Niles, MI Sustainability, CSR, ESG, ISO 14001, and Continuous Process Improvement Consulting

Corporate Social Responsibility Consulting
Environmental, Social, and Governance Consulting
AFTAN ENGINEERING
839 Alleghenyville Road Mohnton, PA 19540-7708
Tel. 610-914-1356 email: lpeterson@aftan.com
Aftan Niles Sustainability, CSR, and ESG Consultants and ISO 14001 Certification Consulting

Strategic Sustainability Niles Strategic Sustainability Consulting Delivering Practical, Results-Driven Life Cycle Management

Niles Sustainability Consultants Developing Sustainable Business Policies Our Sustainability Consultants have decades of experience in

  • Design;
  • Manufacturing;
  • Data Analysis;
  • and Continuous Improvement.
Led by a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering who also holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, we provide unparalleled expertise in ISO 14001, Life Cycle Thinking, Life Cycle Management, Life Cycle Assessment, and Life Cycle Costing.

We're dedicated to protecting and improving the environment by developing Niles Green Businesses by implementing Life Cycle Management. However, as experienced business leaders, we're equally dedicated to your business, its profitability, and growth.

As you'll discover by reading this page, the two goals are not mutually exclusive. In fact, in today's business climate, you'll find out why business prosperity and growth depend upon implementing Sustainable Practices.

5 5 / 5 Stars ...committed to Sustainability
"Lisa and her team are committed to Sustainability. They are an amazing resource, and I am looking forward to working with them on our next project! 10/10 would recommend to anyone." Lauren Z., Owner 2/9/21
We take a comprehensive approach to Sustainability. We
  • Compare multiple designs to understand their respective impacts to the environment, as well as their cost.
  • Understand how the environment is impacted by your company’s products and processes, along with cost, to identify opportunities for environmental and economic improvement.
  • Implement operational controls into your design and development process to address the three pillars of sustainability – economic cost, environmental impact and social impact.
  • Quantify the environmental impact of the continuous improvement changes you’ve made in support of your ISO 14001 initiatives.
  • Broaden your view of environmental impact from only the manufacturing or delivery phase to include use and end of life in support of your ISO 14001 initiatives.
  • Identify opportunities to recycle or re-use in support of environmental circularity.
  • Identify opportunities to design with materials that are more recycling-friendly.
  • Account for a complete sustainability picture of your product or your company including economic, environmental and social factors.
  • Drive improvement in your environmental footprint via what you can control as well as what you can influence.
  • Define the life cycle of products and services to strengthen your Environmental Management System (EMS).
  • Analyze manufacturing data to identify opportunities for improvement in
    • yield improvement;
    • scrap reduction;
    • cycle time;
    • cost reduction;
    • efficiency; and
    • lastly, supply chain optimization.

Sustainability What is Sustainability and Why It's Crucial to Niles Businesses?

Sustainability refers to processes in balance, considering environmental, economic, and social factors.

Environmental Sustainability Environmental Sustainability

Environmental Sustainability impacts every aspect of a Green Business Sustainability Considerations
  • Replacement and Conservation of Natural Resources.
  • Avoiding Damage to the Ecosystem while working to improve the environment.
  • Setting Goals to become Sustainable in the future.
When most people hear the word Sustainability, they think about Environmental Sustainability which involves protecting the Earth and preserving the Earth's ability to sustain human life.

You can't turn on the news without hearing about Environmental Sustainability and Green Energy. Consumers are more educated and informed about environmental issues than ever before.

It doesn't matter whether you agree or disagree with the concept of Global Warming and the threat Global Warming poses to the environment. The fact remains that an ever-growing majority of consumers of products and services and regulating governmental agencies, in Niles, Berrien County, Michigan, The United States, and globally, do believe Environmental Sustainability is crucial.

While Environmental Sustainability is at the forefront, other categories of Sustainability must be considered.

Social Sustainability Social Sustainability and Sustainable Employment Practices

Is your community a desirable place to live

  • with clean air and water;
  • healthy ecosystems; and
  • excellent educational opportunities?

Community members do care that businesses in their neighborhood are good corporate citizens.

Are your employees provided

  • a safe and comfortable working environment; and
  • sufficient pay and benefits to maintain a reasonable lifestyle in their community?

Consumers do care that businesses they deal with treat people well.

Economic Sustainability Economic Sustainability and Sustainable Business Practices

Economic growth with a sustainable mindset means

  • resources are utilized in an efficient and responsible way throughout the supply chain;
  • providing long-term benefits;
  • yielding profitability for the supplier;
  • value to the customer; and
  • avoiding negative impacts to social, environmental, and cultural aspects of the community.

