SETLabs Briefings VOL 9 NO 1 2011
Green IT Maturity Model: How does your Organization Stack up? By Mitesh Desai and Vaibhav Bhatia
A maturity model to assess the green quotient is needed for an enterprise’s sustainable future
G
reen IT goals are part of every CIO’s charter today. But even when animated
Given the existing piecemeal demand, many service providers have developed similar
discussions on green IT happen at the strategic
silo-ed approach to green IT consulting. As the
level there are only a handful of companies
demand for green services are sector specific,
that know what green IT is all about or are
vendors offer specific services like green
able to help clients deliver on green IT goals.
data center, green user level computing, etc.
Most large organizations focusing on green
Though there are a few select vendors who
IT today have various internal teams working
cater to the entire gamut of green IT most of
on separate areas and each team looks into
them focus on specific areas. The other rising
how their efforts can be environment friendly.
concern is that there is no way to report the
In other words, the IT team works on ways
level of environmental maturity attained by
to make data centers consume less energy;
an organization to be made available and
facilities team concentrates on ways to make
transparent across all industries.
the facility greener; and the product engineering
This paper introduces a green IT
team focuses on making greener products.
maturity (GITM) model for assessment and
In doing so, all teams work toward the same
implementation of green IT services. This
goal, but in silos and are unaware of the efforts
model can be used to measure and grade
of each other. Often when some or all of such
an organization’s maturity in being green
green efforts are outsourced, only a part of an
and its efforts towards a greener future. The
organization’s efforts get outsourced as some
proposed model helps connect the standalone
team/unit may decide against outsourcing.
green efforts of various teams and provides
49
a transparent way to certify the maturity level attained by an organization vis-à-vis
Green IT Benefit Realization
environmental awareness and execution.
Questionnaires, toolkits and templates for assessment
GREEN IT MATURITY MODEL GITM model focuses on IT functions of organizations irrespective of the industry domain. Even though the model does not intend to assess the maturity of corporate sustainability initiatives, individual functions
Data Center
EUC
Asset Lifecycle
ITSM
People Practices
Required Components for each Pillar
Expected Components for each Pillar
in an organization can use specific pillars of this model to assess greenness of services provided by the IT function to them. For example, finance function can use this model to assess green
Figure 1: Green IT Maturity Model Source: Infosys Research
IT maturity of their end user computing and people practices. GITM measures various aspects
Expected Components: These components
of an organization’s operations, behavior
describe what an organization may implement to
and achievements. In order to have a
achieve a goal and guide those who implement
comprehensive report, the model carefully
improvements. In addition to the pillars, the
analyzes various functions within the
model is supported by common guidelines.
organization and each unit of a function
Such guidelines consist of level progression
is independently surveyed and judged.
criteria and assessment methodology.
The units that are typically integrated in the
The green IT benefits contribute to
maturity model are -
the topmost layer of the framework [Fig. 1]. This layer helps organizations to identify
■
Data center and facilities
the value gained from implementing the
■ End user computing
recommendations identified after the maturity
■ Asset lifecycle
assessment. This framework aims at helping
■
the organizations measure timely return on
IT service management
■ People practices.
investment (RoI) on their green IT initiatives.
Each pillar contains two categories of model components:
UNDERSTANDING THE LEVELS Levels are used in GITM model to describe an evolutionary path recommended for an
Required Components: These components
organization that wants to reduce the carbon it
describe what an organization must achieve to
emits while providing services. GITM supports
satisfy a competence level. This achievement
two improvement paths using levels. One path
must be visibly implemented in an organization’s
enables organizations to gradually improve
IT. Required components in GITM model are the
processes corresponding to an individual pillar.
carbon reduction goals.
The other path enables organizations to improve
50
Maturity Level
Model Pillar
GITM MODEL PG 1
PG 2
PG 5
Competence Levels
Pillar 1 Competence
Figure 2: Competence Level Definition Source: Infosys Research
Pillar 2 Competence
Pillar 5 Competence
Figure 3: Maturity Level Definition Source: Infosys Research
overall GITM by addressing each of the pillars.
