Yes, you read that right. Of course, we love trees, plants and all the wonders of our amazing planet – but any credible sustainability consultant is likely to get overly excited about data. (We may even squeal with excitement at a well formulated data comparison chart!)
Whether it’s energy use, carbon emission equivalents, water wastage rates or number of suppliers trained in your sustainability policies, we don’t care, we just love those digits, spreadsheets and graphs 😍
Data helps us in so many ways
Data is a critical piece of the impact puzzle when advising our clients at Greenheart, it helps us to make informed decisions and gives us insights into where we need to focus. Once we have data the blindfold is off and the theoretical becomes specific. We have a starting point and so many avenues to go down. The best part is that we can measure our improvements as we go and spot any areas where things are going off track. This makes us very happy!
Collecting data doesn’t always have to be onerous
It is true that it can be an excruciating process to extract data in the first place. Both sustainability consultants and those in business with responsibility for data gathering and reporting can predictably be found with higher than average stress levels at the end of their reporting periods. Go easy on them as life is very challenging during this quarter!
The pressure to locate, collate and interpret data gradually increases as reporting deadlines loom. If sufficient care and time is not taken to get this right, reporting deadlines will be missed and the data will not tell the true story.
However, by moving away from the end of the year rush we can make the process work for you and your team. Ongoing data collection throughout the year not only makes the end of year reporting process more bearable, but it allows you to gain a better understanding of your business and make improvements throughout. Data collection systems and processes are your friend here.
Time spent on these processes now (don’t leave it until the month before year end please!!) will undoubtedly help support your business in many ways, and the focus on increased business transparency is not fading away any time soon.
Not all data is equal
Sometimes data is provided and we can see that it doesn’t look right. This is why it’s so important to look at trends over time and make valuable sense checks. For example, energy usage can be provided for the whole building rather than just the occupied space, or simply a meter has been read wrong. It’s simple human error and mistakes can be made at many points along the way. Focusing on understanding where data comes from and checking it for accuracy is key. Is the data really illustrating the true picture? This is the first question to ask. Benchmarking different offices against each other is helpful or checking against industry peers.
This is why we expect data accuracy to improve over time and so you may see fluctuations in your first years of reporting that may not relate to performance changes but just that your data is of better quality.
So don’t be disheartened if you take a little time to get it right as you will end up in a far better position when you know the true picture of where you really are. Most organisations start off by not knowing what they don’t know, then move into the space of knowing where these gaps are, and eventually get to the point of truly accurate and representative data.
Why is everyone suddenly collecting so much environmental and social data?
We have had many years of businesses making claims to be improving their environmental and social performance without being able to back up these claims with evidence. This is not possible anymore and companies are increasingly required to report on a standard set of data points. It is also necessary to provide a commentary on why they are performing as they are and how they plan to improve. Accountability is key for progress.
Data collection in businesses is nothing new. Financial data has been collected since the beginning of organised business and transparency of financial data is enshrined in law. Non-financial data has taken a while to catch up but is now moving in the same direction. The collection of non-financial data may seem like an additional burden, but soon it will be business as usual, if it isn’t for you already that is.
How you can make data work for your business?
- Decide the key data that you need to gather – this may be required by reporting standards and legislation and you can add criteria that you would like to track to demonstrate your commitment and action. Create a great process for data gathering, communicate it and train relevant people on it.
- Make sure there is an easy way for people to input data and that data is checked for accuracy.
- Create or sign up to a data system to collate the data and turn it into useful results and visuals.
- Use this data to identify areas for improvements, to reward good practice and to motivate further improvements.
Data is your business’s unsung hero. It’s both the compass for steering your sustainability journey, the magnifying glass revealing hidden opportunities and the megaphone that amplifies your achievements. By embracing data you’re not just complying with regulations but making informed decisions that reduce environmental impact, increase your success rates and help save time and money.
Are you ready to let your data do the talking?
For more information on how we can support you to track data and prepare now for next years reporting season, contact: contact@greenheartbusiness.com
