The PLM Green Global Alliance recently hosted its fourth interview and panel discussion exploring how PLM-enabling technologies support the sustainability imperative. These interviews expand upon our earlier articles on the Intersection of PLM and Sustainability by examining the progress towards sustainability being made by solution providers, their consulting partners and industry customers.

This time, PLM Green co-founder Jos Voskuil and Climate Change Moderator Klaus Brettschneider met with the founder and CEO of Sustaira, Vincent de la Mar. Sustaira provides the infrastructure and expertise for building sustainability apps based on the low-code development platform Mendix. Through its use of and relationship with Mendix, a 2018 acquisition by Siemens, Sustaira is a Siemens Digital Industries ecosystem partner as announced earlier this year.

While Sustaira considers itself primarily a provider of platform, apps and services for the ESG solutions market, there are numerous applications of its sustainability-focused technology in PLM’s engineering, manufacturing and supply chain solution markets. As example, Sustaira apps support carbon footprint calculations and the accounting of carbon emissions across a company’s supply chain for their products. This is most definitely not an simple process when Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are to be included as PLM Green previously discussed.

During the wide-ranging discussion, the panelists touched on a number of topics to answer questions that included:

• What are the three layers of a sustainability solution portfolio provided by Sustaira which can enable and equip sustainability directors with the tools they need?
• How will Sustaira accommodate all the rapidly developing and frequently changing ESG-related environmental regulations, standards, reporting requirements, knowledge bases, and best practices, all that can vary by country?
• Sustaira is promoted as being a data-driven, open, adaptable, and scalable all-in-one sustainability app platform; can you validate that with examples?
• What are some of the out-of-the-box web and mobile sustainability apps ready for deployment?
• How do these apps aggregate all the data required from so many different enterprise solution sources that can include SCM, PLM, CRM, ERP, HRM, as well as other ESG software?
• Are the connectors for PLM in design engineering, where often 80% of a product’s lifecycle emissions are locked-in, or in manufacturing, or both?
• What is the history and relationship with Siemens Digital Industries and their subsidiary Mendix, and will Sustaira support connections with other PLM platforms?
• What industry verticals are you focusing on at this early stage, and how will Sustaira grow without losing the focus and expertise needed to be successful?
• How will Sustaira support the work from the rapidly growing number of sustainability officers, directors, and independent consultants around the world?
• Where can we follow the progress of Sustaira, your partners and customers?

Watch the 30-minute recorded interview below or directly on YouTube.

You can read Jos’ summary on what was learned from the panel discussion HERE with some valid references to the importance of having the right people and process methodologies in place when deploying new technologies and tools.

Slides shown during the interview and additional company information can be viewed at Sustaira Overview 2022.

Our discussion with Sustaira, like those previously recorded with Autodesk, SAP, and Dassault Systemes available under PLM Green News, was very encouraging to participate in. Especially during a year when the effects of climate change around the world were ever so obvious as we often summarize in the PLM Green Climate Change News Digest also found under the PLM Green News blog.

One of the more timely and gratifying observations from the discussion was hearing the CEO of a software company address how important cocreation with customers and collaboration with partners – and not competition with others – is to accelerate the innovation needed to create a more sustainable economy that meets the ambitious 17 United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. If there was ever a cause to encourage the world’s brightest entrepreneurs, business leaders, political bodies and investors to work together, a sustainable low-carbon economy is surely it.

Our guest Vincent invites those further interested in data-driven sustainability to follow his LinkedIn newsletter ESG & Sustainability Insights.

Watch for more discussions to follow on the intersection of PLM and Sustainability with large and small, old and new solutions providers, thought leaders, authors, and subject matter experts. To receive notices, follow the PLM Green Alliance on LinkedIn and subscribe to our PLM & Sustainability News Digest.