Responsible asset management: Are you already doing ESG without realising it?

Author | Dirk Janse van Rensburg, Head of On Key Software Solutions

A casual chat with my team landed on a bigger question: in tight markets, how do responsible asset owners justify investing in enterprise asset management (EAM) when every line item is under scrutiny? Deferring capability usually multiplies risk and cost, especially when unplanned downtime is already a trillion-dollar drag on industry¹.

Responsible EAM is ESG – by doing, not declaring

If you run assets well, you’re closer to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) than you think. Day-to-day EAM: safe work, lifecycle decisions, energy and condition monitoring, and end-of-life choices all map directly to widely used ESG frameworks.

EcoVadis, for example, assesses four themes (environment; labour and human rights; ethics; sustainable procurement)² and expects evidence of policies, actions and results – the paper trail a modern EAM platform generates.

Operationalise ESG responsibility from day one with On Key EAM software

Here’s what the On Key EAM software platform does the moment you put it to work, turning everyday asset work into auditable, ESG-aligned outcomes without adding extra admin.

• Strategy before schedule | Transition from rigid preventive maintenance (PM) calendars to risk-, usage- and condition-based strategies, with an auditable line from each intervention to outcome, providing evidence that auditors can trust.
• Operational evidence by design | Digital permits, inspections, measurements, and close-outs automatically create time-stamped, role-based records providing “ESG-grade” proof as a by-product of normal work.
• Energy, reliability and lifecycle | Reduce rework and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) while guiding refurbish-vs-replace decisions, thus lowering cost, emissions and waste in one fell swoop.
• Supplier and Scope-3 visibility | “Scope-3” covers value-chain emissions like purchased spare parts/materials, transport, contractor activity and waste. On Key links work orders and BOM (bill of materials) /spares to supplier IDs and quantities, so you can map records to Scope-3 categories, feed carbon/procurement tools with clean data, highlight high-impact suppliers, and evidence improvement over time.

Taken together, these capabilities are powerful, and even stronger when validated independently. When committees ask “why this platform?”, third-party due diligence helps: On Key was named a Leader in the Verdantix Green Quadrant: Enterprise Asset Management Software 2024, a fact-based comparison of 14 prominent EAM providers.^{3, 4}

Proof it pays

• Downtime avoided, life extended | McKinsey finds predictive maintenance typically cuts downtime by 30–50% and increases machine life by 20–40%⁵, offering material levers for cost, safety and energy intensity.
• The cost of inaction is real | Unplanned downtime now consumes about 11% of revenues at the world’s 500 largest firms, equating to roughly $1.4 trillion a year¹. Responsible asset strategies are the front line against that loss.
• ESG and performance reinforce each other | A Bain & EcoVadis study shows companies that prioritise supplier ESG enjoy 3–4 percentage-point higher margins than peers⁶, evidence that disciplined sustainability strengthens competitiveness.

The practical takeaway

If you already sweat asset life, reliability, safety and people, you’re building ESG credibility every day. On Key makes it visible, measurable and scalable. If you’re still “making do” to protect this quarter, ask what those short-term savings are really costing. In an era of tight budgets and rising expectations, responsible asset management isn’t a luxury; it’s the most affordable way to do the right thing for your balance sheet and your ESG agenda.

To learn more about On Key EAM software and the On Key product suite, visit www.OnKey.com.

References

1. https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:1b43afb5-2d07-47f7-9eb7-893fe7d0bc59/TCOD-2024_original.pdf
2. https://resources.ecovadis.com/whitepapers/ecovadis-ratings-methodology-overview-and-principles-2022-neutral
3. https://www.verdantix.com/venture/report/green-quadrant-enterprise-asset-management-software-2024
4. https://www.onkey.com/on-key-recognised-as-a-green-quadrant-leader-for-industrial-eam-software-2024/
5. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/manufacturing-analytics-unleashes-productivity-and-profitability
6. https://resources.ecovadis.com/news-press/esg-activities-correlate-to-stronger-financial-performance-reveals-new-study-from-bain-amp-company-and-ecovadis