The IMI Roadmap to Supply Chain Sustainability With Assent
IMI is a global specialist engineering company that designs, builds, and services advanced products in fluid and motion control applications. Its mission, “Breakthrough engineering for a better world,” drives a culture of product sustainability, and the company has set ambitious goals for its environmental and social impacts.
Because it serves customers in over 50 countries, IMI regularly responds to numerous and complex customer compliance and sustainability requirements. Over the past decade, regulatory pressures have expanded rapidly, and IMI needed a proactive approach to supply chain sustainability to protect and advance its leadership position.
Company Snapshot
- A global specialist engineering business, headquartered in the UK, with over 100 sites and a presence in 50+ countries
- Founded in 1862 with approximately 11,000 employees
- Designs, builds, and services highly engineered products in fluid and motion control applications
- Focused on five market sectors: Process automation, industrial automation, climate control, life sciences and fluid control, and transportation
- Combining deep engineering knowledge with applications expertise, IMI develops solutions that accelerate better world growth
IMI’s Journey From Reactive to Proactive Compliance
Before Assent
2009
IMI launched its supply chain code of conduct
2009
Developed in-house audit of suppliers for responsible business practices
Ethics, labor, health and safety, waste management, etc
2010
Began engaging suppliers on conflict minerals based on customer requests for regulatory data under the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act
2013
Engaged suppliers for carbon emissions data to support Carbon Disclosure Project reporting
2015
700+ purchasing staff trained on forced labor red flags to support compliance with the UK Modern Slavery Act
Choosing Assent: From Supplier to Customer
2018
IMI launched a pilot project with Assent for conflict minerals, EU REACH, and EU RoHS. As a supplier, IMI was already using Assent to respond to customer requests for supply chain data. Because the Assent platform made their job easier and helped them submit better data, the IMI team knew that it would be the right choice to engage their own suppliers. IMI pitched a conflict minerals pilot program with Assent. When their engineering team heard of the plan, they requested to add REACH and RoHS management. The program launched with approximately 10 suppliers and 10 products.
Powered by Assent
2018
IMI launched Assent’s full REACH, RoHS, and conflict minerals programs
2019
Team members across global IMI sites logged in to access real-time compliance data
2019
IMI launched its California Proposition 65 program
2022
IMI expanded its supplier outreach to include EU MDR due diligence
2023
EU MDR data collection added to IMI’s supplier engagement program
2023
IMI began engaging suppliers on scope 3 emissions using Assent’s ESG solution
2024
IMI began tracking PFAS and other TSCA substances to meet U.S. customer requirements and stay ahead of PFAS obsolescence risks
2024
IMI launched its supplier ESG and human rights risk assessments with enhanced supplier screening to support German SCDDA compliance
IMI’s Future Goals
2025
Publish a report for the German SCDDA on mitigating human rights and environmental risk
2026
Publish its first CSRD report based on IMI’s global performance in 2025
2030
25% lower emissions for scope 3 (supply chain)
2040
Net zero emissions for scopes 1 and 2
2050
Net zero emissions for scope 3 (supply chain)