Business Process Professionals Must Champion Sustainability In This Era Of Shortages And Risks

Soaring energy costs and climate change are only two of many issues pushing sustainability to the forefront for business and IT leaders. Smart executives expand the concept beyond reporting on carbon emissions or greening data centers into a proof of the organization's strategy, management, and performance on sustainability. They view it as an opportunity to develop innovative products and services, increase global competitiveness and brand reputation, improve acceptance in social communities, and consciously deal with risks and costs resulting from economic and political instability, erratic weather conditions, epidemics, energy, and other shortages that affect workforce readiness and business continuity. Yet many organizations still struggle to articulate their sustainability strategies. The challenge? To identify and implement actions aimed at improving the organization's economic health and reducing its negative environmental and social impacts. While setting the strategy is the board's responsibility, business process professionals (BPPs) must champion, develop, improve, and implement business processes that deliver sustainability. Working closely with innovative suppliers, BPPs must incorporate technologies into processes to improve the organization's overall performance in terms of economic, social, and environmental indicators.