FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — A recent survey by IDC finds that even the smallest businesses are starting to take green initiatives to heart, especially when it comes to adopting IT applications that will make it easier to reduce the environmental impact of their supply chains.
The survey, which is part of
a larger report from IDC called the AppStat Survey, asked 250 decision-makers at small- to medium-sized businesses about what software applications their companies are using to gauge, analyze and improve their operations, and found that U.S. manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of all sizes are taking the most innovative technologies on board to achieve results.
"While the social responsibility for establishing green initiatives is now generally regarded as the norm for European companies, U.S. firms have been slow to embrace the technologies that would support this effort," Judy Hodges, the manager of IDC's Small and Medium Business Markets: Enterprise Applications research service, explained in a statement, adding that the survey found a shifting of that trend.
The report identifies 4 types of applications that business managers are using to improve the efficiency of their operations: manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, apps to enhance mobile working, and HR programs for hiring and training experience green employees.
More information about IDC's report: "AppStat Survey: Growing Movement Toward Green IT at Small and Midsize Manufacturers, Wholesalers, and Distributors in the United States" is available at
http://idc.com.
