October 13). Cober Printing Limited. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from Zoominfo: https://www.zoominfo.com/c/cober-printing-limited/347993960