Introduction
Although they had many ongoing activities and were very strong technically, the DAA team knew they could not deliver the same year-on-year savings without an improved structure and pooling the support from other departments.
Since implementing ISO 50001, the DAA has seen a big change in the level of support and engagement from other departments. DAA international believed that shared ownership of responsibilities throughout the organisation is key to building a sustainable management system. This approach has also given the energy team the ability to look at the bigger picture and work on energy efficiency projects for the future.
Initially, Amtivo, formerly Certification Europe, conducted a gap analysis with the DAA, which gave them a clear roadmap to prepare for the first certification assessment. The DAA international welcomed the challenges presented by Amtivo as opportunities to improve their system and ultimately to operate an energy management system which will deliver year-on-year savings.
33% reduction in energy usage by 2020
Commenting on the certification process, Martin McGonagle – Asset Care Campus Manager for the DAA stated,
“Getting other departments fully engaged was not easy. Everyone is very busy and we found we had to convince by being clear with objectives and benefits when engaging and requesting support from each department. Senior Management support from Director level was a huge part of the process”.
When asked what he would advise to other organisations that are considering ISO 50001 certification, he continued,
“Set realistic time lines. Depending on the size of your organisation it is likely to take longer than you initially think to prepare for Certification. Initially it will draw on your resources and take you away from the normal day to day energy management routines you have been doing in the past but in time it will supersede some of the past practices and will become the norm. You will need top management support to drive changes throughout your organisation as everyone prioritises their own work and need to be directed to engage. Try to keep as simple as possible. It will become complicated as the documentation develops. You will need to continually review and simplify where possible.”
Since achieving ISO 50001 certification, Martin and the team within the DAA have not stood still. They are very clear in what they need to do now to maintain their certification and have already made significant progress towards their next surveillance assessment.
