These guidelines show how to use the
Thinking Systems approach for assessing the
sustainability of supply chains. 

 

Thinking Systems©
Why taking our Thinking Systems© approach is fast and effective
Whether you want to assess the impacts of a proposed development, reduce waste disposal costs by developing new income streams from low carbon products; or develop a strategy to manage adaptation and build capacity our approach gets results holistically and quickly. The Thinking Systems© approach enables you to:
  • assess the impacts, risks and opportunities
  • engage with stakeholders in co-innovation
  • recognise emerging issues and think holistically about your challenges 
  • work out where best to influence change
  • decide who to work with to get the best response
  • define your strategies and align your policies and tools to make change happen. 
We believe that innovation and solutions come from gaining a systemic understanding of your operational environment, your networks and your people. Looking at the whole environment from many people perspectives enables a strategically targeted, yet holistic approach to finding solutions to complex problems and to assessing the hidden risks.  It also taps into the wealth of creative ideas that external and internal stakeholders can bring and creates opportunites to build new partnerships. 
 
We provide a fast and effective way to deal with complex, difficult challenges. Working through the Thinking Systems© approach helps you to design fast, smart, cost effective, innovative and sustainable solutions. 
 
The Thinking Systems© process 
Depending on your needs, we conduct initial assessments using a range of social and systems research tools. Every problem requires a unique approach, but notwithstanding this, the approach includes some or all of these processes.
 
Impact Assessment - Defining the diversity of perspectives and mapping the systems
First we work with you to define the problems and identify the key stakeholders. We develop systemic maps of the social, environmental and economic systems to help you review the horizontal and vertical interactions.  This stage enables us to develop an understanding of the diversity of views and also opens up discussions about the challenges and opportunities for change.
 
Complexity Management - Working out the strategies to move forward
There is only so much that an individual and an organisation can influence, so it is important to work out what to focus on.  Using the systemic maps, we work with you to define what you can control, what you want to change / develop / innovate, and what you can most effectively influence, in a timely and cost effective manner. 
 
Change Strategies - Developing the strategies and materials to support and influence change 
We help you work out how and where to influence change.  This could mean developing a social impact management plan or a capacity building program.  We support the transformation and interventions with best practice training, discussion papers, case studies, guidelines and presentations to management and boards.  
 
Depending on the issue we may suggest developing a combination of policies and supporting material that could include: case studies, best practice training guidelines, standard operating procedures, branding and labeling suport documentation.  
 
We also design surveys, to benchmark and evaluate the change process.