The Upside of Investment in Sustainable Operations

Operating a sustainable facility is more than important, it is required to support your corporate mission, your employees, and your business. Regulations are here, and more are coming. Energy costs are destined to skyrocket, customers and suppliers have made commitments that must be aligned with their partners, and a volatile socio-political atmosphere makes sustainability a requirement.

As much as this may be true, facilities tend to work only towards compliance. What they should be doing is investing in sustainable operations and digital transformation as a way of staying competitive, attracting top talent and tenants.

Making Sustainable Business Changes 

In a recent study 90% of executives consider sustainability important, only 60% incorporate sustainability into their strategy, and a mere 25% have sustainability incorporated into their business. The report and many experts concur that sustainability should define operations and should be considered a way to distinguish yourself from the competition for tenants and talent. 

To define sustainability is to understand it is about systems, how they are built and what they are made from, and the impact that the operation of those systems has on the environment and society. Going paperless, efficiencies of systems, lowering people and vehicle traffic, decreased carbon emissions and footprint all contribute to a sustainable facility and environment.

Future minded facility operators understand that process minded improvements rather than simply compliance makes for a more sustainable facility. The way things are, are not necessary the way they ought to be. Facility managers are adopting an approach that they need to develop a sustainability strategy from a systems thinking perspective – focus on the interactions and outcomes produced by the holistic systems.

Current Opportunities for Operations

Due to limited budgets, some buildings have been late to start their digital transformation. Considered expensive and difficult, many facilities are stuck in legacy systems that create waste and inefficiencies. Without a capital infusion, many facilities just stick to what they think is working. However, upon investigation, and looking perhaps at a 24-month outcome on operations, investments in digital transformation will support a better economy for the facility overall. 

While it’s economically viable for facilities and their owners to act environmentally and socially responsible, it is also economically beneficial. It’s possible to do good and do great business. Delivering savings and increased profitability can co-exist with and making a positive societal impact. Transformation is a process, and it is not a one-time event, it’s a journey to sustainable operations.

If you’d like to continue this conversation and see how your facility will benefit from sustainable operations schedule a demo.