Vendor Landscape: Emerging Software Tools For Corporate Social Responsibility

Companies that take corporate social responsibility (CSR) seriously — and they are increasing in number — have to find ways to map large amounts of disparate data to large numbers of disparate stakeholders. Whether it's helping companies report on fair labor practices to meet socially responsible investment criteria or tracking energy use for a carbon reduction program, technology vendors see this space as a market with much potential. Niche CSR reporting applications are beginning to crop up; environmental management systems are seeing increased interest; governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) tools are being used for ad hoc CSR initiatives; and large business applications are showing promise as top vendors take serious steps toward the market. Each group has something unique to offer, but buyers expecting a complete, packaged solution will have to be patient — it will be years before a comprehensive product is offered without substantial configuration and implementation requirements.