Business Case for Businesses to Adopt Sustainability Icon Business Case for Niles Businesses to Adopt Sustainability and Life Cycle Thinking

Aftan Sustainability Consultants Create Sustainable Business PoliciesSustainability is not a future concern for Niles businesses, it's here now. Addressing Sustainability is an imperative and embraced by industry leaders like Nike; Adidas; Unilever; Nestlé; Walmart; Ikea; H&M; Pepsi; and Coca-Cola. Clearly, Niles companies big and small intending to maintain market share let alone grow need to address Sustainability. Sustainability and Life Cycle Management make perfect business sense. Here's why.
  • Consumer conscience drives people to purchase goods and services from proven Sustainable Businesses.
  • Investors and other stakeholders, both because of personal beliefs and interest in growth-oriented companies proactively responding to Sustainability conscious consumers, tend to invest in companies with serious Sustainable Programs.
  • Reduces the risk that customers for your products or services, implementing their Sustainability Programs, may find alternative sourcing because your business is not Sustainable or on a clear path to Sustainability.
  • Enjoy the strategic competitive advantage of advancing Sustainability before your competition thereby differentiating your product(s) from competitor's and increasing market share.
  • Protect and build brand image.
  • Sustainability conscious employees are more dedicated, enhance the company's reputation through social media, and exhibit less turnover working for Green Companies.
  • Most Sustainability and Sustainable Products Development initiatives result in short and long-term cost savings.
    • Aren't we always interested in reducing waste and improving efficiency?
    • We have to comply with government regulations. Certainly, compliance takes precedence over Sustainability. However, why not take a Sustainable Life Cycle Management approach which goes over and above basic compliance and better prepares us for certain stricter regulations while improving our corporate image?

Sustainability Plan Unique Strategic Sustainability Plan That Fits Your Business

Sustainable Life Cycle Management Policies That Uniquely Fit Your Niles BusinessEvery Niles business is unique. There's no "One Size Fits All" approach to implementing Sustainability. The optimal Sustainability Plan depends on hundreds of factors.
Is your current Sustainability Program, well, unsustainable? Is the only thing "green" about your Sustainability Initiatives the money going out the door trying to make it work? Call us. We'll make sure you get a round peg for that round hole.

When implementing Sustainability, it's crucial not to impact your existing products or services negatively. Sometimes you can implement Sustainability with no ill effects on your existing products or services. In other situations, it may be necessary to add additional Sustainable Products appealing to customers searching for Green Companies.

Perform Cost/Benefit studies to determine which approach is best for your unique business situation. Aftan Sustainable Engineering assures you consider all important factors.

Beware of computer program providers that suggest you don't need Sustainability expertise. Sustainability programs are excellent, and we use those software packages. However, understanding the variables to enter is difficult. If you enter wrong data, the program will produce incorrect results. Furthermore, you're dealing with algorithms that aren't perfect. The bottom line is that if you don't know what you're doing, you can deceive yourself.

We
  • are very familiar with available software;
  • do know what to enter and the ramifications; and
  • lastly, know how to properly interpret the results.
Minimize your risk and maximize returns. Call our expert Sustainability Consultants today at 610-914-1356.

Niles Continuous Process Improvement Consultants Niles Manufacturing Optimization and Continuous Process Improvement Consultants and Lean Six Sigma Experts

All successful Niles businesses recognize that Continuous Process Improvement is crucial to long-term profitability and survival. Although it is not required and not always applicable, incorporating Life Cycle Thinking into your Continuous Process Improvement Program is logical. Sooner or later businesses both big and small will have to address Sustainability.
Find out more about Continuous Process Improvement.
Life Cycle Thinking requires examining many of the same considerations as Continuous Process Improvement. Why not address Sustainability issues while focusing on a particular area of your business instead of having to reopen investigating a process later on? Furthermore, incorporating Life Cycle Thinking into Continuous Process Improvement Projects can reveal opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.

Niles ISO 14001 Consulting Niles ISO 14001 Certification and Maintenance Consultants

ISO 14001 is the international Standard for Environmental Management. Achieving ISO 14001 Certification is an important milestone in an organization's history. Maintaining ISO 14001 Certification is an equally important goal.

ISO 14001 Certification is becoming more important for companies.

  • Customers are looking for suppliers who not only provide products or services at a competitive price but who also demonstrate their environmental stewardship.
  • Financial institutions and shareholders place higher importance on companies achieving ISO 14001 Certification because they want their investment in those companies to be secure in terms of sustainability.
Sustainability, by definition, means that we achieved a balance between the environment, society, and the economy such that the needs of the current generation can be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
5 5 / 5 Stars We are extremely impressed with their work...

"Anyone thinking they can just navigate the world of ISO 14001 certification is fooling themselves. It is a complex and daunting world of laws and regulations that not only cross federal, state, and local boundaries but globally as well. Unless you decide to devote your life to perhaps one day understanding this ever-changing industry, you need to call Aftan.

Committed to their work, the in-depth knowledge of the complete ins and outs of every aspect of these regulations is impressive. We are extremely impressed with their work, their attention to detail, and the amount of efforts put forth towards helping us achieve our goals."


