Eco-Digital-Check (EDC)

Environmentally friendly, digitally ready: prepare our organisation for the Twin transition

Organisation’s journey towards Twin transition (environmental and digital performance enhancement and integration) requires considerable resources and preparation. Having an action plan is one of the first principal steps for organisations aiming to improve both the environmental and digital performance. With a structured plan, you will identify and be able to maintain focus on your key priorities, effectively allocate resources and avoid the risk of missing out on key opportunities for the improvement.

With the action plan, you will have a clear direction and measurable goals, allowing you to assess your current practices and implement solutions that make your operations more efficient, sustainable, and future-ready.

If your organisation does not have a similar type of action plan, it is advisable to start with the proposed framework and adapt it to your organisation’s needs. If you already have a similar plan, use it as a point of reference and make any changes or evaluations during the use of EDC in relation to the existing document.

Assessment and planning

The assessment and planning phase is critical to setting the basis for improving the organisation’s environmental and digital performance. It can help to understand where your organisation currently stands, identify opportunities for improvement, and set clear goals for the next steps.

For small to mid-sized service-oriented organisations, we suggest focusing on the following environmental and digital performance categories that are most significant for the operation of such entities:

ENVIRONMENTAL

Energy Consumption
Waste Generation
Carbon Emissions from Transportation
Procurement and Supply Chain Impact

DIGITAL

Digital Tools & Automation
Digital Customer Experience
Data Management & Security
Digital Skills & Training

Complete EDC assessment and find out your organisation’s gaps in the environmental and digital practices: START THE ASSESMENT

If you would like to review other areas of operation or activities in the organisation that are not included in the current performance categories, you can do so separately, taking into account the findings from completed assessment.

Implementation

After identifying key gaps and areas for improvement for your environmental and digital performance it is important to set the implementation actions and allocate the resources. Explore the tips and examples below to compile the most suitable set of actions for your plan.

Environmental performance categories

Energy consumption

Offices, data centres, and service operations often rely on significant energy for lighting, heating/cooling, and running equipment. This energy use contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, especially if sourced from non-renewable resources. Reducing energy consumption and transitioning to renewable energy can greatly lessen organization’s carbon footprint.

What to do?	How to do it?
Identify current energy consumption	• Collect data from utility bills • Identify which equipment / infrastructure / technologies require most energy consumption • Find out how much of the energy used come from renewable resources
Set actions and priorities for sustainable energy use	• Promote and ensure energy saving practices among staff (e.g., turning on energy saving modes in office equipment, unplugging rarely used equipment), especially in relation to most energy consuming equipment / infrastructure / technologies • Install energy saving technologies (e.g., automatic lightening) and procure energy efficient equipment (e.g., monitors) • Investigate how your organisation can increase share of renewable energy (e.g., by discussing it with building manager, procuring electricity from renewable sources)

Waste generation

Service companies generate waste through everyday operations, such as paper, packaging materials, and electronic waste. Improper waste management contributes to landfill overflow and environmental pollution. Implementing recycling programs and reducing single-use materials are essential steps toward minimizing waste.

What to do?	How to do it?
Identify current waste generation streams	• Observe what type and amount of waste is being generated in the organisation
Set actions and priorities for minimizing waste	• Analyse where waste can be avoided and plan how to achieve it (e.g., by repairing or donating old IT equipment, mainstreaming digital communication and document administration, organising zero- waste events) • Where it is impossible to avoid waste, ensure proper sorting (e.g., separate food, packaging waste collection) • Implement awareness- raising measures for staff to align their behavior (e.g., inform staff about the environmental impacts of unnecessary printing, promote sharing of office supplies)

Carbon Emissions from Transportation

Employee commuting, business travel, and service delivery can lead to significant carbon emissions. Even virtual service providers may have staff commuting or occasional travel needs. Encouraging remote work, virtual meetings, and the use of low-emission transport options can help mitigate this impact.

