EIS Discusses Building a Sustainable Value Chain with Centre for Civil Society and Governance
HONG KONG, October 17, 2022: At the beginning of the pandemic, many companies struggled to stay afloat. Local and global economies sunk, and China was one of the first hit. In the first six months of 2020, China’s gross domestic product fell by 9%, a historical drop for the region. Despite the economic downturn, Elkay Interior Systems’ (EIS) Asia-Pacific location used this time to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions to make way for sustainable development in and outside of the workplace.
General Manager of EIS Asia-Pacific Kenneth Lau spoke with the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, the research center of The University of Hong Kong, and shared ways EIS continued running a successful business and how innovation and creativity helped welcome more sustainable development.
Over the past few years, EIS has expanded some of its services, like custom millwork and hotel renovations, allowing them to be a “one-stop shop” for new and existing clients. This expansion opened new opportunities for clients needing a partner strategically aligned for growth and ensured a consistent supply chain.
In addition to its innovative solutions and services, a major strategy of the commercial interior design firm is diversifying investments and relocating resources to help them stay resilient.
“It's about avoiding having all your eggs in one basket,” Lau said.
Before the pandemic, their Hong Kong office expanded its supply chain outside of China into areas like Vietnam to reduce business risk. Several Chinese factories were shut down at the beginning of the pandemic. Because EIS was already working with other suppliers, they shifted production and did not encounter any major operational impacts, and continued to serve their clients. He also explained this expanded their supply base and increased EIS’s supply chain agility.
Lau says it’s usually larger companies that focus on sustainability, but any size business should be able to find ways to conduct sustainable practices. He feels it’s his responsibility to recognize where his company is in the value chain and develop long-term relationships with other businesses. And if that company has a reputable place in the market, it can use that position to promote sustainability.
Elkay Interior Systems always pays attention to the things important to their partners, sustainability being one of them. They worked with a large client to produce Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood for our collection of furniture to promote green packaging, removing unsafe packaging materials from regular packaging. They’ve noticed more and more clients paying attention to sustainability in recent years.
The success of their projects depends on business partners because they’re all part of the value chain, But Lau said not all partners agreed. Sometimes, they place sustainability goals low on their agenda. But we would explain things in terms of their long-term goals. Taking steps toward sustainability would bring them positive value and return on investment after some time. Of course, we would have to build a positive relationship and accept that not every suggestion would be taken on board,” Lau said.
Lau believes creating a sustainable business makes EIS more competitive. “It’s not only a good thing but, in fact, something that must be done,” he said. Clients now expect sustainability to be incorporated into business standards, so companies must step up to that challenge inside and outside of the value chain.
“Only by truly understanding your position can you uncover the company’s advantages,” Lau said. “Together, these combine to have a synergistic effect.”
Read more about sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at EIS here.
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Leading the commercial interior design and manufacturing industry by reimagining the customer experience + daring to innovate with a people-first approach.
Inspiring connections by creating unique environments where you eat, work, sleep, learn, and socialize with friends and family, is why we exist. We are a team of industry-leading designers, commercial-grade manufacturers, innovative engineers, resourceful project managers, and sourcing experts committed to every stage of your project by guaranteeing quality and reliability.
We stand out from the crowd with our 40+ years of global experience in the restaurant, hospitality, retail, and education markets. Our strategic structure sets up experts at every stage of the design + build process to efficiently support our worldwide partners and offer services that magnify our clients' profits.