Environmental regulations have you worried? A formal environmental plan can banish fear-and improve your business.

Mention environmental regulations to business owners and you're likely to get a scowl and some harsh words about those #@*!& rules and regulations. But creating an environmental management system (EMS) can allow businesses to turn environmental problems into business assets.

An EMS is a formal plan that helps businesses integrate environmental concerns into their daily operations. It addresses the distribution of resources, delegates employee responsibilities and evaluates the company's environmental practices, processes and procedures. Think of an EMS as a business-based approach to taking the fear out of dealing with environmental concerns.

Businesses that must comply with environmental laws or regulations, such as controlling discharges of pollutants into the air and water, dealing with hazardous wastes or avoiding impacts on the land and wildlife, often must provide monitoring to prove that they are abiding by the law. Some choose to simply ignore the rules, and hope they won't be caught. They may even consider paying the fines a cost of doing business. But getting caught and exposed is costly and creates a negative image with consumers.

An EMS allows businesses to systematically analyze and improve their environmental performance and use their time and materials more effectively. In some cases, it can actually increase profits. An EMS can benefit a company in other ways. In our litigious society, business is often the target of environmentally related lawsuits. An EMS may not prevent a lawsuit, but it certainly gives the company ammunition in its defense. Many companies lack the time or resources to properly manage environmental obligations and see a less-than-clear relationship between the business' environmental goals and other goals. An EMS will help resolve these problems.

As businesses develop and implement these programs, they may discover significant cost savings and improvement in their public image. HellermannTyton, a division of Spirent, has a manufacturing facility in north Naples, where it makes cable management products for a variety of applications and industries. The company recently developed a detailed EMS plan. "Developing an EMS has allowed our organization to systematically manage our environmental, health and safety concerns," says Becky Skoluda, the company's health, safety and regulations administrator. Not only has the plan helped identify and eliminate many environmental concerns, she says; it also has raised "employee awareness of environmental issues and our responsibilities to the environment."

Developing an EMS requires time and commitment. Although most businesses already have many of the resources they need in place, the majority will require some help to develop a formal plan. A consultant can streamline the process, help educate employees as the plan develops, and increase the chances for success. Employee involvement at all levels is essential, so most businesses set up a task force to work with the consultant.

Ultimately, success will only come if there is support for the EMS from the top leadership all the way down the line. An EMS often requires employees to step outside their comfort zone and try doing things differently. Motorola did this by hiring a German firm to help its product designers compare processes and materials used to make different products and determine which ones have the least impact on the environment. As a result, the Concorde cellular phone Motorola introduced in 2001 used less lead solder and brominated flame retardants, both toxic to the environment, than its predecessor.

Employees will need some training and education so they can understand the program and buy into it and make it succeed. Small companies often have an advantage because there is less bureaucracy; the lines of communication are short. Thus employees can work together more efficiently and effectively.

Developing an EMS process follows the "Plan, Do, Check, Act" model. The process begins with a basic question: Does the company have an environmental policy? If not, then the company must develop one. The next step, implementation, takes the initial EMS plan and integrates it into the business and workforce. This is where training plays a crucial role. It is also necessary to monitor the EMS and document the successes and failures of each element.

After implementation comes the review phase, in which the task force examines the EMS and looks for ways to fine-tune and improve the plan. The business world is continually changing, and today's EMS will need updating to account for changes in the economy and company performance

An Environmental Management System is a departure from business as usual. It requires management to look at information and data with a fresh perspective and a willingness to try something different. But the rewards are considerable. HellermannTyton found substantial savings when it implemented its EMS, and the plan has enhanced the company's reputation with its clients. It more than offset the cost of developing the EMS. What business wouldn't want that?