Making IT sustainability a part of the digital employee experience

Sustainable IT is no longer merely a good practice driven by customer demands; it has evolved into an imperative in response to shifting employee expectations and corporate responsibility around ecological consciousness. In today's digital workplace landscape, more than 80 percent of leaders are placing a heightened emphasis on environmental sustainability. Cloud providers, executives, software engineers, IT teams and even corporate boards of directors are increasingly thinking green because of the impact that adhering to environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards will have on our future and the next generation of leaders.  And on top of that, the business landscape is incentivizing green behavior. A recent survey by CloudBolt found that two-thirds of IT leaders say cloud provider’ sustainability initiatives are a key factor in determining with whom they do business.

Companies who drive sustainability transformation also enhance corporate reputation and performance, appealing to environmentally conscious customers. Firms adopting sustainable practices, like energy optimization, realize significant cost reductions. Integrating Sustainable IT into the digital employee experience is also a pivotal element of this transition, fostering a gratifying workplace for employees.

Sustainability in the New Digital Workplace

CIOs driving digital transformation and other innovation initiatives are also expected to align IT efforts with broader business sustainability goals.

With increasing regulations and standards such as the European Green Deal and international Greenhouse Gas (GHG) protocols, corporations  have  new compliance reporting  requirements and increased pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. However, raising environmental awareness about emissions, resource depletion and e-waste while trying to meet the demand from customers, employees and potential business partners can be a daunting task.

One example is the post-pandemic return to office trend and the hybrid schedules that result from it. As employees return to the office companies must evaluate the feasibility of extending the lifespan of laptops in order to align with sustainability and cost-saving objectives, all while managing user performance expectations.

Additionally, hybrid work models and highly distributed modern IT networks have made it difficult to collect accurate data and measure sustainability metrics such as energy consumption. Tracking energy usage for devices and users spread out across diverse, remote locations is much more complicated than tracking in-house IT operations. However, IT teams must be able to accurately monitor, measure and report on the performance of Digital Employee Experience (DEX) sustainability initiatives to enable informed decision-making and continuous improvement.

Driving Sustainability in IT

Successful sustainable IT initiatives require a comprehensive DEX platform, executive level sponsorship and a phased approach with cross-functional ownership. 

Environmental Action Plan

Unlike most IT initiatives, Sustainable IT initiatives have a broader set of stakeholders across an organization. This can include, but is not limited to:

• IT Ops Directors and VPs who typically oversee and implement strategies that promote sustainable practices and reduce the cost of IT operations. Strategies include aligning IT operations with broader sustainability goals, reducing energy consumption and carbon footprints, managing e-waste, and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and standards.
• Sustainability, ESG Officers and other environmental leaders who usually have a broader scope in managing and addressing environmental concerns and promoting organization-wide sustainability.
• Compliance officers and risk managers who ensure that sustainable practices are integrated into the organization’s IT operations, and that they comply with relevant regulations, industry standards and internal policies. Their involvement in sustainable IT projects can help to define reporting requirements and streamline compliance processes.

Companies who have experience in promoting sustainable practices typically have executive level sponsorship. According to a Gartner CEO survey, sustainability is now one of the top 10 business priorities for CEOs. However, even with executive level sponsorship, getting started is often the hardest step. Companies should consider creating a steering committee to begin baselining sustainability metrics, incorporating sustainability goals into corporate values, prioritizing projects, and assigning responsibility to achieve goals.

The Right DEX Platform is the Foundation for Sustainable IT

Selecting a comprehensive Digital Employee Experience (DEX) platform with actionable insights and intelligent automation is crucial for sustainability efforts.

A DEX solution that captures and correlations granular end-user performance data from all applications and devices is crucial for data accuracy and decision-making models.  DEX solutions with the capability to transform actual end user performance data into environmental insights (e.g., carbon emissions), and then centralize it in a unified dashboard empower organizations to reduce their environmental impact. Such metrics could include device uptime, carbon emissions, electricity consumption and expenses, enabling IT teams to identify energy-saving opportunities, cut costs, fulfill reporting requirements, and promote behavioral changes. Moreover, platforms that adeptly translate environmental insights into tangible 'real-world estimations' possess a greater capacity to influence employee behavior. For example, carbon emissions could be converted into comparable units, such as the quantity of mature trees required to offset the CO2 emissions.

DEX platforms with AI-driven automation capabilities streamline sustainable IT practices and operational efficiency.  For example, DEX solutions can trigger automation to change power plan settings and inform users about their energy consumption while provide remedies to drive behavior changes aimed at reducing consumption. Beyond that, automating day-to-day management and support functions are integral to reducing resource consumption, reducing failures and the footprint of human intervention.

DEX solutions that offer sentiment surveys can play a critical role in enhancing employee engagement, deepening understanding of employee mindset and persona-based needs while promoting the adoption of sustainable practices.

Conclusion

As environmental concerns intensify, prioritizing IT sustainability is imperative. It not only safeguards the planet for future generations but also enhances corporate performance, aligning with both employee and customer expectations around corporate environmental responsibility.

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Payal Kindiger is senior director, product at Riverbed. Payal is responsible for go-to market strategy and execution for Riverbed’s Alluvio portfolio of products. Prior to joining Riverbed Payal has served as a global Marketing leader and business strategist with over 20 years of experience in B2B, startup and Hi-Tech companies, including Resolve Systems and Deloitte.  A graduate of UCLA and Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University), her passion is to serve as a growth catalyst for innovative companies. Areas of focus for Payal include Network Performance Management, Unified Observability, AIOps and more. Payal enjoys sailing, traveling and spending time with her family.