SMEs failing to make best of green initiatives

Joe O'Halloran

Tuesday 04 September 2007 11:11

Clear scope for cost savings and improved energy efficient behaviour amongst UK SMEs is one of the key findings of research released by Prefix IT , a supplier of network and asset management tools.

However, due to a lack of ‘joined-up’ thinking between IT and utility purchasing departments, the company says that few SMEs are realising these benefits.

The research found that a so called ‘silo mentality’ has resulted in half of the sample admitting to their departments not liaising over budgets. Moreover, only 30% have a green policy to reduce carbon emissions and only 27% enforce automatic shut down of PCs at night yet almost all firms say that IT should play a role in reducing carbon emissions.

Only 20% of IT professionals link power costs to IT budgets, yet electricity costs are far higher in the long run than the purchase of a PC or server and for 80% of respondents proving ROI on IT purchases is important.

Commented Graeme Pitts-Drake, UK managing director of Prefix IT, “There’s a clear case of silo-mentality in operation in UK SMEs. By viewing operational costs holistically, many organisations could not only make significant financial savings, but improve business performance and serve corporate responsibility as well. In the past IT departments have been accused of being too remote from the business, now they have a clear opportunity to lead behavioural change and put money back in the company coffers by turning good intentions into action.”