Guest Post by Zac Colbert

Mobile technology is replacing our paper-based practises and offering up a host of more efficient options. With telecommunications improving, soon the idea of working from home won’t be limited to those in digital media. Many businesses are realising how much they could benefit from a sustainable and mobile workforce.

Thanks to high-speed broadband, powerful computers in handheld devices and the proliferation of wi-fi, we’re on the brink of a workforce revolution as our hyper-connected generation no longer associate ‘work’ with somewhere they have to physically attend. They can now do it from anywhere, from home, or while they’re on the move.

The potential improvement on a country’s carbon emissions if they were to have a mobilized workforce are staggeringly huge and would be a massive step towards reaching environmental targets all over the world. Traffic congestion would be greatly reduced, businesses would be more energy-efficient and the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by individuals and organisations would drastically decline.

Video conferencing is changing the way we hold meetings. Services such as Skype mean we can call colleagues and clients across the globe and host meetings more easily than ever before. Telecommuting alleviates the requirement to travel and potentially makes every member of your workforce far more sustainable, which in turn improves your company’s environmental impact.

However not all jobs can be performed remotely and there will always be some roles or moments in certain roles when the employee’s physical presence is necessary. But telecommuting has advantages for each organisation too. Mobilizing your workforce also entails modernising your traditional paper-based processes. Paper forms, documents and reports are not the most environmentally-friendly way to record day-to-day business, they are unwieldy and they require filing cabinets and considerable storage space. Databases require a decent PC and robust server and can make finding those vital bits of information infinitely faster than leafing through files in a drawer.

An organisation that employs sustainable practises is going to be more sustainable as a business. Green credentials can not only help you distinguish yourself from competitors but it can also save you company time and therefore money by utilising long term practises that won’t need updating for a considerable amount of time. Trade services are set to benefit significantly with a lot of their procedures capable of streamlining via mobile workforce management. Time tracking, job scheduling, and on-site history can all be digitised and the information routed through central office.

Mobilizing your workforce can better your business’s proficiency across the whole spectrum of operations from enhancing employee reporting to improving your client retention. The more sustainable you make your company the longer you are likely to prosper.

Zac Colbert writes on a variety of subjects, including sustainable technology, digital media and environmental design.

Filed under: Corporate Responsibility, Energy, Green Technology