Sustainability as a management process for SMEs

In this article the authors present their on-going research on a generic best-of-breed sustainability management process and toolkit for SMEs, based on an extensive comparative analysis of existing Flemish and Dutch sustainability management tools, literature and consultancy practices. The proposed best-of-breed process and toolkit will enable managers to plan and monitor sustainability implementation, to innovate/optimize their products and processes and also to rethink and innovate the existing business models. To facilitate SME managers to prioritize correctly, the authors define the main topics a toolkit should address. With this research, the authors aim to contribute to the development of literature about sustainability implementation and development in small and medium-sized enterprises in a European setting.