– Derek Kober, Program Director of the BPM Forum (www.bpinetwork.org), says:
It’s a combination of a need for more education as to the tangible business benefits that can be achieved through more ecological practices in the datacenter and the requirement for more leadership both within companies and in the community at large. This is precisely why the Think Eco-Logical initiative is providing resources and information to educate companies and engaging with advisory board members on best practices and leadership techniques.
One of BPM’s study shows that the top reasons that Internet and eCommerce companies are more sensitized to ecological considerations are recent press on the subject, consumer demands for green practices, and the rising costs of inefficient data centers. These factors are in line with the premise of Think Eco-Logical itself — namely that both the environmental (eco) considerations and the business (logical) benefits are driving sustainability concerns.
Just as within large companies, SMBs should look at defining corporate sustainability policies and guidelines that start with the simple things. For instance, looking at duplex (two sided) printing, better office recycling, turning off computers at night or during long periods of downtime, having timed and low-energy lighting, using alternative means and incentives for commuting to work. Then the next level is to look at the technology infrastructure that supports your business. For example, are your servers and facilities being fully utilized, can you implement simple virtualization techniques, and are you using up-to-date, efficient processors and servers that are now available? It starts at a grass roots employee awareness and participation level and then builds to more systemic environmental improvements.
