Staples - Greening the Distribution Network
Staples is the world's largest office products company, serving more than 25 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. With more $24 billion in annual sales that make it the dominant office superstore, Staples has established a tradition of operational excellence and continuous improvement. Not surprisingly, Staples has been a leader in the retail world in areas of energy efficiency and corporate sustainability for more than a decade.
Team leaders of the Staples energy management program began working with Burton Energy Group in early 2009 to help make its already-cutting-edge program better. The relationship started with a few simple projects, including researching the benefits of increasing Staples' use of ENERGY STAR® tools. After concluding their award-winning LEAN Six Sigma Black program, which significantly reduced their retail store electric consumption, Staples was looking for its next set of energy efficiency goals and strategies.
Leveraging results from the LEAN Six Sigma Black program, Burton developed best practices and energy performance metrics for all of Staples' 75 major North American distribution and fulfillment centers. Results were gathered from on-site energy audits and interviews with facility managers. Energy teams were established at each center, and regional energy team kickoff meetings included Burton team members who provided hands-on training. Monthly webinars present energy performance data to team members and provide a forum for sharing of best practices.
"Engaging the entire team at each center is critical to achieving results. Associates throughout the centers are in the best position to identify and eliminate energy waste by following our best practices" explains Burton Energy Group Managing Partner Mark Breuker. "Working with a range of equipment configurations and technologies has enabled us to develop an expertise in distribution center energy management that can be rolled out to additional Staples facilities."
Burton team members communicate monthly with Staples associates at multiple distribution centers to keep the energy management program on track.
