Hilde Sandmæl, KAM

Hilde Sandmæl: Sustainability is now viewed as a competitive advantage

In short:

LCA.no has appointed Hilde Sandmæl as Key Account Manager, a role that will strengthen the company’s position in sustainable business development. Sandmæl believes sustainability has become a competitive advantage, particularly in the construction and contracting industry, where Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) play a crucial role. Her key points are:

  • Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage: Environmental declarations are no longer just a requirement, but an important tool for innovation and competitiveness.
  • EPD as an Innovation Tool: LCA.no’s user-friendly EPD tools increase user adoption and enable efficient innovation in sustainability.
  • Profitability in Sustainability: Sustainable business practices must be profitable to be sustainable in the long term.
  • Holistic Value Chain: Sustainability must be integrated throughout the entire value chain, from raw materials to finished product.
  • Preparing for the Future: LCA.no is preparing for future requirements such as the Digital Product Passport (ESPR).
  • Customer Relations and Consulting: Sandmæl will build strong customer relationships and provide advice on sustainable solutions.
  • Simple, Effective Measures: Her advice to companies wanting to start with sustainability is to start with simple, effective measures and continuously measure the results.

Sandmæl will act as a bridge between customers and LCA.no’s development and product team to ensure that solutions are both innovative and scalable.

Read the full interview here:

We are proud to have Hilde Sandmæl on board as Key Account Manager (KAM) at LCA.no. With many years of experience from several industries, combined with a burning interest in sustainable development, Hilde brings a wide range of expertise and strategic insight to LCA.no. Get to know her better and learn what she thinks about the industry, customers, sustainability, and the future here.

Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage

– Sustainability used to be something imposed, a necessary evil. Now I see more companies embracing it and realizing how important it is in innovation work. To be competitive, you need to develop your products in a sustainable direction. The construction and contracting industry has been known as the ‘worst offender’ in terms of climate emissions. They have taken action and were early adopters of environmental declarations. We see that it works. For example, we now have much greener asphalt in Norway than in other countries, says Hilde initially.

Hilde Sandmæl, KAM
Hilde Sandmæl, KAM

EPD as an Innovation Tool

EPDs provide companies with a clear overview of the environmental impact of the company’s products throughout their entire life cycle and help them identify areas for improvement. You can see where in your value chain you have the highest climate emissions and which input factors you should work with. The tools provide verified and quantitative results.

– If you have a good system for environmental declarations, I see it as an innovation tool. Our EPD tools make it easier for companies to adapt to the new sustainability requirements. This is of strategic importance for the companies’ innovation opportunities. Innovation that does not safeguard sustainability is not sustainable.

It is only when you start measuring things that development begins.

– By offering solutions that are user-friendly and integrated, we make it easier for customers to drive innovation in their own companies. Complex tools lead to low user adoption. These will never become strategic tools for innovation work. Innovation requires high user adoption and self-service. The tools must also be part of solutions that can be adapted to different industries and customer needs. Many companies are part of complex value chains, and EPD tools that are easy to integrate have good prerequisites for becoming strategic management tools.

Commercial Leadership with a Focus on Sustainability

Sustainability is something that should be infused throughout the entire company, not least in management. But sustainability involves many factors, including profitability. It is not sustainable if the company does not manage.

– From a management perspective, the first commandment for sustainability is that it must be profitable. If the company does not make money, then it doesn’t help to be environmentally friendly. You need to know your market and time your sustainability initiatives correctly. I have been involved in launching good products that the market wasn’t ready for yet. It was too early. But if you are too late, you lose out as well. 

– Profitability, innovation, and sustainability work should be on the agenda at all levels of the company, including the board. And this is interconnected. I believe we will see sustainability as a more integrated part of development work going forward. Those who see this as an investment will win. With many years of experience as a commercial leader and board member, I see how closely this is connected.

An Important Link Between the Customer and LCA.no’s Development and Product Department

As Key Account Manager, Hilde acts as a bridge between customers and LCA.no’s development and product team. By working closely with colleagues across departments, they ensure that solutions are developed that truly meet customer needs and are also scalable and future-oriented. This interdisciplinary collaboration is key to driving innovation.

