Maturity Model Concepts for Sustainable Manufacturing

Sustainability has been identified as an emerging business megatrend that companies across the spectrum need to respond to. Companies in the manufacturing industry have also increased their efforts in this direction. However, the efforts for improving the efficiency of manufacturing processes vary widely across the industry and may vary even within different locations of a large manufacturing organization. This paper reviews major initiatives and research relevant to developing and providing guidance for organizations interested in sustainable manufacturing. A concept is proposed for a maturity model to assist manufacturers with understanding the status of their efforts for sustainable manufacturing specifically focusing on materials, energy, and water use. The concept is being presented to gather inputs from relevant stakeholders and for further development into a model that provides high-level guidance to manufacturers for improving sustainability of their operations.