If you are in leadership within your organization and have not chosen to integrate sustainbility in your organization, please consider reading BusinessWeek Research Services (BWRS) 2009 white paper about their survey of 101 C-level executives.
The research program determined the attitudes and opinions of C-level executives with regard to the use and value of business analytics. The title of the report is Emerging Green Intelligence: Business Analytics and Corporate Sustainability The white paper can be downloaded from SAS on their web site http://www.sas.com/whitepapers/index.html
For those companies who are on the fence or have not begun considering the impact of sustainable business practices, perhaps this white paper will provide some insights for consideration. An executive summary includes the following points:
1. Although still in its adolescence, sustainability is being recognized by innovative executives for the opportunity it offers; more than half of executives are focusing on sustainability throughout 2009.
2. Sustainability is not a top-tier concern at the moment but is still a focus of many C-level executives.
3. Sustainability issues are driven by C-level executives, especially the CEO .
4. Additionally, in the last 12 months, half of organizations have increased their focus on sustainability, while two in five have kept their emphasis on sustainability the same.
If you are leading your organization down the path of sustainability, congratulations, the rewards are many. Companies that get their data together fastest will save money, improve performance, recruit and retain the best and brightest talent, answer customer questions and demands, and find new market opportunities.
If you have not decided to take these important steps, how will you compete? And how will address playing ‘catch-up’ with your stakeholders?
In my days of agency work, we would tell clients who waited until the last minute, ‘We can do it good, fast or cheap-pick 2!’ Like any project, a strategic plan that incorporates sustainability as a way of doing business, will be a higher caliber when you can be planful. It’s less expensive when deadlines are flexible and mandates aren’t looming.
Why not consider deploying sustainability in your organization while choices are still in your business favor?
Stephanie
