Summary

Logistik is a design and communication agency specializing in live events, communications and brand consultancy, digital and media, and design and build.

Background

Founded in 1997 by Chairman Dirk Mischendahl, Logistik are 150 communication specialists bringing together skills to offer a rich end to end in-house service across a range of communication areas.

Their team includes designers, brand experts, retailers, strategists, technicians, project managers and communication experts, bringing together their commitment to delivering results.

Responsible business objectives

• Develop and improve the environmental management system and its effectiveness;
• Continually improve reductions in pollution, waste and carbon emissions;
• Work within the local area to support and promote local suppliers and produce;
• Work with clients, contractors and suppliers to encourage further reductions in pollution, waste and carbon emissions;
• Ensure that client needs and expectations are determined and fulfilled with the aim of achieving client satisfaction;
• Educate employees, contractors and suppliers to ensure full compliance with our environmental management system;
• Identify our environmental impacts and address them according to the procedures set out in the environmental management system;
• Ensure that the management reviews set and review Logistik's environmental objectives and report on the Internal Audit program as a means of monitoring and measuring processes and the effectiveness of the environmental management system;
• Ensure there is capacity for everyone at Logistik to be able to have an input into the Second Nature project.

Logistik’s sustainability programme, Second Nature, requested by directors, staff and clients and funded by Logistik through a desire to act on climate change, has been running since May 2007 and achieved ISO 14001 certification six months later. Certification meant retaining and impressing existing clients whilst attracting new ones. Logisitk also believe it will help them to achieve financial targets set for 2007/ 2008.

Logistik believe sustainable practice should be instinctive – second nature – and at the heart of everything we all do. Logistik embarked on an ambitious programme to inform and energise their people and partners. Second Nature is not an empty policy statement to help tick boxes; it is about creating a sustainable commercial culture through genuine lasting behavioural change.

Following creation of a working group, consultation with department heads and colleagues, Second Nature was introduced to the business via a day of presentations to educate staff on climate change issues and set the scene for things to come. Tackling climate change is not optional at Logistik. Employees are constantly applauded for their efforts

in all elements of Second Nature.

The initiative was named and branded by our in house team to help colleagues identify with the project. Monthly initiatives, e-newsletter and a green team were quickly established to keep up momentum internally whilst externally brand promotion began. A Second Nature presence was developed on Logistik's website and any activities documented on their online Blog. They met with Leeds City Council and achieved Gold Standard in the Tidy Business Awards helping meet the city’s target to be Britain’s cleanest city by 2009. Second Nature features in e-newsletters to clients and a credential card was developed; telling clients what's being done and what Logisitk can do for them.

Logistik built upon relationships with clients finding that most were open to or already following their own sustainability initiatives. Creative solutions enable a job which is sustainable and also within a client’s budget.

Logistik works closely with external agencies such as BiTC, WRAP, Buy Recycled, Recycle Action Yorkshire (RAY) and West Yorkshire Travel Plan to implement initiatives, shape policy and take advice on sustainability issues.

What impact it has

• Logistik are a BiTC May Day company and report back on annual sustainability efforts - encouraging others to do likewise. They also work with BiTC on a range of projects from event managing award dinners to designing branding for new initiatives. Logistic donate time to help with BiTC's awards assessment process and work with them on their shopping centre project; touring their sustainability exhibitions around the UK;
• Working in partnership with Leeds City Council, Logistik created the Northern Art Prize. Last year they donated both prize money and time to the project, creating branding, websites, event managing the opening and prize giving.
• Logistik work with a local charity, Caring for Life. Last year they helped them helped to decorate their facilities and helped mentor them through the event management of their annual dinner, attended by their patron HRH The Countess of Wessex. Logistik’s staff also bought Christmas presents for the people that Caring for Life work with;
• The diversity of Logistik's employees means that they will often be involved in cultural events such as annually organising Leeds Mela, celebrating Asian culture and tradition through a mixture of music, dance, fashion and food;
• Logistik run a student placement scheme recruiting two Leeds Metropolitan University students each year to work at Logistik alongside their own staff. This often leads to employment with them further on in their careers. Two graduates are also employed annually.

Business Benefits

• Reduction of carbon footprint;
• Diversion of waste to landfill by recycling most waste;
• Second Nature, helps to improve current employee retention and engagement and attracts of new recruits;
• Internal Second Nature and ISO 14001 training provides employees with the skills to communicate clearly with clients;
• Achieving ISO 14001 certification illustrates to clients that Logistik are committed to managing their environmental impact;
• Since achieving ISO 14001 two key clients have signed up with Logistik citing it as one of their reasons for choosing us;
• Less paper is now purchased and used in the offices. Through small changes like sending proposals to clients via email, Logistik have been able to half their paper order;
• The paper they do use has a high recycled content and is also managed so that both sides of the paper are used. Scrap paper collection points have been set up as have Logistik's own branded notebooks. As well as saving the company money on stationery purchases, many clients have commented on the notebooks, meaning that Logistik are also advertising their sustainability efforts;
• By putting all their paper through one supplier they were able to get recycled content paper at a good price and use it as purchasing power to get other items;
• Logistik's graphics and branding department met with new paper and printing suppliers to forge relationships which now allow them to give clients good prices on printing on sustainable paper and card.

Logistik Say:

Dirk Mischendahl on gaining ISO 14001 certification:

There are three main reasons why we made ISO 14001 one of our priorities. Firstly, by having environmental practices in place, approved by outside experts, we can demonstrate our commitment to sustainability to existing clients. Secondly, under the same rational, Logistik can attract new customers that are looking for certified commitment to the environment from their supplier and thirdly we can help our own colleagues become more environmentally aware.