The data request always comes as a surprise to most colleagues involved; your data supplier for energy consumption cannot explain whether the reduction target is still being achieved, and your colleague from the supply chain is always late in delivering data. The coordination of the data collection process seems like a mammoth project, and you feel like a lone fighter within the organization. Internal commitment is what you need!
Support from the organization is crucial to collect and monitor non-financial data within the set deadlines. Since setting up processes to collect, monitor, and report data takes time and resources, support from management is essential. Therefore, it only makes sense in case the management supports this, and they actually use the non-financial information that follows from these processes for management decisions. In addition, involve relevant colleagues as early as possible in the process to align the timeline, required data, the format of the data and responsibilities. This is important because data suppliers that supply the data are not always responsible for the performance shown in the figures. A simple example: One colleague provides energy consumption figures every quarter, but is not “in charge” of all programs and activities that contribute to energy reduction. HR has a mobility program, for example, and the Operations business unit is simultaneously greening energy for processes, the implementation of which is done by the Purchasing department, which purchases green energy.
Responsibilities must be clearly defined, with a possible separation between the data supplier and the KPI owner. The colleague in the example does not want to have to worry about being accountable for something beyond his or her responsibility. However, he or she must be able to explain why production location X suddenly no longer reports gas consumption.
