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No one knows for certain, but based upon current data it is apparent that many organizations that are currently certified to the ISO 14001 Standard in the United States may pass this prerequisite for doing business along to their suppliers in the future. The ISO 14000 Information Center at www.ISO14000.comTM has recently posed the Question “Is it important to your organization that its suppliers register to ISO 14001?” A total of 32% of 80 respondents indicated that they will require their suppliers to have a registered Environmental Management System (EMS) within the next two years, another 15% will require it within two to five years. Overall, 65% of the respondents, a solid majority, indicate that they will require or are considering requiring ISO 14001 certification of their supply chain. If you consider the extent of the chain of suppliers that serve the approximately 750 companies that are currently registered in the United States (ISO World, April 2000), the number that may be required to develop an EMS could easily number in the thousands.

It is safe to assume that many of the suppliers to companies who are ISO 14001 certified have at one time or another received a questionnaire that said “Do you have an EMS or are considering developing an EMS?” This information gathering serves to put suppliers on notice that their customers are screening to ascertain the status of EMS development within their supply base. Although many business managers or owners may initially resent being “coerced” into developing an EMS by their significant customers, many begin to recognize the opportunity of staying ahead of their competition by having a certified EMS. According to David Wood, Director of Purchasing and Manufacturing Services at Vectron International-Hudson “ISO certification responses on questionnaires may become a method of exclusion for companies seeking to narrow their field of suppliers to those that have both an established quality and environmental management system”.

Based upon the experience of ISO 9001 certification having been passed down the supply chain nearly a decade ago, a similar situation appears to be emerging with ISO 14001 today. A sure sign that your customer is changing the tone in their questionnaires related to ISO will sound like “When will you be certified? or What is your plan for certification?” as opposed to “Are you considering developing an ISO 14001 EMS?” When you start seeing such questions, you know that your customer is getting serious. Many companies are still reluctant to dive into an EMS based only upon a questionnaire from their customers. This reluctance is derived from a lack of understanding as to what the Standard entails, or a perceived lack of resources and the associated cost to develop an EMS. Many companies who have integrated an EMS into their business plan report that they have been able to reduce costs for raw materials, energy, and waste disposal. Ultimately an ISO EMS has the potential to streamline the entire environmental effort by organizing all of the activities under a systematic approach. Jack Bailey, of Acushnet Rubber Company has stated on several occasions that their ISO 14001 Program “has had a positive impact on the bottom line”. As a greater understanding of the ISO 14001 Standard is acquired, expect to see a rapid increase in certifications in the United States.

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