What to do?	How to do it?
Identify current travel patterns and carbon emissions	• Collect data on employee travelling habits (incl., distances, types of transportation used, frequency) and estimate related carbon emissions (free basic calculators are available on the internet) • Identify which type of travelling generates most emissions • Estimate the significance of travel and delivery emissions from your external services
Set actions and priorities for sustainable traveling promotion	• Set hybrid or remote work alternatives for employees to reduce their travelling* • Create incentives or promoting environment for low-emission travelling among employees (e.g., set up bike parking, support carpooling) • Establish business travel guidelines with low-emission priorities for staff (e.g., set priority for public transport, alternatives to flying, provide information how staff can evaluate traveling impacts themselves) • Choose service providers with more sustainable transportation options (e.g., shipping companies using electrical cars)

*NOTE: Hybrid and remote work options require deeper evaluation of their environmental impacts. Even though such work options generate less emissions from travelling, overall energy consumption might increase due to employees’ activities at home (e.g., using inefficient lighting, sending more e-mails) and material footprint can increase due to the need for additional equipment (e.g., by setting up a work space at home). Carefully consider these aspects to avoid achieving false gains (e.g., claiming energy savings in the office due to remote working and ignoring the fact that the additional energy was used at the employee’s home).

Procurement and Supply Chain Impact

Organisations rely on a variety of suppliers for products (e.g., office supplies, equipment) and services that are necessary for their operation. If these suppliers follow unsustainable practices, such as excessive packaging or harmful production methods, it indirectly contributes to environmental degradation. Sourcing from eco-friendly, ethical suppliers can help reduce a company’s indirect environmental impact.

What to do?	How to do it?
Identify current supply chain impacts and procurement practices	• Collect data from your key supply chains and estimate their possible environmental impacts (e.g., from long transportation, use of harmful chemicals, excessive packaging) • Identify what type of environmental priorities (e.g., reducing waste and travelling, opting for services instead of goods) or certifications (e.g. eco-labels) could be set for different suppliers
Set actions and priorities for sustainable procurement implementation	• Investigate more sustainable product or service supplier alternatives that are available on the market • Integrate sustainability priorities into existing procurement strategies and practices (e.g., by defining the requirement for suppliers to have environmental certifications)

Digital performance categories

Digital Tools & Automation

The use of digital tools and automation affects how efficiently the organisation operates. This includes software for project management, scheduling, data and customer relationship management (CRM), invoicing and other core management functions. Organisations that effectively implement and integrate digital tools can streamline processes, reduce manual work, and increase productivity. Automation reduces human error and allows teams to focus on high-value tasks.

What to do?	How to do it?
Identify currently used digital tools and you’re the level of automated processes	• Review all the processes in the organisation and identify which parts have already been digitised, mark how these processes are connected with each other digitally
Set actions and priorities for effective use of digital tools and automation	• Determine for which processes digitisation solutions widely exist on the market, aim to install commonly used digital tools and systems (e.g., for project management, communication) • Look for digital tool and system integration opportunities (e.g., by installing software with several process functions, data sharing functions) • Upgrade obsolete and inefficient digital tools • Track digitalized process and evaluate their efficiency (e.g., by analysing task completion time, error rates)

Digital Customer Experience

The quality of the organisation’s digital presence is important in driving customer engagement and satisfaction. Factors like easy inquiry processes, quick response times on digital channels, mobile compatibility, and an intuitive user experience all contribute to a positive impression. A smooth, user-friendly digital experience not only helps retain existing customers but also attracts new ones. For service-oriented companies, it is essential to ensure that digital platforms are fast, device-friendly, and easy to navigate.

What to do?	How to do it?
Identify current digital customer experience	• Collect data from customers about their digital experience using your different services (e.g., by carrying out our surveys)
Set actions and priorities for more engaging and easy digital customer experience	• Address key problems that your customers currently face and update your digital services accordingly • Set up regular customer feedback collection channels (e.g., by integrating evaluations on your website, sending survey e-mails) and act according to insights gained • Explore current trends and standards of more engaging and user-friendly digital tools, apply these practices in your own services and platforms

Data Management & Security

Proper management and protection of digital data are vital for trust and compliance. This includes handling customer information, transaction data, and internal operations securely, as well as ensuring compliance with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR). Efficient data management improves decision-making and customer trust. Implementing secure storage solutions, backup systems, and encryption practices can protect against data breaches and downtime.

