• Assessing a company’s impact, from every standpoint (economic, social, societal and environmental to name just a few), is a complex task.
• As part of Fabrik Durable, Orange is trialling an innovative methodology based on the research of Thierry Rayna (École Polytechnique, CNRS).
Whatever their motivation—compliance, a desire to rise to society’s expectations or the need to adapt to climate change—finding a place for sustainability at the heart of business models has become a strategic issue for companies. But what exactly is a sustainable business model?
A comprehensive assessment process, based on three tools: business model appraisal, stakeholder mapping, impact classification
A model that creates value for its entire ecosystem
As Thierry Rayna, a professor at École Polytechnique and CNRS researcher, explained: “There is some ambiguity about this concept in both the academic and corporate world. There are two dominant interpretations. One views a sustainable business model as a driver of sustainable development, and the other focuses on the durability of such a model. At first glance, these two interpretations seem contradictory. According to received wisdom, a model that prioritises sustainability means lower profits, a blunted competitive edge etc., and is therefore not a durable model. However, research on the subject has shown that this is a false dichotomy. A business model that causes pollution or social problems will inevitably be challenged in the long term. Conversely, at a time when the HR value chain extends beyond the company’s direct employees, an organisation that acts sustainably based on its business model will have a positive impact that will enable it to attract and mobilise individuals and talent, in the long term.”
In this way, a sustainable business model is defined first and foremost by its ability to create value or, in other words, to have an impact. While this was primarily financial and customer-centric in the industrial era, it became multidimensional with the dawn of the technological world. As such, we must adopt a 360° perspective and look beyond purely economic factors to consider the company’s ecosystem as a whole.
Three key tools for measuring sustainability
“We share this view of the transition to a new economic era”, said Quiterie Lamaury, the Group’s Sustainable Marketing Lead. “Traditional tools for analysing value, which are based on outdated considerations and whose scope is limited to customers and suppliers, have become obsolete. To bridge this gap, we launched a trial using an innovative methodology, based on Thierry Rayna’s research, as part of a new initiative called Fabrik Durable.” In practical terms, this method aims to reconcile performance and impact in the assessment process, using three tools: a refined business model appraisal, exhaustive stakeholder mapping and impact classification.
Four innovation projects were reviewed using the 360° assessment process, leading to valuable findings. One of them was an AI system that proactively provides support to office software users. “We quickly identified several areas of concern”, Quiterie said. “For example, the offering was not based on Orange assets, particularly in terms of competencies, and its market legitimacy had been overestimated, as many open-source AI agents with the same capabilities were available. Based on these findings, the project could pivot to target a Government/Army clientele, who seek sovereign AI solutions.”
Ready to be scaled?
The same approach also benefitted a solution initially designed to provide local authorities with guaranteed backup connectivity in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The project was shown to be dependent on a supplier and have a limited number of potential use cases, meaning it could be adjusted and enhanced.
One of the things that this ongoing trial has demonstrated is that this methodology is unique in how quickly it can identify the negative impacts of a business model. If it was integrated into software and automated, it could be scaled up and rolled out at company level. And if it was made available to all sectors, from research to marketing, it would help establish a common language for the creation, sharing and measurement of value.
Quiterie Lamaury
Thierry Rayna
