Microsoft released the Manufacturing Sustainability Manager for the holidays and I couldn’t be more excited for the impact this can have in business in the new year. I got a chance to play with this for a bit and it’s very interesting.

A few things at first glance that were interesting to me:

The decomposition tree tied to emissions and source:

I found the decomposition tree very interesting and was a fascinating way to learn more about the places a company’s emissions were coming from. The supplier transportation emissions tied to source/goods tied to a facility for instance.

Renewable Energy by Location and Type:

The idea of tracking and managing the source of energy (many companies have started doing this) and understanding it as a goal is important. The direct tracking of it makes it real.

General Understanding of Emissions

The ability to high level understand emissions, their types, and where they are being generated. I can see this being a requirement in many countries going forward, so getting ahead of the game seems wise.

The Established Data Structure

This had to be one of the hardest parts of building this. Ultimately this is just a data aggregation play to expose information that has a common purpose, but building that data structure and the import method had to be a tough challenge.

Also, the data connectors as follows:

I liked how Microsoft has a variety of ways to bring in data. An enhancement I’d suggest however is to create a more automated channel that is pre-prepared. It feels like the company needs to know where all the data is coming from already and this is just a prepared dashboard.

A few things I’m excited about:

• Having this a measurable item for executive teams
• Seriously considering where this data comes from
• Understanding how to pull it from OT environments seemlessly
• Thinking especially about logistics and trucking output

A few things this needs:

• Pre-built data sources where known information exists
• Beyond emissions… think source like power, water, etc.
• More developed actions

Nathan Lasnoski