2. If condition 1 is satisfied, the green
These two improvement paths are associated
IT initiatives should have resulted
with two types of levels - competence levels and
in reduction of carbon emission by a
maturity levels. Regardless of the representation
percentage prescribed for a particular
selected, the concept of level remains the same.
maturity level.
Levels characterize improvement from an environmentally ignorant state to a state that
Let us assume that an organization
uses quantitative information to determine and
has implemented virtualization solution for
manage improvements that are needed to meet
its data centers. Virtualized infrastructure
an organization’s green IT objectives.
indicates possibility of the organization being
To reach a particular competence level,
at competence Level 3 for the data center pillar.
an organization must satisfy the relevant goal
However, if the organization is at competence
for the pillar in scope. However, to reach a
Level 1 for people practices then organization’s
particular maturity level, an organization must
overall green IT maturity would be at Level 1.
satisfy the relevant goals for all the five pillars.
This condition emphasizes the importance of a
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the structures for
holistic approach towards green IT that results
competence level and maturity level.
in a positive environment in addition to cost
The maturity level of an organization’s
savings.
green IT approach is a function of competence levels achieved by the organization for each pillar
Level 5 - Sustainable
[Fig. 2]. There are two conditions that an
At Level 5, information technology is expected
organization must satisfy to achieve a specific
to assist business in reducing business carbon
maturity level.
footprint. The initiatives can involve assessing
1. The organization has a uniform
business processes and automating manual,
competence level across the pillars.
paper-intensive activities.
51
Level 4 - Dynamic
PILLARS OF THE MATURITY MODEL
At Level 4, the IT organization is close to carbon
The competence levels for the maturity model
neutrality. Green IT results are reported to
pillars are listed in this section.
external stakeholders through organizational or IT sustainability reports.
Data Center and Facilities Pillar Data center and facilities are the biggest
Level 3 - Optimized
contributors of green IT. In order to tap their high
At Level 3, carbon emission from IT components is
potential following levels have been defined:
reduced by at least 50%. The IT organization will also have a dedicated green IT governing
DFG 5: Building Sustainable Infrastructure
body to ensure ongoing reduction of
through Innovative Practices: Data center power is
environmental impact of IT.
obtained from renewable sources of energy. Infrastructure is also self-healing and innovative
Level 2 - Monitored
solutions are deployed.
At Level 2, the IT organization measures environmental impact of IT components and
DFG 4: Utilizing Automation to Provision
An enterprise’s green maturity can be gauged in how it harnesses its data centers and infrastructure
would have implemented few initiatives
Infrastructure Components: All data center
resulting in reduction of carbon emission by 10%.
resources (power, cooling, IT) are dynamically allocated/de-allocated based on demand/
Level 1 - Deficient
supply. Sensor-based technology is utilized for
At Level 1, the organization is assessing the
dynamic cooling and lighting.
benefits from green IT initiatives but is yet to embark on a concrete sustainability journey.
DFG 3: Optimizing Infrastructure to Reduce
The competence level can be achieved by
Energy Consumption and Carbon Emission:
implementing required components mentioned
Utilization of resources is optimized by
in each pillar. The required components are
intelligent deployment of technologies like
named using the initial letters of the pillar name
virtualization and optimal placement of servers
appended by ‘G’ and a number specifying the
to manage cooling.
competence level addressed by the specified component. For example, DCG1 stands for Data
DFG 2: Monitoring Energy Consumption and
Center Goal for Competence Level 1.
Carbon Emission and Implementing Quick
52
Wins: Energy usage and heat dissipation of
assets, environment friendly procurement and
devices in data center is monitored closely
handling of assets when they turn into scrap.
and few corrective measures are taken. Also, business requirements of IT resources in
ALG 3: Spreading Awareness on Asset Lifecycle
a data center are tracked and corrective steps
Perspective among Relevant Stakeholders: Assess
are taken.
environmental impact of all phases of asset lifecycle and document them. Spread awareness
DFG 1: Implementing Fundamental Initiatives:
about the impacts among the asset management
There is little management of IT resources. Data
and procurement teams to ensure appropriate
center cooling is in adherence to the American
handling of assets.
