How Have You Integrated Sustainability Practices Into Your IT Operations?
CIO Grid
How Have You Integrated Sustainability Practices Into Your IT Operations?
In the quest to make IT operations more eco-friendly, we've gathered insights from top executives, including a VP & CIO and several Founders. They share their firsthand experiences, from implementing sustainable IT operations to choosing the right partners for sustainable hardware disposal. Here are four compelling examples of integrating sustainability practices into IT.
- Implementing Sustainable IT Operations
- Transitioning to Green Data Centers
- Energy Efficiency and E-Waste Recycling
- Choosing Sustainable Hardware Disposal Partners
Implementing Sustainable IT Operations
Jack Henry's focus on corporate sustainability is rooted in our guiding principles: to do the right thing, do whatever it takes, and have fun. By integrating these strategies into our IT operations, Jack Henry seeks to reduce our environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable future.
We do so with end-to-end oversight of our data center operations, allowing for more efficient power consumption. Optimized reporting supports power-saving decisions on a granular level and extends equipment lifecycles. We pursue electronic recycling providers for responsible disposal of electronic equipment from offices.
At the same time, our procurement processes include sustainability considerations, allowing us to make informed purchasing decisions that include how procured products and services impact the environment. Our request for proposal (RFP) templates and scoring matrices feature environmental factors, which we use to evaluate suppliers, such as climate-related risks, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and climate targets. We continue to work with our suppliers to understand their low-carbon transition efforts to ensure they align with our priorities.
Lastly, a large majority of our associates work in a hybrid or remote setting. As such, Jack Henry is focused on consolidation and space modernization in key strategic locations. Led by our Workforce Evolution Committee, our rightsizing decisions are centered around protecting our strong culture; creating a collaborative, productive, and innovative environment; and offering accessible office locations in key geographies.
Transitioning to Green Data Centers
In our IT operations, integrating sustainability practices has been a top priority, and one of the standout initiatives has been our shift toward green data centers. We made a conscious decision to transition to data centers powered by renewable energy sources. This meant moving our servers to facilities that use solar, wind, or hydroelectric power, significantly reducing our carbon footprint.
Energy Efficiency and E-Waste Recycling
In our IT department, we decided to go green by focusing on energy efficiency and cutting down on electronic waste. We started by upgrading our data centers with energy-efficient servers and cooling systems. After taking a good look at our existing setup, we swapped out the most power-hungry components for more efficient ones. Plus, we used virtualization techniques to reduce the number of physical servers we needed, which not only saved energy but also reduced our carbon footprint.
We also set up a great e-waste recycling program. We teamed up with certified recyclers to make sure our old or broken equipment was disposed of properly. We even made it a point to reuse and repurpose equipment whenever we could. For example, we refurbished old laptops and desktops and donated them to local schools and nonprofits. These efforts not only helped us be kinder to the environment but also brought a sense of responsibility and teamwork within the department. By embracing these sustainability practices, we’ve managed to make a positive impact on the environment while keeping our IT operations efficient and effective.
Choosing Sustainable Hardware Disposal Partners
I must confess to a time when our hardware disposal policy leaned more towards maximizing returns than committing to sustainability. This changed when a client partner, while sharing their connections, recommended a vendor who not only preached transparency but also shared a detailed disposal roadmap to help a business understand their commitment to sustainability. This led us to switch vendors, and ever since, we have been closely following our vendor’s disposal mechanism to ensure that even after our hardware leaves the company premises, the process by which it is disposed of showcases our intent to assume responsibility all the way.