– Innovation is crucial for sustainability work, especially in environmental documentation. In my role as Key Account Manager, it’s not just about selling a solution, but also about understanding what drives customer needs, the challenges they face, and how our tools can be developed to meet these challenges. When it comes to environmental documentation, it’s important that we are always at the forefront of technological development, especially because the demands from authorities and the market are constantly becoming stricter.

– It is also important to keep track of market trends and regulatory changes. This gives us insight into what requirements are coming and how we can adapt to them efficiently. For example, we now see that more industries than before have to deal with environmental declarations, and we must be ready to offer solutions that suit these new markets. This means that we must be proactive, both in terms of product development and adaptation to new standards.

– An important task for me is to build strong customer relationships. It’s about trust and mutual understanding. You really need to understand what the customer needs and always deliver value in everything you do. It’s also about having an ongoing dialogue with the customer so that you can adapt the solution to their needs over time. The balancing act between the customer’s needs and the company’s goals is an important skill for any KAM.

Digital Product Passport and ESPR Affect Future Opportunities

In 2024, the EU introduced new legislation (ESPR – Environmental Sustainability Product Regulation) on the digital product passport to promote sustainable products and reduce environmental impact. Several things are still in the pipeline, but around 30 product categories will, as a direct consequence, be covered by the new requirements for a digital product passport.

– It will be exciting to see how the digital product passport works in practice. The introduction of the digital product passport will be easier for those who already use environmental declarations. With a digital product passport, we will see environmental declarations also towards the consumer, and I look forward to getting industries such as textiles and food involved in this. These are industries that consumers are involved in, and then I think we will really see a change. I would also like to highlight the ESPR regulation; The regulation is an ambitious EU initiative to make environmentally sustainable products the norm in the EU and strengthen Europe’s resource independence.

Leadership Philosophy: Working with the Entire Value Chain

Leadership philosophy affects how we communicate, what we prioritize, and how we make decisions. What are Hilde’s thoughts on this?

– I am a generalist with experience from many roles and industries. I have experience from and enjoy working with the entire value chain. It’s a strength when you work in sales. Many of our customers have complex value chains where the solution to sustainability improvements can lie with subcontractors or the customer’s customer. A holistic understanding of the value chain means that we, as sellers, can be good advisors to our customers. One of my previous managers was concerned that no chain is stronger than its weakest link. That’s a good philosophy.

Solid EPD and LCA Expertise Provides Good Growth Opportunities

How do you envision the growth in the market, and how can LCA.no utilize the growth opportunities?

– The combination of solid LCA expertise, digital development, and commercial understanding is what will take us forward. Our software development is based on many years of in-depth professional work with EPD and LCA. This gives us a unique position that we have great advantages from in our innovation work. Our developers work closely with consultants with ongoing customer dialogue. This means that we have good opportunities to hit customer needs precisely in our development work. 

– We see an increasing demand for sustainable solutions, and I believe we are well-positioned to lead the market. Industries such as construction, contracting, and transport are ready to use environmental declarations, but we will also see more industries, such as textiles and food, follow suit.

Bildet illustrerer elementene i ESPR

An International Working Environment Provides Advantages Towards a Global Market

LCA.no currently consists of 26 employees and is constantly growing. Employees from several nations create a dynamic environment. How do you experience coming into this environment?

– I studied in Stirling, Scotland. The university had students from more than 80 countries. It’s great to see that we at LCA.no have people with backgrounds from more than 10 countries. Having an international environment in a software company with a global market provides great advantages. With employees from different cultures and countries, a multitude of perspectives and ideas are brought in, which promotes innovation and creativity. Language skills and cultural understanding strengthen relationships with customers, and the team’s understanding of different markets helps to adapt products and services to regional needs. 

– In addition, an international environment provides access to global talent and increases the company’s competitiveness. This diversity creates a more dynamic working environment, where employees learn from each other and collaborate to develop solutions that meet global demands.

Advice for Companies Wishing to Start with Sustainability

Finally, we asked Hilde what advice she would give to companies that want to strengthen their work with sustainability but don’t know where to start?

– You know your product best. Do you have a good overview of your market and competitors? What job should your product do? Where do you think the shoe pinches? Start with something that is easy to do something about and that has a big effect. Remember to measure along the way; it’s only then that it provides value.

If you would like a dialogue about how you should address the sustainability opportunities in your business, you can invite Hilde for a valuable meeting. You can contact Hilde here. Also take the opportunity to add Hilde to your network on LinkedIn.

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