This article is about Technology
It's no news that the world has undergone significant transformations after the arrival of the pandemic. And in the corporate area, this was no different.
These changes are reflected in consumption patterns, the arrival of technologies that meet the new standards and a strong trend towards innovations that bring agility and speed to business processes.
In this sense, we can think of digital transformation as a movement that places technology at the centre of business strategy.
Along with this transformation, another movement that existed before and today goes hand in hand with it became even more latent: sustainability.
UA survey conducted by Union + Webster points out that 87% of the Brazilian population prefers to buy products and services from sustainable companies, and 70% of respondents said they do not mind paying a little more for it.
Given this scenario, how can organizations adopt technologies that contribute to a more sustainable world and that, at the same time, bring results to the business?
This article will better understand the relationship between technology and sustainability and determine how your company can follow this path. Keep reading!
The digital transformation movement starts from restructuring a company's internal processes to reaching the tip of the iceberg: services and products that meet consumer and market changes.
As with all processes involving innovation, it benefits the entire market chain. The company gains more productivity, increases its competitive edge along with the quality of its deliveries and improves its internal and leadership aspects.
On the other hand, consumers receive increasingly innovative products - due to high demand and intense competition - which, in turn, impact the entire consumption and sales cycle.
More technology breeds more innovation, which breeds more competition. And the competition is responsible for improving all services and products available in the market.
Thus, new business models are emerging. Digital transformation has been gaining ground and leaving behind companies that do not bet on modern solutions focused on innovation and technology.
However, how do we think about technology and sustainable practices in this scenario?
Digital and sustainable transformation can be translated through innovative and technological solutions that result in a positive social impact. In this sense, such technologies must combine economic objectives with socio-environmental goals.
The long-term results of this Union can be seen, above all, in the increase in the company's reputation, since the acronym ESG ("environmental, social and governance") is in the sights of most consumers and investors.
And the benefits do not stop there. In addition to the evidence and the optimistic prominence that the brand gains in the market, cost reduction is also a consequence of companies that bet on sustainable technologies.
When thinking about large companies, we see the continuous efforts of brands to follow ESG practices precisely to attract investors and improve their market perception.
This movement, in turn, encourages medium and small companies that also want to be seen as sustainable companies to compete in this scenario of global entrepreneurship.
In general, implementing sustainable technologies is how companies gain space and prominence in this new context of digital transformation.
Now that we understand what digital transformation is and how sustainability is being brought into the debate, we can talk about the most important point when we think about sustainable technologies today: ESG practices.
ESG (environmental, social and governance) is a set of practices that guide the implementation of environmental, social and governance actions in companies to generate positive impacts for society.
In this sense, companies that are committed to ESG guidelines adopt a more sustainable positioning in broad aspects, also intending to generate better results for the organization in the long term.
Therefore, we can think of the acronym ESG as a way for companies to minimize their impacts on the environment, help to build a more egalitarian society in all aspects and maintain best practices within their organization.
From an economic point of view, ESG is seen as a guide for these good practices since the eyes of the globalized world - and of investors - are focused on all these socio-environmental issues.
Each letter of the acronym "ESG" has a meaning that translates issues aligned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Briefly, the letter "E" (environmental) refers to practices more focused on the environment, such as global warming, biodiversity, deforestation, etc.
The letter "S" (social) covers issues related to the organization's ecosystem, such as, for example, diversity guidelines, customer satisfaction, LGPD practices and employee engagement.
The letter "G" (governance), in turn, refers to actions that concern the company's management, such as employee compensation, committee structure, relationship with governments or the existence of ombudsman channels.
When thinking about sustainable technologies, it is evident that this type of innovation is directly related to ESG practices, especially regarding the "Environmental" grouping, which covers all environmental issues.
The letter "G" (governance), in turn, refers to actions that concern the company's management, such as employee compensation, committee structure, relationship with governments or the existence of ombudsman channels.
But how do digital technologies help develop a more sustainable world? Does your company know which technological innovations to adopt to cause positive impacts? Does your organization already follow good ESG practices?
See below for examples to follow in your company.
Energy savings, rapid deployment and, above all, reduction of total company costs are the main benefits that cloud technology has brought since its popularization.
In addition to data security for the organization, as cloud storage protects sensitive company data, cloud computing dismisses the need for the physical location, reducing energy costs and waste production and helping preserve carbon emissions.
Perhaps the most popular digital technology, the electronic signature, is present in virtually all bureaucratic legal processes today and with the same legal validity that existed in the physical process.
This technology reduces the consumption of natural goods - since it reduces paper use, drastically reduces pollution, and contributes to the modernization of other bureaucratic processes of the company aiming at sustainability.
Such benefits were evidenced, above all, with the arrival of the pandemic. Like other processes, products or services, the signature also needed to adapt to the market reality of the time: social distancing.
Similar to electronic signature, document scanning is a technology that is easy to implement in any company or sector. By opting for digitalization, the company promotes a significant reduction in paper and contributes to the agility and modernization of other processes.
In addition to transforming how the organization handles its documents, this technology allows access from any time and place. Digitization also slows down the consumption of trees, the production of waste and the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Other benefits of those who adopt this practice are the organization of the company's processes, the reduction of costs with the printing that the physical documents required, the reduction of maintenance costs that the natural wear requires by the constant handling of physical materials and the accessibility that any digital document allows.
This a topic that you have undoubtedly heard about here. The IoT, or the Internet of things, is one of the technologies that can be used in favour of the environment and for sustainability.
IoT, like previous technologies, also brings more efficiency and autonomy to the organization, as it allows the configuration of equipment to track gaps and failures in real-time.
This is possible through sensors and software that transmit different types of company data so that monitoring takes place 24 hours a day.
Constant monitoring allows for anticipating and correcting any damage or problem, such as leaks, waste, excessive consumption or even greater loss of resources.
Sustainable technologies increasingly help companies to align with ESG practices and seize growth opportunities. Thus, the result could not be different: smart and responsible business, increased profit, successful operations and happy customers!
That's why Qintess' digital transformation solutions take your business where it needs to be.
Click here and learn more about how we can help in the sustainable development of your business!
This article is about Technology
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