Matt V.N., Director of Quality 2/9/21

Exceeding Your Expectations Regarding Niles Sustainability, ISO 14001, and Lean 6σ Continuous Improvement Consultants Exceeding Expectations Regarding Sustainability, ISO 14001, and Lean 6σ Continuous Improvement Consultants

Uniquely Qualified Niles Sustainability, ISO 14001, and Continuous Process Improvement ConsultantsYou won't find more qualified Niles Sustainability and Lean 6σ Consultants.
Call Us at 610-914-1356 or Contact Us Online today.

Formal Training in Sustainability, ISO 14001, Continuous Process Improvement, and Lean Six Sigma Sustainability, ISO 14001, and Lean Six Sigma Education and Training

You expect your Sustainability or Continuous Improvement Consultant has some formal training. However, our lead Consultant has a
  • Ph.D. Environmental Eng. - Drexel University;
  • MBA - National Technological University;
  • M. Engineering - Cornell University; and
  • B.S. Electrical Eng - Lehigh University; and has
  • Certifications in:
    • Licensed Professional Engineer (PA PE088689; MD 0054206; MI 6201068668); and
    • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Experience With Sustainability, ISO 14001, Continuous Process Improvement, and Lean Six Sigma Experience With the Practical Application of Life Cycle Management and Continuous Process Improvement

You expect your Sustainability or Continuous Improvement Consultant has practical experience. Our's include:
  • COO - Legendary Arms Works;
  • Engineering Mgr. - Production, General Mgr., & Dir. of Eng. - Brentwood Ind.;
  • COO - Covega
  • Sr. Sourcing Mgr. - A. T. Kearney;
  • VP - CeLight, Inc.;
  • Director, Sr. Mgr., Technical Mgr., Member of Technical Staff - Lucent Technologies and AT&T Laboratories.

Team Building and Communications Skills Team Building and Communications Skills Crucial to Sustainability Initiatives and Continuous Process Improvement

You expect your Sustainability, ISO 14001, or Continuous Improvement Consultant has team building and communication skills. We have decades of experience with
  • HR Management;
  • Employee Involvement Programs;
  • Morale Improvement Programs;
  • Career Development;
  • Safety Initiatives;
  • Union and Non-Union Workforce Leadership; and
  • Communicating with Stakeholders at All Levels.

Keeping Current With Sustainability and Continuous Process Improvement Keeping Current With the Latest Developments in Sustainability and Manufacturing Optimization

You expect your Sustainability, Lean 6σ and or Continuous Process Improvement Consultant to stay current. We do through
  • Continuing Education - 92 hrs /yr.;
  • Conferences: 2 - 4 /yr.;
  • Industry Journals - Sustainability, Social Ecology, Logistics, Materials Handling, Plant Operations, and many more;
  • Peer Reviewed Academic Literature;
  • Professional Societies - 10+; and
  • Professional Social Media Groups - Life Cycle Assessment, Lean Six Sigma, Life Cycle Initiative, Sustainable Development, and many more.
Find out the details about how we stay current.
Tired of reading? Talk to us! Contact Us Online or Call Us at 610-914-1356.

Interview with Lisa Peterson Regarding Aftan Engineering

Sustainability, CSR, and ESG Consultant Lisa Peterson
Photograph by Wally Hines Photography

Lisa Peterson, Ph.D., PE, MBA is the President of Berks County-based Aftan Engineering. Lisa is a uniquely qualified professional

  • Sustainability Consultant;
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Consultant;
  • Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Consultant;
  • ISO 14001 Certification Expert; and
  • Continuous Process Improvement Consultant.

Lisa's qualifications include a

  • Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering;
  • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification;
  • 30 years' engineering experience; and
  • has held high-level management positions.

Read Lisa's Resume.

Lisa Peterson's Linked IN Profile
5 5 / 5 Stars ...success where others fail.
"Lisa can find solutions to problems in many ways. She knows her resources to help her accomplish tasks in a timely manner. Obstacles are not an issue and are deemed part of the solution process. Rather than let these get in the way, Lisa leverages them to find multiple solutions to the problem.

From this thought process, an approach of having backup plans is key to the success of the problem. This technique has allowed her success where others fail.

Lisa has instilled in me values and techniques by leading by example. Her drive and resolve are hard to keep up with. She is a role model for others to follow.

Lisa’s ethics are second to none often putting in more work and time than her peers. She knows hard work is the key to success." She knows her resources to help her accomplish tasks in a timely manner. Obstacles are not an issue and are deemed part of the solution process. Rather than let these get in the way, Lisa leverages them to find multiple solutions to the problem.

From this thought process, an approach of having backup plans is key to the success of the problem. This technique has allowed her success where others fail.

Lisa has instilled in me values and techniques by leading by example. Her drive and resolve are hard to keep up with. She is a role model for others to follow.

Lisa’s ethics are second to none often putting in more work and time than her peers. She knows hard work is the key to success."


Mark H., Engineering and Production Manager
Sinking Spring, PA 04/14/19