The Scholar of Business

ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH   INDUSTRIAL     ECOLOGY

1. INTRODUCTION

During the last ten years, concepts such as sustainable development, industrial ecology and environmental management have been more frequently used by industry, the world of academia, the media, public administration and the NGOs. The amount of such “buzzwords” indicates that there is an increased focus on environmental issues.

Sustainable development means integrating social, economic and environmental objectives  of the society in order to maximize the well being of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs. Recognition is now widespread that industrial activity plays an essential role in a sustainable society. The rapidly-growing new field of industrial ecology (IE) offers methods that can assist corporations and organizations in sustainable operations and serving as agents of change. Industrial ecologists have even referred to their field as “the science of sustainability”. In brief, industrial ecology might be defined as the study of interactions between industries and their environment. IE studies technological and managerial approaches for reconfiguring industrial activities to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution.

2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development is the environmental catchphrase of the 1990s, and the most universally quoted definition is that produced in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), otherwise known as the Brundtland Commission: “Economic and social development that meets the needs of the current generation without undermining the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

Following the publication of the Brundtland report, there was a rapid escalation of alternative definitions of sustainable development and lists are given by several authors (e.g. Pezzey 1989, Pearce et al. 1990, and Rees 1989).

Hosted Call Accounting (sometimes referred to as web call accounting) is a fully managed Software as a Service (SaaS) alternative to purchasing hardware and software and expending internal resources. These services can be strictly for basic incoming and outgoing telephone call tracking from a PBX system or all encompassing of the entire communication ecosystem.  Some companies offer complete outsourcing services for remote polling, authorization code billing, charge-back, network planning, traffic analysis, carrier/service comparisons, SIP / IP PBX reporting, voice mail, call center, auto attendant, mobile tracking, internet usage and more.

Many organizations have high overhead costs, staff turnovers and little time for in-house software.   Hosted call accounting is managed by the provider; the end user accesses the services via a simple browser anywhere, anytime.  There is generally no requirement for additional software. Hosted call accounting helps organizations manage their communication facilities. Management issues include controlling abuse, increasing staff productive and equipment provisioning. This service is a suitable solution for health care, educational institutions, government agencies and general business.

Traditionally call accounting involved the printing of hundreds or thousands of pages of activity detailing or summarizing telecom facilities by division, call center or end user. Hosted call accounting gives managers the option of reviewing the same data online in concise easy to read reports and charts. You can print only the detail you really need.  No longer is there a need for one dedicated computer system to handle your call detail records.

Often when an organization changes, upgrades or replaces hardware internal call accounting software is also replaced.   Hosted call accounting can make hardware changes and migration seamless.   The central server of a seasoned web call accounting service can easily adapt to new data streams, protocols and technologies resulting in greater return on investment and long term assurance.

Every company has to start somewhere, and every company wants to succeed. How, exactly, do you get from the starting line to the success part? That’s where every business is different. Of course, one of the most critical elements that EVERY business has to handle is marketing and promotions. People can’t utilize your products or services if they don’t know that you exist. That’s why it is important for you to take advantage of every marketing tool that is available. While print ads and online advertisements are great, there is a much better and more successful way to market any business, no matter what industry it is in: promotional products.

Promotional gifts and products will not only advertise your business, but they will allow people to get useful items for free. If someone is given a barbecue utensil set with your name on it, they won’t need to go out any buy one. If you give people office supplies, clothing, or promotional bags, that’s less stuff that they have to go out and buy. It’s all about making consumers feel appreciated and making sure that your promotional items are ones that will be used and taken advantage of. With the low cost of promotional products, you can actually get better visibility and a great reputation for only a fraction of the cost of traditional advertisements and marketing campaigns.

Why spend thousands of dollars on print ads throughout the course of the year when you can give out promotional calendars, office supplies and accessories, housewares, and even outdoor products that you’ll pay much less for and people will see much more often. If you run an advertisement in the Saturday paper, people have likely forgotten about it by Monday. If you hand out promotional calculators, magnets, or hats to customers and/or potential customers, they will remember your business for as long as they’re using your products.

