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The IMI Roadmap to Supply Chain Sustainability With Assent

IMI is a global specialist engineering company that designs, builds, and services advanced products in fluid and motion control applications. Its mission, “Breakthrough engineering for a better world,” drives a culture of product sustainability, and the company has set ambitious goals for its environmental and social impacts.

Because it serves customers in over 50 countries, IMI regularly responds to numerous and complex customer compliance and sustainability requirements. Over the past decade, regulatory pressures have expanded rapidly, and IMI needed a proactive approach to supply chain sustainability to protect and advance its leadership position.

Our financial framework targets of 5% organic growth, 20% operating margins, and 12% ROIC are all directly supported by our sustainability efforts.

—Daniel Shook, Chief Financial Officer

Over 90% of our environmental impact is in our supply chain, not within the walls of our organization. We’re using the Assent system to track supplier product compliance and sustainability.

—Krisztina Strath, Global Procurement Manager

Sustainability is at the heart of IMI and creating a better world is fundamental to us.

—Thomas Thune Andersen, Non-Executive ESG Director

Company Snapshot

  • A global specialist engineering business, headquartered in the UK, with over 100 sites and a presence in 50+ countries
  • Founded in 1862 with approximately 11,000 employees
  • Designs, builds, and services highly engineered products in fluid and motion control applications
  • Focused on five market sectors: Process automation, industrial automation, climate control, life sciences and fluid control, and transportation
  • Combining deep engineering knowledge with applications expertise, IMI develops solutions that accelerate better world growth

    Our products, services, and solutions enable our customers to improve their own sustainability and support their ambitions for a better world. We take our climate-related targets seriously and reducing our footprint and minimizing our impact remains a key area of focus.

    —Krisztina Strath, Global Procurement Manager, IMI

    IMI’s Journey From Reactive to Proactive Compliance

    Before Assent

    2009

    IMI launched its supply chain code of conduct.

    2009

    Developed in-house audit of suppliers for responsible business practices.

    Ethics, labor, health and safety, waste management, etc

    2010

    Began engaging suppliers on conflict minerals based on customer requests for regulatory data under the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act.

    2013

    Engaged suppliers for carbon emissions data to support Carbon Disclosure Project reporting.

    2015

    700+ purchasing staff trained on forced labor red flags to support compliance with the UK Modern Slavery Act.

    Choosing Assent: From Supplier to Customer

    2018

    IMI launched a pilot project with Assent for conflict minerals, EU REACH, and EU RoHS. As a supplier, IMI was already using Assent to respond to customer requests for supply chain data. Because the Assent platform made their job easier and helped them submit better data, the IMI team knew that it would be the right choice to engage their own suppliers. IMI pitched a conflict minerals pilot program with Assent. When their engineering team heard of the plan, they requested to add REACH and RoHS management. The program launched with approximately 10 suppliers and 10 products.

    In the early days, we could manage these programs across our business, but as reporting requirements and new regulations emerged, we realized we needed a solution to consolidate our findings and enable us to respond to increasing customer demands and emerging legislation.

    — Michal Zavadil, Engineering Compliance Office

    Powered by Assent

    2018

    IMI launched Assent’s full REACH, RoHS, and conflict minerals programs

    At IMI, we pride ourselves on our long engineering heritage. Our complex products utilize metals and trace minerals. Our conflict mineral investigation is central to ensuring we are working with legal, audited mines and we absolutely need to get this right as we strive for a better world, free from human rights abuses.

    —Krisztina Strath, Global Procurement Manager

    2019

    Team members across global IMI sites logged in to access real-time compliance data

    2019

    IMI launched its California Proposition 65 program

    2022

    IMI expanded its supplier outreach to include EU MDR due diligence

    2023

    EU MDR data collection added to IMI’s supplier engagement program

    2023

    IMI began engaging suppliers on scope 3 emissions using Assent’s ESG solution

    We launched ESG with Assent… we had eleven topics to choose from, but we only launched with a select four because they were material to our goals. By respecting the time these investigations take for our suppliers, we strive to make a difference in our supply chain by taking a focused approach, rather than trying to boil the ocean.

    — Magdalena Rembelska-Łaskawiec, Procurement Leader

    2024

    IMI began tracking PFAS and other TSCA substances to meet U.S. customer requirements and stay ahead of PFAS obsolescence risks

    2024

    IMI launched its supplier ESG and human rights risk assessments with enhanced supplier screening to support German SCDDA compliance

    We wanted an ESG program that would be suitable for any of the sustainability regulations that are on the horizon. At IMI, we have established processes in place but we need to demonstrate the work we’re doing. That’s where Assent comes in: Assent helps us have the evidence and a strong audit trail. It’s not about creating a new program for every new regulation, it’s about having a comprehensive, risk-based ESG foundation in place.

    —Krisztina Strath, Global Procurement Manager

    IMI’s Future Goals

    2025

    Publish a report for the German SCDDA on mitigating human rights and environmental risk

    2026

    Publish its first CSRD report based on IMI’s global performance in 2025

    2030

    25% lower emissions for scope 3 (supply chain)

    2040

    Net zero emissions for scopes 1 and 2

    2050

    Net zero emissions for scope 3 (supply chain)

    Make Product Sustainability Your Revenue Engine

    Today’s customers demand product sustainability, and tomorrow’s regulations will make it the new baseline. Make sure your company stays ahead of the competition by proactively meeting sustainability requirements. Learn how Assent’s supply chain sustainability solutions can help you engage your supply chain with less time, effort, and fewer resources.

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