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning (ASHRAE) standards. Manual
ALG 2: Understanding and Curtailing Impact of
efforts are made to monitor energy wastage.
Pre-use Phase of Asset’s Lifecycle on Environment: Optimize the asset refresh cycle and optimize the
Asset Lifecycle Pillar
procurement process to reduce environmental
One of the critical components of green IT is the
impact.
Managing asset lifecycle in an environment-friendly manner forms a key element of green IT initiative
management of asset lifecycle in environment
ALG 1: Introducing Energy Efficient Devices in the
friendly manner. Organizations need to consider
Environment: The organization emphasizes on
entire asset lifecycle to reap real benefits of
procurement of energy efficient devices while
green IT. Levels have been defined to help
procuring new devices.
organizations achieve efficiency in facilities: IT Service Management Pillar ALG 5: Enabling Sustainable Handling of Assets
Environment friendly business practices call for
beyond the Scope of IT Organization: Suppliers’
transformation in the way businesses operate.
business processes are certified for environment
Organization culture can be effectively altered
friendliness. The organization ensures that
by organizational processes. Following levels
vendors handle assets appropriately when they
have been identified to utilize IT management
turn into scrap.
processes for greener IT:
ALG 4: Optimizing Management of IT Assets:
ITG 5: Enabling Sustainable ITSM through
Policies have been formed for usage of IT
Innovative Practices: Service-based carbon
53
management is implemented by the IT
footprint (non-IT) through solutions like video
organization. Service improvement plans are
conferencing.
utilized for continual reduction in carbon emission of IT.
ECG 4: Utilizing Automation to Dynamically Provision Infrastructure Components: End
ITG 4: Dynamically Reporting on Green IT
user computing resources are provisioned
Adherence of ITSM processes: Green IT checkpoints
dynamically wherever possible through
in various ITSM processes are incorporated and
technologies like virtual desktop infrastructure.
adherence is measured at regular intervals for reporting to management.
ECG 3: Optimizing the Infrastructure to Reduce Energy Consumption and Carbon Emission: The
ITG 3: Implementing Governance Structure for
organization has optimized existing resources
Green IT and Increasing Utilization of Automation:
using technologies like centralized power
ITSM processes are automated using various
management and has introduced multi-function
software packages. Green IT metrics for ITSM
devices.
are incorporated in the tools. A green IT governance body is formed to ensure efficient
ECG 2: Monitoring Energy Consump tion and
implementation of green IT initiatives.
Carbon Emission and Implement Quick Wins: The organization monitors power consumption
ITG 2: Defining Green IT Metrics for ITSM
of end user computing devices continuously.
Processes: Organization has employed metrics
Also, quick wins like disabling screen savers,
to measure environmental impact of IT
sleep settings for monitors and CPUs have been
services. These metrics are reported to manage
implemented.
development of green IT strategy. ECG 1: Implement fundamental initiatives: The ITG 1: Automating Critical ITSM Processes:
organization has only implemented sharing
Only few ITSM processes are automated and
of printers, scanners and copier devices.
the processes do not have specific inputs for
The approximate ratio of user to device is 250:1.
green IT. People Practices Pillar End User Computing Pillar
People practice is one of the most important
End user computing devices currently
pillars of this model. Studies indicate that user
contribute substantially to IT carbon emission.
awareness can offer twice the energy savings
It is important for businesses to form effective
as compared to centralized power management
strategy to reduce workplace carbon emission.
