Develop indicative targets, goals and objectives of what you would like to achieve. For example, you may want to aim for a 10% reduction in waste, water, energy and/or labour costs.

Identify the staff who will work on a resource efficiency team.

Use our checklist to conduct a site assessment. Start from where goods enter the factory, through to processing and finally where goods are packaged and stored for delivery.

Develop a flow diagram for the site to identify where materials are travelling throughout the site. This will help conduct a mass balance for the site.

 Site Assessment checklist (77 KB)

Record and review utility data against production output for the previous two years using our Utility Reporting Worksheet. This will help to identify your company’s performance and develop a snapshot of the current processes for which to benchmark against these changes.

How much does waste really cost you? (Include, loss of raw materials, labour, energy, water and trade waste).

 Utility Reporting Worksheet (34 KB)

Download our Resource Management Action Plan and follow these guidelines:

- Make the Plan outcome focused
- Make it simple and easy to follow
- Assign timelines and responsibilities to key personnel
- Tackle the simplest, most cost-effective issues first and develop the plan from there.

 Resource Management Action Plan (98 KB)

When implementing your Action Plan keep the following points in mind:

- Prioritise actions from the most cost-effective with no capital costs to those that may require capital investment
- Identify where the largest percentage of waste is being generated and target this area first
- Start with opportunities that have direct financial benefits for no capital expenditure
- Track and chart all actions and progress
- Encourage continuous feedback and rewards for staff
- Keep it simple

Once actions have been implemented, it is important to monitor performance to look for opportunities for continuous improvement.

- Monitor and Track results
- Continuous feedback and rewards for staff
- Look at justifying any capital expenditure with costs saved through the program
- Set new targets, goals and objectives
- Start the process again and look for opportunities

Remember this is not a once off project - it should become part of your company's daily operations.