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How ES Enabled a Coffee Retailer to Adapt to Sustainability Initiatives in The Modern Era

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Company info

US Headquartered Multinational Coffee Retailer

10,000+ Employees

Operations in 20+ Countries

Business Need

How ES Enabled a Coffee Retailer to Adapt to Sustainability Initiatives in The Modern Era

With 1600 stores worldwide and over 100,000 employees, the multinational coffee retailer has established itself as a popular destination for premium coffee products. Their offerings range from coffee beans and beverages to perishable food and branded merchandise, including exclusive mugs, coffee filters, and customized gift hampers. However, in light of evolving customer perceptions, changing shopping experiences, and the pressing issue of climate change, the client recognizes the urgent need to prioritize sustainability in order to navigate the dynamic market forces and secure its long-term survival.

Upon conducting a training needs assessment, it was revealed that the company has generic sustainable policies in place. In addition, these policies are rarely implemented in daily business operations. Only 25% of the employees know these policies and lack knowledge about the proper implementation process. Furthermore, there is a lack of adequate training and development programs for employees.

The client is now proactively considering upgrading its training and development programs to adapt sustainability practices across its business operations. This strategic investment aims to align the organization’s goals with sustainable principles, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and resilience.

Solution

In the initial stage, our experienced team at KS conducted a comprehensive analysis of the client’s daily business operations, employee management, and business practices. We engaged extensively with managers, key stakeholders, and departmental teams to identify the root causes that were hindering the client from achieving sustainable goals. After a thorough investigation, the following key underlying causes came to light:

Limited awareness of ethical raw material sourcing among procurement teams: The procurement team needed more clarity regarding the origins of their supplies and whether they aligned with the retailer’s sustainability goals. It posed a challenge as ethical sourcing is vital to adopting sustainable initiatives.
Insufficient knowledge of waste management practices: Each retail store generated significant amounts of waste, including coffee grounds, packaging materials, and food waste, creating a pressing waste management issue. Employees needed more guidance on how to address this challenge effectively.
Neglect of energy conservation: The absence of established procedures for balancing energy consumption with conservation led to excessive utility and electricity bills. Energy-saving practices were not prioritized by the employees, resulting in unnecessary costs. Moreover, employees needed to be more diligent in consistently following the procedures daily.
Absence of sustainable initiatives in employees’ work cycles: Outdated work practices hindered the integration of new sustainable initiatives within the workplace. Employees needed to be equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to embrace sustainability in their day-to-day tasks.
Lack of a continuous learning environment: The dynamic nature of the retail industry, driven by evolving consumer behavior and omni-channel shopping experiences, highlighted the need for employees to stay updated with new trends and innovations. However, the absence of a continuous learning environment prevented employees from acquiring the latest market insights.

Based on these identified root causes, our team recommended EasySIM, a competency-mapped scenario-based simulated training platform, to effectively address each challenge and foster a more sustainable and successful business. Our experts worked closely with the client to align organizational goals with employees’ learning needs and subsequently designed, developed, and deployed the following:

Branching simulation training programs incorporated with gamification elements for employees to establish relationships with ethical suppliers, monitor their supply chain operations and minimize the unethical sustainable practices of the procurement team.
In-depth scenarios on waste management and energy conservation procedures to retail employees to equip them with the necessary knowledge on waste management.
Comprehensive branching scenario for employees to know how to incorporate sustainable practices into their daily work routines.

In these training programs, the employees were immersed in a virtually realistic and controlled environment and practiced their skills without fearing consequences. Their acquired knowledge was tested at every decision point via EasySIM’s analytics engine, which tracks and provides performance feedback and determines how well the learner is ready for the job.

Results:

The adoption of EasySIM into their training curriculum led to the following:

Improved Business Profits and Brand Reputation: Post-training, the retailer experienced a significant 3% increase in business profits and received positive customer feedback regarding sustainability initiatives.

Reduced Waste Generation: The employees, after receiving comprehensive training, integrated waste management practices into their daily routines, resulting in a notable 5.6% reduction in waste production.

Decreased Carbon Footprint: With a newfound understanding of energy conservation, 74% of employees actively contributed to conserving energy, achieving a reduction in the company’s carbon footprint.

Enhanced Employee Work Productivity and Engagement: As a direct result of the training, employee work productivity soared from 68% to an impressive 77%. This, in turn, fostered employee loyalty and engagement.

Improved Employee Retention: Providing continuous learning opportunities within the workplace led to an increase in employee retention.

Conclusion

By embracing sustainability through adopting EasySIM, the company achieved immediate benefits and laid a strong foundation for ongoing sustainability efforts. The organization’s commitment to sustainable practices positions it as a leader in the industry, responding to evolving customer expectations and contributing to a more environmentally responsible future.

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