Walking the line between lean and green

I was thus quite interested in reading a report titled “Conflating Lean and Green Is Unwise,” published late last month by Gartner, in which the author, Mark Raskino, makes a clear differentiation between “green IT” and “lean IT,” and cautions companies not to muddle the two. Doing so “will lead to deceptive short-term progress, and we believe it will equally often lead to longer-term pain,” the Gartner report says.

First, definitions. Green IT, he says, refers to “environmentally sustainable IT as well as IT that contributes to sustainable business processes.” This might include revamping production processes so as to reduce the amount of energy required to deliver products, taking into account everything from the creation process to the amount of fuel necessary to ship them.

Lean, on the other hand, “means operationally cost-efficient IT,” which might include streamlining the supply chain, deploying technologies such as virtualization, and taking advantage of SaaS (software as a service). “This systematic consolidation and application of standard process to achieve economies of scale is the ‘industrialization’ of IT,” the Gartner report says.

He does note that there are instances where a technology implementation would be both “green” and “lean.” Those projects would include revamping the layout of the datacenter for better airflow, which can reduce cooling needs and associated energy expenses, or deploying power-management software to put machines to sleep when they’re not in use.

But in general, the Gartner report says, it would behoove organizations to approach IT projects strictly from either a lean perspective or a green one, rather than trying to kill two birds with one cake that they’ve both had and eaten (my words, not his). Tempting though it may be to apply a socially fuzzy “green halo” to a business-critical project could lead to headaches down the road.

One reason for that, he says, is that a company might find itself in an embarrassing situation later as more data emerges for measuring just how environmentally friendly a particular IT implementation is, not to mention as watchdog groups scrutinize companies’ environmental claims.

For example, suppose your organization buys a pile of new energy-efficient servers from EarthLoveTech Inc. and proclaims to the world how green your datacenter is. Soon after, it’s revealed that EarthLoveTech’s main supplier is notorious for wasting energy and, as green benchmarks emerge, it’s revealed that their servers really aren’t all that energy-efficient, either. “Some organizations will regret squandering their ‘green card’ on superficial improvements or locking themselves into suppliers whose products turn out to be environmentally mediocre,” the Gartner report says.

On the other hand, an organization might find itself in a situation where it’s reluctant to move forward with a potentially important lean IT investment for fear, or lack of understanding, of its environmental impact. “During the next two to three years, IT managers will be pressured to learn and apply complex new techniques of leaner IT operations, such as SaaS, virtualization, and multisourcing, that will help free up investment. Adding green considerations to some of those projects makes learning cycles even harder by reducing clarity of focus on outcomes and effective measurement, ” the Gartner report says.

The line between green and lean is a fine one, as well as a difficult one to walk. Gartner’s advice to approach with caution is a good one, and focusing on projects that are clearly green and lean, such as reorganizing the layout of the datacenter or deploying power management software, makes a lot of sense in the short term. Meanwhile, Gartner advises that companies research and discuss “where your industry and company are likely heading on environmental issues during the next five years.” From there, the report suggests that companies set aside some resources for projects that are strictly geared toward environmental sustainability.

One last piece of good advice in the report: Gartner warns against slapping a “green” label on each and every watt-saving project your organization pursues. Companies that get caught practicing “greenwashing” may find themselves being criticized, ridiculed, or worse. In this litigious society of ours, I can see one company suing another over its products not being as green as advertised.

I’ve just scratched the surface of the five-page report. “Conflating Lean and Green Is Unwise” is available from Gartner for $195.