Imagine opening 20 new business locations without having to foot the bill for real estate, equipment and development costs or taking on any of the risk. Even more, imagine finding managers to run all those locations, who are just as committed to growing the company as you, and you don’t have to pay them a dime. Finally, imagine that these managers will hire, fire and manage all employees as well as foot the bill for all operating costs and expenses. Sound far-fetched?

Not if you’re planning to enter the franchise industry, one of the fastest ways to grow a small business without breaking the bank. For many companies, franchising a business (or licensing) is a sensible way to achieve rapid, profitable growth without giving up any control or ownership. Going from a single location to a dozen in a couple years, or a hundred in ten years is possible and well-documented because franchise owner-investors put up all investment capital, shoulder all risk and assume all day-to-day operating responsibilities.

It’s expansion, using OPM – Other People’s Money. Also, the franchise company gets paid handsomely for teaching others the secrets of how to operate its business. First, there’s the up-front “membership” or franchise fee of ,000 to ,000 paid for using the brand name and operating methods. In addition, there are continuing royalties of 5% to 10% of gross sales for ongoing advice and consultation. In essence, a franchise development program allows a company to get out of the trenches and become a highly-paid general overseeing its soldiers. Long-term options are also attractive. Build an empire and relax, or let the franchise company be acquired by an increasing number of large companies that look for small, but growing franchise companies. According to the International Franchise Association, 900 new companies have franchised in the last three years.

Nowadays, it has become a common trend. Experts suggest environmental assessment and at certain places, it is an essential legal requirement before property to be bought, used as collateral or sold. So, we need environmental engineering consultants New Zealand and in the rest of the world as well. If we minutely observe our experience in any real estate dealing then we will agree with the fact that the deal can never be smooth without expert support. After the deal, you get the real challenge, ‘land development challenge’ and again you try to find out a well trained professional.

Actually, market has realized such grievances of common men and hence, we have numerous lands surveying firm New Zealand, Planning & Resource Management Services New Zealand, Consultants Survey Group New Zealand, and so on. Whenever, you are hiring a consultant, do care of the point that the consultant you have chosen must have ability of identifying the scope and nature of environmental problems of the company. The hired consultants must have ability to develop and assist in long term management strategy.

From consultants’ point of view, it is quite important to have an effective first impression. It is so obvious to understand as we all do agree, “First impressions are always lasting ones”. So, a quality consultant will show his/her technical and creative skill. He or she will show the planned arrangement of constructed and natural elements along with the concern of the stewardship and conservation of all types of resources viz. human, constructed or natural.

Strategic  Innovation  is  the  creation  of  growth  strategies  ,  new  product   categories ,  services  or  business   models   that  change  the  game  and  generate  significant  new  value  for  consumers,  customers  and  the Corporation. The  innovation  process  challenges  an   organization   to   look   beyond   its  established  business  boundaries  and  mental  models  and  to  participate  in  an  open  minded  , creative  exploration  of  the  realm  of  possibilities. Strategic  Innovation  specializes  in  providing  a  broad  array  of  consulting  services  to  local  governments  and  non- profit  organizations.

Strategic Innovation can be said to walk on a stair of innovation levels in the organization

                                                                Industry  Development

                                             Business  Development

                        Product  Development

Research & Development

Strategic innovation leads to either:

new business models (including a new value chain architecture), or
new markets (either by creating new ones or reshaping existing ones), or
increased value for both the customer and the company

or a combination of these three.

Drawing upon the above said, strategic innovation can be defined as:

a framework of interdependent content, process and context dimensions,
facilitating the application of creativity and innovation to strategic management
in order to enable strategic differentiation and competitive advantage,
by challenging conventional logic and redefining the company’s business model, redrawing market boundaries, creating new markets and value improvements for customers and the company itself.

 Consulting  services  generally  fall  into  six  major   areas  :

Strategic  planning

Technology  planning

General  consulting  services

Local  Government  services ,