Implementing ISO 14001 in a Multi-Site Manufacturing Environment

DENSO mandated that its 13 affiliated North American facilities implement ISO 14001 by 1999. This posed a number of substantial challenges given the diversity and scope of its operations, challenges which conventional implementation approaches seemed ill-suited to handle. DENSO North America developed and executed a hybrid strategy, “system-consistency,” that may offer valuable lessons for other manufacturers confronting the task of implementing ISO 14001 in a diverse, multi-facility environment. Moreover, “system-consistency” has provided DENSO with tangible economic benefits, including substantial reductions in environmental management systems development, implementation, and re-certification costs that will amount to over $1 million within the first 3 years alone.