The Role of IT in Achieving Sustainability Goals for Liverpool SMEs

Small Liverpool businesses can leverage technology and a robust IT infrastructure to meet sustainability targets improve efficiencies.

E2E Technologies provides managed IT services to Liverpool SMEs across a variety of sectors. Sustainability is increasingly central to an SME’s operation, so we continuously innovate to design IT systems and install best practices to help businesses meet their sustainability goals.

Sustainability and business for Liverpool SMEs

SME owners and management teams should not be fooled into believing that sustainability is only relevant to large businesses.

In fact, SMEs that bring sustainability into their business strategy and daily operations can reap benefits associated with costs, risk and new business.

• The perception of SMEs with clear sustainability goals is that they are resilient and innovative, which is attractive to financial institutions and investors. This can unlock finance opportunities, including loans and grants, that might not otherwise be available to them.
• A clear sustainability strategy makes SMEs attractive value chain partners for larger organisations looking for support in meeting their own sustainability obligations.
• Wider sustainability expectations of customers and employees can give SMEs with clear sustainability targets a clear advantage over their competitors, helping them to recruit top talent and attract more business.
• Having a proactive sustainability strategy helps SMEs to become, and remain, compliant with sustainability legislation and standards in the UK and EU.

Technology and IT systems play a central role in accessing sustainable business practices SMEs can adopt and build upon.

Green Tech Solutions

Green tech (or Green IT) enables SMEs to operate with environmental responsibility and energy efficiency. Green tech minimises the impact of IT systems on the environment by reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions and electronic waste.

Adopting green tech solutions can also reduce operating costs while improving the green credentials of the business.

Green tech: Energy-efficient hardware

Energy-efficient hardware such as computers, laptops, networking equipment and SSDs (solid-state storage drives that use flash memory rather than spinning disks), are green tech solutions that reduce an SME’s carbon footprint. Devices designed to use less energy, or have low power consumption when idle, produce significant energy savings for an SME.

Energy-efficient hardware such as computers, laptops, networking equipment and SSDs (solid-state storage drives that use flash memory rather than spinning disks), are green tech solutions that reduce an SME’s carbon footprint. Devices designed to use less energy, or have low power consumption when idle, produce significant energy savings for an SME.

Green tech: Remote working solutions

Remote working removes the need for commuting and its associated environmental pollution.

For efficient remote working, digital documentation and communication, along with cloud based networks, naturally replace paper usage which helps to protect the environment.

Typically, home offices are much smaller than commercial spaces, so less energy is required for heating and lighting. By using energy efficient sources for lighting (LEDs), heating and power, remote workers can contribute to an SME’s sustainability goals.

Choosing a domestic green energy provider of renewable sources such as solar and wind power can push the green agenda even further.

Reducing Paper Use

Transitioning to a paperless work environment helps SMEs to reach sustainability goals more quickly. For SMEs in industries where printing is unavoidable, the environmental impact can be minimised through card or pin-controlled printing to give employees accountability, and discourage unnecessary printing.

Adopting digitisation and document management systems will significantly reduce paper use and associated waste.

Digitisation

Digital tools minimise environmental impact. Adopting digital technologies helps SMEs to work more energy efficiently, and manage waste more effectively. Through digitisation, operations can be more streamlined which engages employees, supply chains and stakeholders in achieving the SME’s wider sustainability goals.

Document management systems

Document management systems (DMS) overcome the traditionally paper-intensive process of storing documents. A document management system helps an SME to minimise their impact on the depletion of environmentally important resources, and reduce waste. It also drastically reduces the need for printing and copying documents which not only uses paper, but also consumes energy when printers and photocopiers are operated and transported.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing facilitates remote working, extends the lifecycle of an SME’s computer hardware through continuous updates, and reduces electronic waste.

According to a recent academic report, “The integration of cloud computing services into SMEs has the potential to improve their sustainable performance substantially and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations Development Program.”

Reducing environmental impact by minimising on-premises infrastructure

Adopting cloud computing allows an SME to reduce environmental impact by minimising on-premises infrastructure. Resources are consolidated within the cloud, reducing the need for physical hardware which results in lower carbon emissions.

On premises hardware, particularly servers and backup storage systems, use a substantial amount of energy for processing and cooling. If the hardware is outdated, its energy consumption is even greater. Cloud services use fewer servers and networking devices, which reduces the carbon footprint of hardware manufacture, shipping and disposal.

How IT support can help SMEs become greener

Managed IT support helps Liverpool SMEs become greener through well designed, and continuously managed, sustainable IT infrastructures.

At E2E Technologies we develop sustainable IT strategies and systems that are bespoke to the needs of the SME we are supporting. Our managed IT support services are hands-on and proactive. We keep track of ever-changing sustainability legislation that affects SMEs, ensuring our customers remain compliant.

To find out more about how our managed IT support can help your SME become greener, get in touch.