Before you start reading
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Key points of the article
- Introduction: a path to sustainability
- Choosing a repository tailored to your business
- Align team and management on a common goal
- Associating certification with a motivating business project
- Document and structure for greater efficiency
- Celebrate and share the pride of being certified
- Conclusion: an opportunity for a sustainable future
Introduction: a path to sustainability
Obtain certification EcoEntreprise certification isn’t just a formality, it’s a transformation that engages your entire team and structures your sustainable approach. As experts in CSR, we’ve been supporting companies of all sizes for years in their quest for positive impact. Our own journey towards EcoEntreprise certification certification has been a rich learning experience, and we’d like to share with you the 5 tips that made the difference for us. These tips, drawn from our real-life experience, are particularly relevant to Swiss SMEs looking to simplify their certification process while maximizing the benefits for their organization. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to optimize your approach, these practical tips will help you turn what may seem like an administrative challenge into a genuine opportunity for sustainable growth.
1. Choosing a repository suited to your business
For small businesses, particularly in the service sector, the choice of reference system is crucial. That’s why we opted for the EcoEntreprise basic checklist, a simplified version specially designed for less complex structures or those with a low environmental impact. This approach enabled us to focus on the aspects most relevant to our business, without getting lost in non-applicable criteria.
Our experience with the basic checklist has made the process a lot easier. Thanks to one month’s free access to the OK Pilotsoftware, we were able to carry out our self-assessment in an efficient and structured way. This tool proved invaluable in quickly identifying our strengths and areas for improvement.
We strongly advise you to carefully assess your needs before you take the plunge. The EcoEntreprise label, specifically designed for the Swiss context, offers different levels of certification to suit the maturity of your CSR approach. Whether you’re aiming for national recognition or seeking to position yourself in specific markets, there’s an option to match your ambitions.
With Mon Entreprise Durable by Coptain, it's easy to get started with your EcoEntreprise project.
2. Align team and management on a common goal
Achieving EcoEntreprise certification requires a collective, coordinated effort. Without clear alignment between management and teams, efforts can be scattered, slowing the process considerably.
In our case, we quickly understood the importance of setting a certification date and clearly defining what still needed to be achieved. This approach enabled us to effectively mobilize our resources on the missing elements, whether it was formalizing certain processes or implementing new practices we’d had in mind for a long time.
Here are a few practical tips for successful alignment:
- Organize a kick-off meeting involving management and representatives from each department.
- Set a realistic target date for certification.
- Identify priority actions and assign responsibilities for each task.
- Set up a shared dashboard to monitor the progress of different projects.
Don’t forget that the certification process extends over several years. After the initial audit, lighter follow-up audits are scheduled at one and two years. Keep this long-term perspective in mind when planning.
The use of collaborative tools such as Trello or Asana can greatly facilitate progress monitoring and communication within the team. These platforms enable you to quickly visualize overall progress and identify any blockages.
3. Associating certification with a motivating business project
EcoEntreprise certification should not be perceived as a mere administrative formality. To avoid this pitfall and maintain everyone’s commitment, it is crucial to associate it with a meaningful corporate project.
In our case, we chose to link our certification process to the implementation of participative governance. In concrete terms, we have set up a monthly meeting at which all major company decisions are taken collectively by all employees and key partners. Although still in its infancy, this initiative has profoundly transformed our corporate culture and anchored our commitment to sustainability in our day-to-day operations.
To identify your own unifying project, we suggest you :
- Organize brainstorming workshops with your employees to generate innovative ideas.
- Assess the potential impact of each project on your stakeholders and your CSR performance.
- Choose an initiative that combines improved practices and team commitment.
For example, if you’re in the construction sector, you could consider a project to drastically reduce your site waste, involving an overhaul of your processes and extensive training of your teams. For a service company, setting up a corporate volunteering program linked to your skills could be an excellent way of getting involved.
Don’t forget that this project must be consistent with your core business and your values. It must represent a real challenge, yet remain achievable, to maintain motivation over the long term.
4. Document and structure for greater efficiency
Documentation management is often perceived as the most tedious aspect of the certification process. However, a structured approach from the outset can save you valuable time, especially during the audit.
Our experience has taught us the importance of anticipating the auditor’s requests. We therefore created a summary file following the structure of the EcoEntreprise reference framework, with direct links to the relevant documents stored on our Drive. This organization enabled us to respond quickly and efficiently to the auditor’s requests, reducing stress and delays.
Here are a few tips to optimize your document management:
- Create a clear tree structure reflecting the different sections of the EcoEntreprise reference framework.
- Use a consistent naming system for all your documents.
- Implement a process for regularly updating your documents.
- Train several team members in the use and maintenance of this document system.
Don’t forget that some sustainability-specific documents will sit alongside more general documents such as your training plan or employee handbook. Good organization will enable you to navigate easily between these different types of documents.
Document management tools such as SharePoint, Google Workspace or Infomaniak’s K Drive from Infomaniak can greatly facilitate this task, offering advanced search and version control functionalities.
Well-structured documentation is not just useful for auditing purposes; it also becomes a genuine tool for managing your CSR approach on a day-to-day basis.
5. Celebrate and share the pride of being certified
Too often, certification is seen as an end in itself, when it should be celebrated as a milestone in your commitment to sustainability.
For us, turning certification into a team objective was a real catalyst. We chose to communicate regularly on our progress, highlighting individual contributions and making the certification process a collective highlight. This approach has strengthened cohesion within the group, while anchoring our CSR commitment in our corporate culture.
Here’s how you can celebrate your certification:
- Organize an internal event to thank all contributors.
- Communicate your success to your customers and partners.
- Share your experience at professional events or on social networks.
- Integrate your certification into your marketing materials (website, email signatures).
Don’t hesitate to highlight the concrete results achieved thanks to this collective approach. For example, if you obtained an excellent score in the last audit (like the 77% obtained by APG|SGA), communicate it proudly! This not only demonstrates your serious commitment, but may also inspire other companies to follow this exemplary example.
Remember that this certification is just one step among many; it’s essential that this positive momentum continues over time.
Conclusion: an opportunity for a sustainable future
Obtaining EcoEntreprise certification is a demanding but extremely rewarding journey. By choosing the right framework, aligning your teams with clear objectives, associating certification with an inspiring corporate project, structuring your documentation correctly and celebrating your collective successes, you’ll transform this process into a genuine strategic opportunity for your company.
These five tips, drawn directly from our experience, are complementary and form part of a global approach aimed at continuous improvement. EcoEntreprise certification is not just a form of recognition; it’s also a powerful lever for sustainably improving your environmental and social impact.
If you would like to take your CSR approach a step further, or if you have any questions about the specific process involved in this EcoEntreprise certification, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We also offer consultations so that together we can assess your specific needs and define the best strategy to meet your company’s challenges.
