Environmental protection through digitalization
As the deadline for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), set by the United Nations approaches, more and more businesses are pledging to reduce their carbon footprint. Corporations such as Disney, General Motors and Microsoft are amongst those leading as successful examples. There are many steps to becoming more environmentally friendly, but this process does not necessarily have to be long and difficult. Reducing your carbon footprint would be nearly impossible without modern tools and technologies that let us analyse and improve our workflow processes.
The link between technology and environmentalism
When thinking of environmentalism, technology is far from being the first thing that comes to people’s minds. Many tend to make the opposite association, and see it as an all encompassing enemy of our ecology. With the continuous advancement in engineering of countless different industries, we also see a rise in the number of people worried about what this rapid innovation means for our planet. This is, of course, understandable. Change can seem daunting. However, if used for good, technology can also be our greatest tool for fighting issues such as global warming.
Using digitalization to combat global warming
We have never before had access to as much valuable data as we do now. Not only does this data tell us exactly how dire the current situation is and estimate how it will progress, but it also plays an important role for scientists and engineers to develop solutions. A lot of these solutions feature the help of AI (artificial intelligence), which has the ability to process large amounts of data quickly. With the help of AI and other cutting-edge technology, environmental sustainability can be increased in both production and consumption processes. It could all sound like technical mumbo-jumbo, but easy-to-use systems like the Oversee digital solution have democratised digitalization and support businesses on their digitalization journey, no matter where their starting point is.
What you can do
It’s no secret who the main offenders are when it comes to carbon footprint – businesses, especially ones working in the manufacturing and logistics industries. The world emits around 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases each year and one-fifth of the world’s carbon emissions come from the manufacturing and production sectors. But in the matter of slowing down global warming, we should do more than just point fingers. We must also look at our own actions. Everyone, from individuals, to small businesses and big corporations have to do their fair share. And a great place to start reducing your carbon footprint is digitalization!
Here are the ways in which automating and digitalizing your company’s processes will aid in creating a greener and more sustainable workflow:
- Reduce paper waste. This is the most obvious change. Businesses go through copious amounts of paper. Documents, instructions, contracts, forms and even meeting notes. The average American office worker uses about 10,000 sheets of office paper per year. Most of this paper ends up in unsorted trash. Deforestation is thought to account for roughly 20% of annual greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Use less paper, move to digital mediums instead!
The Oversee digital solution allows you to create and send shift schedules and instructions to your employees digitally. Forms can also be reviewed and signed by employees digitally on the Oversee app, to avoid the endless cycle of printing and then binning paper. - Keep machinery in tip-top shape. If your equipment and machinery is damaged or isn’t cared for regularly, it could be using more energy and working with less than optimal efficiency. This will increase energy and resource (such as water) use and in return – costs as well. You should ensure your machinery is frequently serviced and cleaned. Use digital task registering tools to communicate and stay on top of your machinery maintenance!
With the Oversee digital solution you can schedule maintenance tasks in advance. These tasks can be delegated to specific employees or teams, allowing issues to be identified and avoided in advance. Employees performing the maintenance tasks can also capture images or videos on the Oversee app of any issues found. - Analytics and reports. Is your machinery running for longer than needed? Are your delivery trucks taking unnecessarily long routes? Collect and review data from all processes of your operation. You could be wasting more resources than needed. As mentioned previously, technology has made it possible to see more detailed data than ever before! Make sure to take advantage of this.
Oversee analyses your data for you and sends you important reports, allowing you to make big business decisions quickly.
“There are many ways in which digitalization can both benefit your company’s efficiency and increase environmental sustainability. Update your workflow and set an example for other businesses, as the only way for us to tackle global warming is to each do our fair share. Let’s keep sharing ideas on environmental protection, developing better systems and cooperating for a greener, healthier earth!” – Svetlana El Zuni, CEO of CatchSmart
Need help getting started? Reach out to us for a free demo on Oversee.
