How STEF won 2 Lean & Green Stars with BigMile
STEF was working towards earning a Lean & Green Star. To get there, they used BigMile’s platform to calculate and report on their CO2 emissions. Now, they're already well on their way to winning a third star.
STEF's 2 Lean & Green Stars
STEF earned 2 Lean & Green Stars for their CO2 reduction efforts
CO2 insights per transport leg
STEF has now CO2 insights per transport leg on individual shipment level
CO2 reports by delivery location
STEF can now create detailed CO2 reports for its customers down to the delivery locations
Join 130+ supply chain partners in using BigMile for CO2 emission analytics.
If you’re in the Dutch logistics industry, you know better than anyone how important it is to get a Lean & Green Star. It shows you're committed to sustainability and cutting down your CO2 emissions.
But there are more benefits. Having Lean & Green Stars sets you apart from your competitors who don’t have this recognition. This helps you build a reputation as a responsible and innovative company in the Netherlands.
To earn a star, you have to accurately calculate and report your CO2 emissions. We spoke with Henk Jan Ouwerkerk, Tactical Transport Team Leader at STEF, about their journey to winning the Lean & Green Star.
On the day we spoke with Henk Jan, Bakker Logistiek officially became part of STEF: a larger European player in the transportation sector. In this article, we discuss STEF and its locations in Zeewolde, Tilburg, Deventer and Gieten where BigMile has been and continues to be used.
The start: tracking CO2 emissions at STEF to understand their impact
Henk Jan has been with STEF for 5 years, but he has spent his entire career in logistics. He has held roles in inbound, shipping, and logistics management, so he knows the field inside out. Recently, his focus has shifted to logistics and supply chain data: extracting figures, finding patterns, and asking how things could be improved or done differently.
STEF’s clients are major companies who need to transport their goods to distribution centers of big retail chains. STEF plays a role as the logistics service provider in the middle of the supply chain. It’s no surprise then that there are many CO2 emissions involved in the process.
In 2020, STEF decided to cut down on their emissions and go for a Lean & Green Star. “That's where we ran into a problem, because we had no insight into our CO2 emissions. We weren’t tracking these at all”, Henk Jan explained. Lean & Green has helped to gain insight into CO2 emissions.
A smooth implementation process with expert help available at all time
Lean & Green is a Dutch organization that helps companies improve the sustainability of their logistics processes by reducing CO2 emissions through practical tools and guidance. They know better than anyone how to get a clear overview of supply chain-related CO2 emissions.
“We reached out to Lean & Green for help because we had no idea how to start calculating and reporting on our CO2 emissions,” said Henk Jan. In 2020, the BigMile platform was already the used tool in the Lean & Green program. They recommended the software to STEF for CO2 emission calculations. The implementation process went quickly and smoothly.
“The team that assisted us with the implementation was amazing. We could reach out to them anytime, day or night, so to speak. They guided us through the entire process, which was really helpful since it was all new to us,” Henk Jan explained.
Later on in 2020, BigMile became an independent carbon accounting platform. STEF still uses the tool today at their locations in Zeewolde, Tilburg, Deventer and Gieten. The fact that experts are always available to help and the platform's user-friendly design really made a difference.
Henk Jan Ouwerkerk, Tactical Transport Team Leader at STEF
Join 130+ supply chain partners in using BigMile for CO2 emission analytics.
Simple CO2 emission calculations for reporting to Lean & Green
Since BigMile became an independent carbon accounting platform, the software has made great progress in terms of its user-friendliness. This is a big plus for STEF. “You don’t need to worry about complicated calculations or creating complex import files. BigMile takes care of that for you, which is extremely convenient when you need to submit your CO2 data correctly to Lean & Green.”
STEF also relies on BigMile to extract logistics data. “I use the platform to gather general data and see what's in scope and what's out of scope. It provides insights into our transportation movements and breaks it down to the customer level. We need that for Lean & Green reporting,” Henk Jan explains.
Thanks to these clear calculations and insights, STEF knew exactly where to cut back on their CO2 emissions. The logistics service provider has already earned 2 Lean & Green Stars and is working hard towards their third.
But there’s another reason STEF uses BigMile’s carbon accounting software: these days, customers are starting to request these reports themselves.
Providing clients with the CO2 emission insights they need for their annual figures and reports
Sustainability is a hot topic, and it’s becoming increasingly important in the logistics industry as well. Regulations are getting stricter. Henk Jan explains that customers are now requesting CO2 reports more often. “Our customers want insights into the emissions generated by the trucks delivering their goods, primarily to use in their annual figures and reports.”
To give customers these insights, Henk Jan relies on the BigMile platform’s calculations and reports. STEF uses its earned Lean & Green certifications to support its clients.
“In my opinion, it’s a good development that clients are asking for these reports. They find them extremely clear and rarely have any further questions about them,” Henk Jan said.
For STEF, this is one of the main benefits of using BigMile. But there’s more: you can calculate CO2 emissions per trip and per customer.
Calculating CO2 emissions with a bird’s-eye approach
We asked Henk Jan what he’d tell other logistics providers about BigMile. He was pretty clear: “What I like is that you can calculate CO2 per order very accurately. You just input data, and the software does the rest. That’s the real beauty, if you ask me.”
With anywhere between 4 and even 7 customer stops, STEF’s calculations quickly become complex. Henk Jan outlined the ‘bird’s-eye calculation approach’ BigMile uses. “Our challenge is attributing CO2 emissions to customers in a fair way. The software calculates based on pallets, kilometres driven, and distributes CO2 accordingly.”
This calculation would be nearly impossible to do manually. BigMile simplifies calculating CO2 based on fuel use rather than the driving route. An efficient route means less fuel and lower CO2 emissions.
Earning Lean & Green Stars and reporting back to clients
By using BigMile, STEF has gotten clear insight into their CO2 emissions. This has helped them optimize their routes and reduce their impact. As a result, they’ve earned two Lean & Green Stars and can provide clear reports to their customers.
Do you work for a logistics service provider that could also use some help with calculating and reporting on CO2 emissions to earn your next Lean & Green Star? Or do you want to make it easier to report your CO2 emissions to your clients? One of our experts would be happy to discuss your case in a personalized demo.
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