MBA students take part in site visit on sustainability
A cohort of around 90 Strathclyde MBA students enjoyed a site visit to ACS Clothing for a day of learning on the circular economy and sustainability in the fashion industry on May 5.
ACS specialises in rental fulfilment and clothing renewal – after defining and perfecting their fulfilment solution for traditional men’s formal hire market, ACS expanded to new markets within the fashion industry. ACS aspires to transform the fashion industry towards a circular fashion model that extends the life of existing textiles and diverts clothing from landfill.
The students took part in multiple activities throughout the day including: a site tour, a presentation on the sustainability model of ACS and undertook two challenges around B Corp and Sustainability to present back to the Sustainability team at ACS. This site visit connects to several aspects of the MBA programme including the Operations and Project Management Module and the Sustainability Theme that runs throughout the entire programme. This trip is the second to ACS however, MBA students can look forward to at least one site visit each year.
MBA student Rohit Arora said, “ACS Clothing provided a practical application of my MBA learning, offering comprehensive experience including daily warehouse operations with a strong emphasis on sustainability, diversity, equality, and inclusion. The company's intensive use of digital technology showcased the leadership vision and change management abilities to become the most efficient in Circular Fashion industry in Europe. It was an invaluable opportunity to witness first-hand how these key elements converge to drive innovation and success in the modern corporate landscape.”
Fellow student Rahul Sharma added, “The visit to ACS was a transformative one. I am very grateful to get the opportunity to see the functioning of a well-established company and getting a sneak-peak behind the curtains helped put our theoretical learning into practical application. I got a chance to realise how much importance is given to sustainable ways of business, and solving their pressing business needs gave me great exposure which I can carry with me in other client interactions.”
Hayley McDonald of ACS Clothing said, "It was an absolute pleasure to host the students of Strathclyde MBA on-site for tours and workshops once again. The students seemed to gain much value from seeing our operations and how a circular economy business works on a day-to-day basis.
"They were very engaged and asking questions throughout. They really shone in the workshops we planned for them to undertake, working on solutions for ACS to implement on the Sustainable Development Goals and our Net Zero journey. It was very inspiring to meet so many engaged students that will be bringing their expertise and fresh perspective to industry after their degrees."
Published: 1 June 2023
