--- title: "Responsible asset management: Are you already doing ESG without realising it?" description: "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" image: https://onkey.com/wp-content/uploads/LI-Newsletter-Banner-6-Thought-Leadership-1024x576.png canonical: https://onkey.com/responsible-asset-management-are-you-already-doing-esg-without-realising-it/ url: https://onkey.getmd.ai/responsible-asset-management-are-you-already-doing-esg-without-realising-it/.md last_converted: 2026-10-10T06:41:48.262Z --- × Blog # Responsible asset management: Are you already doing ESG without realising it? ### Recent Posts #### The ERP upgrade is not the only decision - 11 September 2026 #### On Key supporting Afrimat’s Asset Management Strategy - 3 August 2026 #### 11 Factors to consider when selecting a CMMS  - 24 July 2026 #### Is it the software that is not working or is the business process wrong? - 24 July 2026 #### Inspection findings don’t reduce risk. Follow-on work does. - 13 July 2026 --- ### Related Content #### 11 Factors to consider when selecting a CMMS  - 24 July 2026 #### When AI completes the picture: A case for coalescence between machine input and human responsibility - 29 April 2026 #### The AI dividend: Why responsible asset owners are about to pull ahead - 5 January 2026 15 October 2025Author | 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](https://www.verdantix.com/venture/report/green-quadrant-enterprise-asset-management-software-2024?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 4. [https://onkey.com/on-key-recognised-as-a-green-quadrant-leader-for-industrial-eam-software-2024/](https://onkey.com/on-key-recognised-as-a-green-quadrant-leader-for-industrial-eam-software-2024/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 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](https://resources.ecovadis.com/news-press/esg-activities-correlate-to-stronger-financial-performance-reveals-new-study-from-bain-amp-company-and-ecovadis?utm_source=chatgpt.com) --- Contact Us × ##### Book a demo × × #### Thank you for registering for the On Key Connection Day. × You will receive a follow-up email with a map to the venue and additional arrangements for the day. We look forward to catching up with you. Kind regards **Marizanne Heunis** Head of Client Relations and Support – On Key