What does BS8901 Mean To Me?

That's the question I kept asking along with many others such as...

How is BS8901 going to help MeetGreen?
How is BS8901 going to work with the new APEX Standards?
What will we--as an organization--need to do differently?
How difficult will the certification process be?

With only some of those questions answered in my mind, I was convinced to take the plunge--and we did. MeetGreen is now officially BS8901:2009 Certified.

So I can now officially share how the process was for our organization.

Working through the certification process was a fascinating experience. Confirming we have a sustainable management system in place, required (among other things) standardizing our stakeholder engagement process, formalizing our employee communication vehicles and providing measurement tools for social, environmental and economic goals.

With employees in Portland, Stockholm, New York, Boston, Vancouver BC, Washington DC and LA we knew the system had to be virtual and easy-access. The whole team was engaged in the process from the beginning and it was decided early on that the bulk of the information would reside on a company WIKI--a new technology we learned at the same time. Everyone pitched in, excited about how this could make our work easier and more sustainable. Conforming to the 24 areas of certification required hard work and due diligence--but wasn't too painful. It was a catalyst for innovation and change in a time when economic conditions require just that.

We have become a truly virtual company! We have standardized systems in place that can be accessed anytime from anywhere. We share project status reports, information, lessons learned, and issues. We engage and report back to stakeholders. And we are certifiable! I have gone from doubter to advocate.

What's next? We look forward to the integration with the APEX standards which will nicely compliment this certification.