Earthenterprise Tool Kit - International Institute for Sustainable ...

EarthEnterprise Tool Kit
Inc. collectively spend more than $1 billion annually on business and writing
p a p e r s , p u b l i c a t i o n s , and packaging. When the group issues its model
purchasing guidelines in late 1994, suppliers of recycled and unbleached paper
p roducts are certain to respond; some are alre a dy re - evaluating their
investment plans.
TOOL
Contract With the Best
The construction industry has long relied on primary and subcontractors to
perform various components of a large job. Pooling resources can be useful to
any company trying to create a stronger, more competitive whole.
When Wal-Mart built its new Eco-Store in Lawrence, Kansas, and the Audubon
Society built its new headquarters in NewYork City, both called on experts from
coast to coast. Innovative architects, lighting firms, and suppliers of sustainable
building materials worked together to create the most energy efficient retail
s t o re and office building in the country. Off-the-shelf products and
t e c h n o l o g i e s , as well as new inv e n t i o n s , w e re used to develop healthy,
appealing interior spaces that cost significantly less to heat, cool, and ventilate,
and that reduce water use.
Until the 1980s, undertaking large projects, entering major new markets, or
working globally was the exclusive privilege of big corporations and
conglomerates. Today, thanks to the innovative use of virtual corporations,
strategic alliances, and joint ventures, small and medium sized companies are
beginning to compete and to win contracts outside of their traditional markets.
Rapid advances in communications technologies, a global orientation within
even the smallest business, and the greater efficiencies that can be offered by a
team of small players, enable these firms to perform on the global stage.
Virtual corporations, with low overhead and geographically dispersed staff, can
be cost competitive and provide a range of skills and geographical expertise.
Many consulting firms, for example, now employ professional staff working on
contract out of their homes. Fax machines, modems,and electronic mail enable
staff to work independently. Customers may still visualize an office building,
but the reality is far different.
By entering into strategic alliances, small and medium sized companies can
build ongoing competitive capacity in the market place. E nv i ro n m e n t a l
engineering companies, marketing firms, and financial advisors, for example,
can work together to provide a comprehensive set of skills, such as those
offered by the Ontario Environmental Training Consortium. Joint ventures are
also good vehicles for combining two or more companies to produce new
products and services. Joint ventures between companies in different countries
ADOPTING NEW BUSINESS PRACTICES AND RELATIONSHIPS
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