Consumer attitudes toward sustainability are evolving fast. Concern for a company’s environmental impact extends beyond the consciously eco-minded consumer. However, sustainability is not just about “doing good” for the environment. It has emerged as an important economic performance metric of itself. Companies that are committed to sustainability have shown that they are also increasingly resource-efficient. These companies use fewer resources and create less waste to generate a unit of revenue and have been found to produce higher returns on investment than less efficient companies. 

Go Paperless to Drastically Reduce Greenhouse Emissions

Paper production and consumption has a significant impact on the environment. The production of paper is the third most energy-intensive of all manufacturing industries, and accounts for 40% of the world’s logging. Going paperless is one of the immediate benefits of installing a field service solution. Quotes and work orders can be created electronically, either at head office or in the field. On a job, field technicians can capture images and notes on mobile devices attaching them to compiled job reports. Customers can electronically sign off on job reports that can be sent immediately to the back office for invoicing. Invoicing can also be sent electronically through email. Moreover, unlike paper records that can be lost or damaged, field service automation systems capture and store all the details of a job in files that can be recalled at any time.

Reduce Ink Use and Cut Costs

Going paperless not only eliminates paper, but also ink. Ink waste comes in two forms: the plastic casing that stores the ink and the ink itself. According to Greener Refill, some 375 million empty ink and toner cartridges are thrown away with most ending up in landfills or in incinerators.

Printer cartridges are also expensive, reportedly costing more per ounce than caviar. The average cost of a laser printed page is $.25 while an inkjet printed page costs $.15 in ink. For field service operations that print reports, work orders, inventory lists and more, the savings in ink alone are substantial.

Cut Emissions and Reduce Fuel Costs

High fuel costs in recent years have challenged companies to rethink how they can reduce their fuel bills. At the same time, there is a higher awareness that the levels of emissions from service vehicles have a major impact on air quality, especially in cities. More companies, large and small, are investing in vehicles that run on alternative fuels, including electrical power. This has helped Verizon, for example, save 207,653 gallons of fuel from reduced idling time, cutting both emissions and fuel costs.

One of the most effective ways of reducing fuel costs, rather than relying on cheaper energy costs, to ensure field service technicians are efficiently dispatched and have all the information, tools and parts they need to complete a job the first time. A field service solution like Coresystems can help by:

  • Optimizing technician scheduling and re-routing on the fly
  • Optimizing technician’s routes
  • Increasing first-time fix rates
Reduce Energy Consumption

Reducing energy consumption is another way that companies can become more resource-efficient. For field service companies that invest in their own servers, turning to cloud-based field service software can help companies realize significant energy savings. Companies who use a cloud-based solution use exactly what they need rather than what they think they need to run their operations.

Sustainability is no longer a “nice to do” goal for companies. Consumers have shown they are more likely to buy or use the services of a company that supports sustainability. Moreover, sustainability is about being resource-efficient. As more industry leaders learn to generate a unit of profit with less waste and less resources, all companies will need to re-examine their own operations.

Picture: Flickr / Tez Goodyer


Topics: Field Service

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