solutions. To tap the high potential of people
Following levels have been identified to utilize
practices, the following levels have been
IT management processes for greener IT:
defined:
ECG 5: Building Sustainable Infrastructure through
PPG 5: Utilizing People Awareness to Spread
Innovative Practices: End user computing devices
Environmental Awareness in Other Functional
are efficiently used to reduce business carbon
Units or Outside Organization: Implement
54
initiatives to utilize employee awareness to spread awareness in other business functions or outside the organization. PPG 4: Aiding Proactive Green IT Initiatives by Employees: Help motivated employees to start environment related initiatives or include them in green IT governing body. PPG 3: Ensuring User Participation in Organization’s Environmental Initiatives:
Complexity of Implementation
Changing User Behavior
Data Center Facilities
End User Computing
Asset Lifecycle Management
Green ITSM Processes Green Contribution
Initiate various environment related initiatives in organization that are governed by the
Figure 4: Complexity-Contribution Matrix Source: Infosys Research
employees. PPG 2: Monitoring User Awareness through Multiple Channels: Monitor user awareness
action points into IT operational activities. On
through multiple channels like quizzes,
the other hand, organizations that have already
competitions and open forum of discussions.
started their green journey can use this model to streamline their approach to green IT.
PPG 1: Initiating User Awareness Campaign:
Effectiveness of a GITM model can be
Employees are reluctant to accept or understand
truly measured vis-Ă -vis three parameters -
environmental issues at this stage. Organization can communicate about internal initiatives and
Planet - where every business is socially and
their effects on environment.
environmentally conscious to some degree. But
Figure 4 shows the green contribution of the pillars discussed in this paper against their
unless these efforts are measured, they cannot be used for reporting, advertising, etc.
complexity of implementation. It is evident that data centers can contribute to green IT
Profit - where while going green reducing
program in a major way as they form the
operating expenditure has to be one of the
largest contributors to carbon emission and
primary goals. Green IT initiatives not only
energy consumption. However, changing user
help reduce energy consumption, they reduce
behavior is more difficult to achieve than a data
the total cost of ownership (TCO) of IT assets,
center transformation even though the green
data center space, etc.
contribution is lower compared to data center. People - where green IT initiatives create CONCLUSION
environment related awareness among
Organizations that are yet to embark on their
employees and among people at large.
journey of green computing can utilize the
To sum it up, GITM model goes beyond
guidance provided in this paper, right from
business benefits as it lays equal stress on
defining an IT strategy to incorporating green
environment and awareness.
55
REFERENCES
Data Center Temperature Requirements,
1. IT Infrastructure Library version 3.
ASHRAE Publications - Meeting Data
Available on http://www.itil-
Center Temperature Requirements.
officialsite.com/home/home.asp.
Available at http://www.ashrae.org/ docLib/20070425_Schmidt.pdf.
2. Capability Maturity Model, Software Engineering Institute. Available at
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/
5. Green IT for Dummies. Available at
http://www.hp.com/
hpinfo/globalcitizenship/
reports/93tr024.pdf. 3. The Green Grid. Available at http:// www.thegreengrid.org.
environment/productdesign/ GreenITforDummiesSpecialEdition. pdf.
4. Schmldt, R. (2005), Data Centers, Meeting
56
Authors’ Profile MITESH DESAI is a Senior Associate Consultant with the Infrastructure Transformation unit of Infosys. He an be reached at Mitesh_Desai@infosys.com.
VAIBHAV BHATIA is a Consultant with the Infrastructure Transformation unit of Infosys. He can be reached at Vaibhav_Bhatia@infosys.com.
For information on obtaining additional copies, reprinting or translating articles, and all other correspondence, please contact: Telephone: +91-40-67048455 Email: SetlabsBriefings@infosys.com
Š Infosys Technologies Limited, 2011 Infosys acknowledges the proprietary rights of the trademarks and product names of the other companies mentioned in this issue of SETLabs Briefings. The information provided in this document is intended for the sole use of the recipient and for educational purposes only. Infosys makes no express or implied warranties relating to the information contained in this document or to any derived results obtained by the recipient from the use of the information in the document. Infosys further does not guarantee the sequence, timeliness, accuracy or completeness of the information and will not be liable in any way to the recipient for any delays, inaccuracies, errors in, or omissions of, any of the information or in the transmission thereof, or for any damages arising there from. Opinions and forecasts constitute our judgment at the time of release and are subject to change without notice. This document does not contain information provided to us in confidence by our clients.