Information Gathering

A number of standard tools can be used by small and large businesses, to help in understanding their processes:

• Analyse the make-up of your major costs, to reveal the key 'drivers' of the business.
• Quantify the key physical inputs and outputs, by mass balances.
• Other resources can be tracked similarly - e.g. by energy and water balances.
• Identify where most of your labour resources are used.
• Use audits to plug the information gaps.

Audits can provide more detailed information regarding the composition of waste and internal recycle streams. They will also assist in estimating the costs/ benefits that will result from proposed improvements - follow the guide to Conducting an Audit.

Armed with a reasonable understanding of your key business processes and the flow of resources, you should be able to start identifying priorities for improvement.