How do you move from fragmented Excel sheets to full control over sustainability, quality, and product safety in a global corporation? For Beth E. Iversen at Dalema AS, the answer has been building a digital foundation that unites complex requirements with practical everyday operations.
When Beth took over responsibility for these fields, she inherited a solid professional foundation from her predecessor. The challenge lay in scaling this work to meet a wave of new legal requirements, such as CSRD and the EU Taxonomy. The solution was not to run faster, but to build smarter.
A Holistic Approach to Risk
At Dalema, sustainability is not seen as an isolated exercise. By combining roles that cover quality, safety, and climate, the company gains a deeper understanding of risk across the entire group.
“The advantage of looking at these fields in context is that, in practice, they are often about the same things. When we build systems that talk to each other, it becomes an integrated part of operations instead of a ‘sidecar’ to the regular business,” Beth explains.
Tools That Support the Experts
To transition from manual processes to a more automated setup, Dalema chose a solution where Stratsys and Energi.AI function as a common foundation. This has made it possible to roll out modules for risk, quality, and carbon accounting in a way that the organization recognizes.
“We have focused on structure rather than having many different niche solutions. By using Stratsys as a base, with integration to Energi.AI for climate data, we get a ‘single source of truth.’ It’s about making data accessible and traceable so we know exactly where the numbers come from,” she says.
Cross-Border Collaboration
Dalema produces a large volume in Asia, a region that has traditionally faced scrutiny regarding its ESG performance. However, Beth paints a different picture. She emphasizes that success in sustainability work is largely due to close cooperation with experts at the China office and local manufacturers.
“Our team in China does a formidable job with follow-up and verification. We see that manufacturers are increasingly adapting to European regulations, both as a result of regulatory requirements and to meet market expectations. There is a clear trend toward more structure and compliance,” Beth says. Recently, nearly 200 manufacturers participated in a course on product safety—a sign that requirements are being taken seriously throughout the supply chain.
Technology as Relief
As someone who handles many fields simultaneously, Beth has adopted new technology and AI to streamline the administrative parts of the job.
“The use of AI has been a great help so we don’t have to ‘reinvent the wheel’ every time. It helps us structure analyses and get quick references to complicated regulations. It’s not about replacing professional expertise, but about giving us more time to actually work on measures and improvements,” she says.
Beth’s Advice: Build Brick by Brick
For those in similar roles who feel overwhelmed by CSRD requirements and carbon accounting, Beth has clear advice:
- Build structure first: It doesn’t have to be perfect right away, but get an overview and build the foundation digitally.
- Secure internal ownership: Beth uses colleagues as “test subjects” when new modules are built. By involving them early, you create ownership rather than resistance.
- Take time to choose the right tools: Find systems that talk to each other. The automation between Stratsys and Energi.AI has been a success factor for Dalema.
“You need trust and composure from management to build these processes over time. When you have that, it’s incredible what you can achieve with the right tools,” she concludes.
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