46
2.3 Check
Once an organization evaluates its sustainability position and sets ambition goals to
move forward to an improved performance, once it initiates a plan to achieve its
targeted goals and once it performs a LCM practice and fi nally reports the outcomes
from the implementation, then the next step is to evaluate and revise its achievements and learn from its mistakes. The latter is the “Check” step of the PDCA cycle.
In this stage, the effectiveness of the proposed solutions is measured. Depending on
the success of the LCM initiative, once the areas of improvement are identifi ed and
the general scope of the main project are evaluated, it may be possible to incorporate
the improvements by repeating the “Do” step.
The types of questions one might ask at this phase would include (Remmen et al.
2007 ):
• What went well? And what did not?
• Which risks were identifi ed?
• What preventive actions should be taken?
• Were the goals met?
• How can the effort be improved?
• Should more employees be involved in the initiative?
• Should the efforts be focused in a different direction?
• Were the appropriate means and methods applied?
• What was the infl uence on sales and customer demands?
• Should more external stakeholders be involved?
• Should the level of ambition be raised?
This evaluation may be conducted once a year and it can provide a platform for
an adjustment of an organization’s policy. Based on the evaluation results, the organization may decide to continue with the same sustainability objectives and goals or
even set a higher ambition level that comprises more extensive environmental and
social commitments.
A step-by-step approach of the LCM ensures interaction between knowledge
acquired about the social and environmental impacts of a product throughout its
life cycle and the possible implementation of product-oriented sustainability performance improvements. The “Check” step of the PDCA cycle evaluates this interaction and also involves the measurement, monitoring and evaluation of products
and services as well as of the management system itself. Important elements of the
“Check” step are (Remmen et al. 2007 ):
• Monitoring the performance of the processes and products in view of the defi ned
objectives and targets with the support of indicators
• Feedback and criticism from customers and other parties are an important information source for organizations to improve products as well as the product
development process
• Establishing preventive and corrective actions for potential and actual nonconformities with requirements
E.D. Gemechu et al.
2.3 Check
Once an organization evaluates its sustainability position and sets ambition goals to
move forward to an improved performance, once it initiates a plan to achieve its
targeted goals and once it performs a LCM practice and fi nally reports the outcomes
from the implementation, then the next step is to evaluate and revise its achievements and learn from its mistakes. The latter is the “Check” step of the PDCA cycle.
In this stage, the effectiveness of the proposed solutions is measured. Depending on
the success of the LCM initiative, once the areas of improvement are identifi ed and
the general scope of the main project are evaluated, it may be possible to incorporate
the improvements by repeating the “Do” step.
The types of questions one might ask at this phase would include (Remmen et al.
2007 ):
• What went well? And what did not?
• Which risks were identifi ed?
• What preventive actions should be taken?
• Were the goals met?
• How can the effort be improved?
• Should more employees be involved in the initiative?
• Should the efforts be focused in a different direction?
• Were the appropriate means and methods applied?
• What was the infl uence on sales and customer demands?
• Should more external stakeholders be involved?
• Should the level of ambition be raised?
This evaluation may be conducted once a year and it can provide a platform for
an adjustment of an organization’s policy. Based on the evaluation results, the organization may decide to continue with the same sustainability objectives and goals or
even set a higher ambition level that comprises more extensive environmental and
social commitments.
A step-by-step approach of the LCM ensures interaction between knowledge
acquired about the social and environmental impacts of a product throughout its
life cycle and the possible implementation of product-oriented sustainability performance improvements. The “Check” step of the PDCA cycle evaluates this interaction and also involves the measurement, monitoring and evaluation of products
and services as well as of the management system itself. Important elements of the
“Check” step are (Remmen et al. 2007 ):
• Monitoring the performance of the processes and products in view of the defi ned
objectives and targets with the support of indicators
• Feedback and criticism from customers and other parties are an important information source for organizations to improve products as well as the product
development process
• Establishing preventive and corrective actions for potential and actual nonconformities with requirements
E.D. Gemechu et al.