SUSTAINABILITY
Enhancing sustainability with smart solutions How internet-connected devices help you meet your people, planet, and profit goals. Words Matt Hayas
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hile the Internet of Things (IoT) has been around for a while, companies are increasingly realising the sustainability benefits IoT – internet-connected – devices can offer. This realisation is no doubt spurred by the transformation of environmental sustainability from a “nice-to-have” component of doing business to a “must-have” goal that organisations continually work toward. There’s been a wave of organisations setting measurable sustainability goals and highlighting their progress. In 2018, 86 per cent of companies1 on the S&P 500 Index issued a sustainability report, up from only 20 per cent in 2011. Microsoft announced2 in January 2020 that the company will go “carbon-negative” by 2030. Other major corporations like Amazon have also set goals to reduce their carbon footprint in the coming years. As more companies begin prioritising sustainability, it helps to have the right devices. In the professional cleaning industry, the capability of IoT devices to provide 24/7 facility monitoring, remote data transmission, and more accurate cleaning dosages can increase both efficiency and productivity. By using the IoT to reduce wasted resources, time, and profit, businesses can improve their performance along the metrics most crucial to their bottom line. In doing so, they become one step closer to their larger sustainability goals that are often closely tied to brand reputation and customer loyalty.
THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE APPROACH When considering how IoT devices can fit into sustainability, it’s important to take a holistic approach and consider the triple bottom line. All businesses are concerned with the traditional, singular bottom line of profit, but it takes more than money to make a business successful. The triple bottom line approach assesses business performance along three dimensions: people, planet, and profit (also known as social, environmental, and financial). 34 INCLEAN March / April 2021