Using Sustainable Development Indicators in the Quality Management of Service Activities. Case Study: Veolia Environnement

The present article presents a series of strictly current preoccupations regarding the relationship between the new services’ economy and the concept of sustainable development, relationship which is mediated by the public awareness of the value of some natural environment components, traditionally considered as free goods. Although many influent scholars highlight the necessity of a new economic model - based on the recognition of the superior quality of human activities that preserves the environment, including resources considered to be abundant - there are still a lot of problems related to the correct interpretation and valuation of the services in this new approach. The article discuses the experience of a big international corporation involved in environment related services in including sustainable development considerations in its quality management system. At Veolia Environnement the quality management of its service activities is based, besides the classic economic and financial indicators, on a series of sustainable development indicators, chosen by the company, pending on the respective service activity. The critical analysis of these indicators shows interesting results, from the point of view of the long term efficiency of the activity. It is a possible model for other companies, independently of size or specialization.