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CIM employees help promote climate-friendly practices with a working group for sustainability

CIM employees help promote climate-friendly practices with a working group for sustainability

Sustainability is important not only in terms of product marketing strategies – company employees are increasingly keen to get involved in creating and promoting an eco-friendly office culture.

When it comes to climate protection, Fürstenfeldbruck software company CIM scores high not just with its warehouse management software PROLAG®World – an in-house sustainability group was set up a few years ago to encourage an environmentally conscious workplace. Besides offering activities and workshops for co-workers, the group has introduced specific measures to cut down on packaging waste, shorten transport routes and boost sustainable business travel.

Being aware of sustainability, climate change and environmental protection doesn’t have to be limited to the home. Ecological concerns are becoming increasingly important at work, too. Large companies are often said to be driven by profit maximisation rather than environmental considerations. A certain level of growth and economic success are necessary conditions for a company to survive, of course. There is more to business than just product and profit, however.

At the end of the day, every company is made up of the people it employs, who spend a large portion of their lives at the workplace. Employee and employer undeniably have a reciprocal relationship – they are inter-dependent and mutually beneficial to each other.



Sustainability group provides fresh ideas



When it comes to sustainability in business, a company’s workforce plays a central role. No matter what the sector, there are always plenty of simple ways to become more sustainable. Our belief at CIM is that sustainability has to do with more than just our product – there’s also a lot we can do to make our daily working lives more environmentally friendly. Since the very early stages of the company, deputy managing director Franziska Mayr has always made sure that the many benefits offered to employees at the workplace come from sustainable and fair sources. Starting with organic tea, coffee and fruit, CIM places people and their environment firmly at the centre of things.


“Harmful pesticides, illegal wells and unfair labour practices are contributing to poverty in numerous regions of the world. For us, acting responsibly as a company means that we don’t support this kind of thing,” says Franziska Mayr, underscoring the management’s commitment to environmental protection. On their own initiative, a team of employees at CIM set up an in-house sustainability group a couple of years ago. Headed by Ludwig Schindler (19) and Lucas Laurenti (28), the group meets every two weeks.


“On the one hand, our aim is to evaluate where the company stands on the issue of sustainability. We also discuss ways of improving our efforts to make our workplace, the environment and even our product more sustainable.” Specific initiatives in the workplace are designed to cut down on packaging waste and shorten transport routes, for example. The group also offers regular workshops on sustainability and environmental protection. “The theme for April is sustainable travel, which will also cover business trips at CIM,” says Ludwig. “Which means of transport are best, things to consider when planning a business trip, and so on. We’re planning to compare various means of transport, just to see what the immediate impact is.” One of the past workshops held by the group focussed on the various myths surrounding sustainability. These myths were put to the test to demonstrate whether it’s true that organic is always better or that glass containers are preferable to plastic.



PROLAG®World as a forerunner in green logistics



Looking closer at CIM’s product range, it’s clear that sustainability has long been more than just a buzzword at the company. “Sustainability is a matter of course for us,” explains Hannelore Mayr, CIM product manager and member of the management team. “Logistics, especially intralogistics, is pivotal to the global flow of goods. An economically efficient warehouse is basically a sustainable warehouse. And that’s where we come in. We’re responsible not only for a smooth flow of goods and materials, but also for enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the warehouse."

Green Logistics has been a trend in the industry in recent years and, with regard to product optimisation, will continue to tie up capacities for some time to come. Logistics experts see enormous potential for improving environmental performance through full digital transformation of intralogistics. In terms of resource management, for example, valuable materials can be saved or recycled with the help of end-to-end transparency in goods transformation. “Not only is intelligent remnants management a sustainable practice, it also cuts production costs,” explains Hannelore. “If the data is used correctly, there’s even more potential in intralogistics.” CIM’s warehouse management system PROLAG®World is broad-based and offers multiple modular extensions providing sustainable, state-of-the-art warehouse management and production software.



Climate protection for the environment – and for people



The sustainability group also believes that CIM as a company can make a difference even beyond the confines of the workplace. “Our PROSEND® shipping software provides a real opportunity to have an impact on transport routes and means of transport, for example” says IT specialist Ludwig Schindler. PROLAG®World makes suggestions on how to pack and package goods. “This offers great potential in terms of cutting back on packaging and reducing costs,” he adds.


CIM’s sustainability proponents are very much aware that any environmental protection efforts need to be in sync with customer requirements. And there are often certain software development hurdles in the way. Long-term sustainability requires companies to start implementing tangible sustainable practices as soon as possible. A good example is CIM’s ‘cycle to work scheme’, where the company buys employees their bike of choice and gives them full use of it for work or leisure. The cost is repaid in monthly instalments deducted from their gross salary. Over ten colleagues are now enjoying life in the saddle – not to mention the numerous health benefits and positive environmental effects.


Ludwig Schindler sees his involvement in the sustainability group as a personal incentive. “I’d like to have the feeling that I’m leaving behind a planet that’s in an acceptable state and habitable for both present and future generations,” says the nineteen-year-old. But the sheer fun and satisfaction of working on such a valuable initiative is also a key factor, he stresses. Despite the concern for our planet, we shouldn’t forget that while climate protection is ultimately beneficial to all of us, it takes each one of us to make a difference.

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