What to do?	How to do it?
Identify current set up of data management and security operations	• Conduct data inventory and review data security ensuring policies and procedures • Identify potential vulnerabilities and threats to data security
Set actions and priorities for secure data management	• Implement data access controls (e.g., by assigning data access based on job roles and responsibilities) • Implement two-factor authentication for accessing sensitive and critical data • Set up and test automatic data recovery, regularly check for any vulnerabilities, create and implement data recovery plan in case of emergencies • Implement data management and security training for staff, address key gaps in their knowledge and practices • Investigate whenever your current cybersecurity measures and up to date, maintain regular upgrades

Digital Skills & Training

Digital skills of employees directly affect how well digital tools are used and how smoothly digital transitions occur. If staff lack the necessary skills to leverage technology effectively, it can slow down the operations and create inefficiencies. Regular digital skills training and support for employees are essential. Ensuring the team is well-versed in using current tools and platforms improves overall productivity and readiness to adapt to new digital advancements.

What to do?	How to do it?
Identify current level of employees’ digital skills	• Collect insights regarding employees’ level of digital skills, identify gaps in their capabilities of using different digital tools
Set actions and priorities for improving and maintaining sufficient level of employee’s digital skills	• Define necessary knowledge and skills that need to be improved among the staff • Organise regular training and workshops to strengthen current digital skills (e.g., training on particular software) and to build future- oriented capabilities (e.g., by organising upskilling training for working with AI)

Evaluation and monitoring

After identifying key areas of actions and their implementation steps, it is crucial to set the indicators that will help your organisation track the progress and evaluate the improvement. Here are a few suggestions on how to structure your evaluation and monitoring activity:

Area	KPIs	Data collection methods	Data collection frequency
ENVIRONMENTAL	Reduction in energy use	Utility bills	Quarterly
	Share of renewable energy used	Utility bills, contracts with energy suppliers	Annually
	Reduction in in waste generation	Observation, employee survey	Quarterly to semi-annually
	Reduction in employee travel	Employee survey	Quarterly
	Increased environmental awareness and behaviour change of the employees	Employee survey	Semi-annually
	Share of implemented sustainable procurement	Contracts with suppliers, procurement plans	Annually
DIGITAL	Share of automated and digitalized core processes	Observation, digital workflow or process management software	Quarterly to semi-annually
	Reduction in manual errors as a result of automation	Task management software, error and correction log	Monthly to quarterly
	Customer satisfaction of digital services rate	Customer survey	Semi-annually to annually
	Number of data breaches or attempted breaches	Security monitoring software, incident reports from security tools	Monthly
	Regularity of data backups and percentage of successful backup recoveries	Backup software logs	Monthly
	Increased or attained digital skills among employees	Employee survey	Semi-annually

Depending on the size of the organisation, the type of activity, the infrastructure and other elements, these monitoring indicators may vary. Adapt them to your needs, while maintaining the essential goal of linking the indicators to planned actions for you to be able to monitor changes and progress. These indicators can also serve as a basis for a more detailed assessment of the organisation, e.g. by integrating them into broader sustainability or digitisation agendas.

By reaching this point, you are all set to create the Action plan that will address necessary improvements for your organisation’s Twin transition. Come back to the proposed Action plan framework with key insights gained and create your own organisational agenda. In case your organisation already has a similar framework – update it with new ideas and actions.

Do not forget to allocate necessary resources that will be needed to implement each of the action(s) (incl., time, human, financial and other resources). Based on resource intensity, prioritize actions that can be implemented immediately and after some time. Also make sure to align this action plan with organisation’s management teams and ensure that all employees are aware of the changes.

Below you will find other tools and resources that can support specific action setting, investigation and implementation.

Digitalization Strategy Model