World is Green

Metrics drive organizations. Data and analysis are important aspects of managing a business, complying to regulation and reporting to internal and external stakeholders.

Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP softwares can make a huge difference by providing an avenue to manage environmental data in creating a greener business.

GreenBusiness Blog reports on some of these initiatives:

“So far IT’s green message has been quite defensive – it has been a case of meeting regulatory requirements and limiting energy use,” he observed. “But as being green becomes more of a positive choice for firms keen to use their environmental credentials as a marketing device they are going to need to be able to track, measure and report on their environmentally sustainable activities and that is what ERP software can deliver.”

In short, it is business applications that will provide firms with the environmental data required for them to make informed strategy decisions, optimise their processes and back up their environmental responsibility claims.

Several major software vendors have made this realisation, with many of the leading reporting and design software vendors currently investigating ways to add environmental information to their existing products and ERP specialist Lawson recently announcing plans for a dedicated suite for managing CSR initiatives.

However, Massey is unconvinced dedicated environmental management apps will be necessary, arguing that relatively simple updates to incorporate environmental information and metrics into existing business apps would provide a relatively simple means of ensuring executives have access to environmental data.