CAE partners with Novisto to manage ESG and sustainability data and reporting

Supporting growing requirements for ESG data

The partnership creates a centralized repository for ESG information used for benchmarking and driving performance improvements in addition to reporting efficiencies. CAE’s investments in sustainability are yielding positive results and the firm wanted a way to connect these successes to financial performance and drive further ESG improvements. Key considerations included supporting a complex global business with 11,000 employees across 180 locations in civil aviation, defense, and healthcare where continuous data management is a significant challenge. Having achieved carbon neutrality, CAE uses its products to reduce customers' environmental footprints while prioritizing diversity and inclusion. CAE’s 2021 CSR report follows GRI, SASB, TCFD, and CDP standards while aligning with five UN Sustainable Development Goals. CAE also recognized that visibility into ESG performance can inspire and engage employees across the organization.

Why CAE selected Novisto to create value

In 2019, Hélène V. Gagnon met with Novisto to replace manual Excel spreadsheets with a modern solution. CAE looked to Novisto to modernize IT without burdening the IT department by automating workflows and connecting to source systems like Workday and Enablon. The goal was to reduce the reporting burden by using a single system to respond to rating agencies, customers, and investors. This increases data confidence by creating a single source of truth to enable audits and external validation. It also allows CAE to demonstrate a financial correlation by quantifying the link between ESG enhancements and financial outcomes while using benchmarking to compare progress across multiple industry segments and markets.

"Traditionally, we were gathering ESG data through Excel spreadsheets and emails, and one of the challenges we faced was the reliability of the data. With Novisto, we've seen a tremendous improvement in the data collection and approval process. It was simple to gather the data and it really helped us to bring all of our sites together."

Hélène V. Gagnon,Chief People and Sustainability Officer

Strategic partnership and innovation

The solution underwent comprehensive audits including legal and IT security sign-offs. Key wins from the partnership include enabling Canadian AI innovation by supporting a local technology firm. Using design thinking helped create a solution that captures specific requirements and brings automation and intelligence to the ESG data process. Novisto leverages artificial intelligence for parsing and analytics to streamline data ingestion and create CAE-centric dashboards. Beyond the software, Novisto provides valuable subject matter expertise and guidance on solution configuration to help CAE adapt to changing global expectations in sustainability.