Integrating sustainability assessments in manufacturing enterprises: a framework approach

This paper assesses the linking between the three dimensions of sustainability in the manufacturing enterprises through a proposed framework approach. The major challenge in manufacturing enterprises regarding sustainability is modelling and measuring the integrating performance metrics between sustainability dimensions. The main objectives addressed in this paper are how to model a new assessment framework for measuring integrating sustainability. The dimensions of sustainability are: economic, social and environmental. They are modelled, estimated and linked into new concepts so called "economic-social, social-environmental, and environmental-economic sustainability". The proposed framework is illustrated through a hypothetical example to investigate which integrating sustainability is more significant or influence in the sustainability regarding manufacturing enterprise. The results show that social-environmental sustainability is the highest and sustainability dimensions and their associated aspects and indicators need more attention from academic and industrialists.