Utilze Carbon footprinting data directly within your MIS System

It's no secret that the environmental movement has swept through most sectors that deal with the public. Now this wave is cresting and about to crash on tier-one suppliers, printers, and processors.

In this article we’ve joined forces with our carbon footprinting partners CarbonQuota, to talk about the pressures faced by the printing industry in this area. We also present a solution to this challenge and show you the low-cost, automated key to unlocking your valuable carbon data.

What’s your plan for meeting the challenge?

Public-facing businesses are now being pressured to report their Scope 3 emissions (those caused by their supply chain) including any emissions produced when manufacturing the products they purchase from print suppliers. Measurements of the carbon footprint or environmental impact of these products typically cost in the region of £2,000 to £5,000 and take a minimum of two weeks (per product). This is costly and time consuming and has been termed 'The Old World of carbon footprinting' by ePS Tharstern and CarbonQuota. 

The printing environment is fast paced, and products are manufactured with unlimited SKUs and specifications. Most industry members work from quotations and specifications generated by MIS systems such as Tharstern Desktop on a daily basis, giving them the ultimate flexibility to create exactly what the customer desires.

While there are few industries that can claim to have the same level of customer choice as the printing industry, this does present a problem. With thousands of variations of products available each year, it would be impossible for most companies to quantify the environmental impact of these themselves. Only the largest printers can accomplish this, leaving the other 95% unable to compete. 

Let us introduce you to The New World, the solution to the problem

What if we told you that your MIS software could provide you with all the information you need to calculate the carbon footprint of every single job you produce? All you need to do is unlock your carbon data!

If you’re a Tharstern Desktop user, you can now take advantage of CarbonQuota’s new Essentials package which is an automated service that seamlessly integrates with your print MIS and enables you to add a scientific-driven carbon footprint for every product on your quotes. With such a big demand from consumers for this sort of data, it’s a real game changer.

Here’s 3 key benefits of using your MIS to measure carbon footprints

1. Help your customers make more informed decisions about their purchases

Without this scientific data available to them, your customers are unaware of the environmental impact their purchases are having. But having this real-time data in front of them allows them to track and reduce their own environmental impact by making more environmentally conscious choices. You could also help them with these choices, suggesting materials or processes with a lower carbon footprint for example.

2. Identify areas that your business can become more sustainable and reduce carbon emissions

Whether for ethical, regulatory, cost-saving or reputational reasons, businesses have a responsibility to reduce their environmental impact. Accurate carbon emissions data is therefore essential to reducing the carbon footprint of a company’s operations. For example, perhaps there is a waste reduction opportunity that could give your company an even greater competitive advantage – since, if you consistently improve the carbon footprint of your own activities, your customers will in turn have a lower carbon footprint than if they went to your competition.

3. Attract more eco-conscious customers and build your reputation in this area

By demonstrating to both existing and potential customers that you understand the importance of sustainability and reducing not only your own carbon footprint, but theirs too, you’re likely to attract a new type of customer. These are the customers who are looking for likeminded suppliers who share their views and who they can work with to achieve their sustainability goals.

The increasing demand for environmental data brings opportunities for PSPs to take the lead and make a positive environmental impact in the industry. Overall, using your print MIS to measure the carbon footprint of products is a win-win for both you and your customers – you’re helping drive more environmentally conscious choices and support a more sustainable future for all.

If you want to know more about our integration with CarbonQuota and their new low-cost ‘Essentials’ plug and play carbon footprint calculator (with no set-up or training required) register for our upcoming webinar or read more here.