The paper explores how organisations can improve the way they think about sustainable futures. The aim is to help manufacturers understand how to plan for futures that need to be radically different from the business as usual trajectory. This article proposes a competency assessment framework that can be used by entrepreneurs to assess their organisations transformation progress towards a sustainable industrial system and develop actionable responses to sustainability challenges. The paper reports the results of exploratory case studies observed through document analysis and interviews. A case study methodology was utilised to gain improved understanding of key competences and those factors that substantially influence the success of such efforts. The cross sector case company analysis offers findings on what other organisations have done to improve sustainability performance. It is found current-planning techniques may not be adequate to help envisage and prepare for radically different sustainable future. The challenge observed is that organisations donÕt have a common language for talking about the system for system level planning. The framework provides a common language to help manufacturers navigate the radical changes necessary to move towards sustainable industrial systems. The case study findings provide insights into what is important to practitioners in planning for a sustainable & resilient future.