Join us at EnergyTech2013!

Come to EnergyTech2013 in Cleveland, OH on May 21-23, to learn from and listen to industry experts, academia and regional policy makers discuss advances in energy systems and electrical energy technology, including generation, control, transmission, storage, and efficient use.

BrownFlynn’s Christopher Thomas will moderate a panel on Sustainable Solutions through Advanced Technology with regional business leaders Jon Ratner of Forest City Enterprises, John Vernacchia of Eaton Corporation and Jay Schabel of RES Polyflow.  The advanced energy industry in NE Ohio is vibrant and poised to create dramatic new opportunities for economic growth in the region and beyond. Join this panel’s discussion to learn about the converging issues of cleaner, affordable and innovative energy technologies and sustainable customer solutions.

Click here for more details and registration.  We hope to see you there!

Similar Paths to Adoption: Sustainability and Technology

Early in my career, I focused on helping businesses become more efficient and effective through the use of technology. I worked with companies at various levels of technological proficiency. With certain clients, I spent more time discussing the value of technology as a performance and profitability driver, while other clients wanted to use it more as a catalyst for innovation.

Later, I aligned my profession with my passion, and shifted my career to sustainability. I quickly recognized the similarities between implementing a new technology application and implementing a sustainability strategy. Each forces a foundational shift in the way business is done. Once sustainability becomes a core value, or a new piece of technology becomes a part of our daily work, it is nearly impossible to go back.

At its core, technology’s role is to increase operational efficiency and has succeeded in extending a business’s reach. Sustainability, on the other hand, recalibrates the way we work to ensure the success of future generations. It focuses a company’s efforts on more than just financial gains, but triple bottom line. Sustainability and technology are both used to improve business operations and drive product innovation.

Recognizing the following key similarities between sustainability and technology provide insights that can result in a successful implementation:

• Relatively new concept. Both sustainability and emerging technologies are progressive ideas. This means a lot of uncertainty. Any time a business is presented with a new idea or tool that is unproven or superfluous, questions get raised. Be ready to address those issues head on, and with value.
• Education is critical. With newer ideas or practices, educating end-users on the value of these strategies is essential. They need to understand and feel the value that sustainability and technology can provide to them personally.
• Clear return. If done right, both technology and sustainability have proven financial returns. Be clear to address why this chosen strategy or implementation is not another tire-kicker.
• Needs executive buy-in. Too often during my days in software would I see an implementation fail because executive leadership was not fully engaged. Sustainability faces the same threat. If lower-level employees do not see that executives are on board, progress will be stifled. Make sure to have an executive champion involved from the beginning.
• A change in behavior is necessary. Both adoption of a new technology and the implementation of a sustainability strategy require process or procedural changes which can face resistance among employees. Making this shift easy, valuable, and engaging is paramount in achieving long-term success.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to fail.  Tackling a new initiative is hard work and inevitably you will make mistakes.  But if you’re passionate and you stick with it, you will succeed.

–Sara Kennedy

Take Smaller Bytes=>Slim Environmental Impact=>Be More Sustainable

Diet ads frequently promote that by taking smaller bites during meals, people will be more likely to slim down.  Well, businesses should listen to this advice too.  By taking smaller “bytes,” or using technology more efficiently, businesses can slim down their costs and impacts on the environment.  When used effectively, technology is also an excellent tool for companies to launch sustainability projects.  In the recent Software Advice article, Data Collection + Business Intelligence= Successful Sustainability Initiatives, ERP Analyst Michael Koploy describes how improving data collection systems and analytics operations will enhance companies’ sustainability initiatives.  In addition, companies with sustainability teams that are data-minded and accountable will be more successful.

BrownFlynn agrees with Koploy’s findings.  We believe that technology can be a valuable resource for companies to measure their environmental impacts and track their progress.  However, the data compiled by technology sources can only go so far.  Facts and figures have little significance until they are interpreted, analyzed, and organized.  The analysis process requires not only data, but also strategic thinking that technology cannot provide.  For strategic thinking to occur, business leaders must utilize the data to set goals, determine parameters, find connections, prioritize actions, and make decisions.  In a sustainability context, companies follow this strategic thinking pattern and are often able to report their results.  For example, SAP, the world’s third largest independent software manufacturer and a leader in enterprise applications, reviewed internal data to determine the best metric of employment progress to include in their sustainability report.  When given employment statistics, SAP decided to focus on their employee retention rate rather than their turnover rate.  The employee retention rate was a more representative metric of their employment goals; “not just managing measuring turnover, but actively managing the retention of talent.”  As demonstrated in SAP’s case, technology can provide data that help businesses make decisions, but it is just one element of the sustainable business process.

According to BrownFlynn’s definition of the sustainable business process, technology helps companies complete the Monitor step.  The complete process is outlined below:

• Prepare….by creating a leadership team and brainstorming goals.
• Connect….with stakeholders and determine where they think your company can improve its sustainability initiatives.
• Define…. problem areas and how you will approach them.
• Monitor….your impacts and your progress.
• Report….your findings, goals, and progress to your stakeholders.
  

The diagram above demonstrates that each step in the sustainable business process can be ongoing and influenced by other steps that occur.

The strategy element of the process is where BrownFlynn serves as a resource, to help businesses utilize available information, create sustainability strategies, and communicate to stakeholders.  We recognize the value of technology in initiating this process.  Our support for technology as a sustainable business tool is demonstrated by our recent collaboration with SAP.  Together with SAP, BrownFlynn will be hosting Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) training sessions July 31-August 1 in Philadelphia, PA and September 25-26 in Palo Alto, CA.  The GRI-certified program provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of reporting their environmental, social and economic policies- a practice which often establishes or enhances a company’s sustainability strategy.  SAP will inform attendees about methods to efficiently collect and organize data, and BrownFlynn will review best practices in the GRI reporting process.  Click here for information about the GRI training sessions and how to register.

With effective use of technology and a well-developed strategy, businesses will see vast improvements in their sustainability efforts.  So, we, as businesspeople, should listen to diet ads and take smaller “bytes.”  As a result, we will slim down our costs and reduce our footprint.  Ultimately, we will be happy with our lower weight on the environmental impact scale.

 

By Brittany VanderBeek, Intern

Water Leaks into CDP, DJSI, GRI and Others

Imagine a world where there is a global war fought over a natural resource that makes up, in some cases, 70% of our human bodies.  We have to melt snow for water supply, landscaping is illegal and our water consumption is controlled by the government.  This may sound extreme, but the global water crisis is gaining speed.