_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Manufacturing
IT, TURING
Food and beverage manufacturers across the UK are, and rightly so, stepping up to meet tougher environmental responsibilities. While most sustainability efforts typically spotlight production and supply chains, there’ s another key area often overlooked: IT.
Think about it- IT underpins nearly everything in manufacturing, from logistics and compliance to warehousing and workforce management. But the hidden environmental costs of IT, including energy consumption, unnecessary travel for support visits, and premature hardware replacement, quickly add up. Fortunately, with some straightforward adjustments, businesses can significantly cut carbon emissions, enhance resilience, and save money.
Why IT matters in sustainability
Every piece of hardware – laptops, tablets, or servers – has an environmental footprint from its manufacture to disposal. Once in use, these devices often stay powered unnecessarily, adding further waste. Then there’ s the issue of IT support teams travelling significant distances to fix problems that could be resolved remotely, creating even more emissions.
But here’ s the good news: businesses don’ t need to overhaul everything to make a meaningful difference. Smart, practical changes can streamline IT and help hit net-zero goals – while reducing costs.
Extending device lifecycles
It’ s become standard practice in many businesses to replace computers and tablets every couple of years, not because they’ re outdated, but because there’ s limited insight into their actual performance. Many devices, with proper maintenance, could serve businesses for much longer.
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