Abstract
Companies have made considerable progress in assessing the sustainability of their processes and products, including the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. However, it is surprising that little attention has been given to the sustainability performance of software products. For this article, we chose a case study approach to explore the extent, to which software manufacturers have considered sustainability criteria for their products. We selected a manufacturer of sustainability management software on the assumption that they would be more likely to integrate elements of sustainability performance in their products. In the case study, we applied a previously developed set of criteria for sustainable software (SCSS) using a questionnaire and experiments, to assess a web-based sustainability management software product regarding its sustainability performance. The assessment finds that despite a sustainability conscious manufacturer, a systematic assessment of sustainability regarding software products is missing in the case study. This implies that sustainability assessment for software products is still novel, corresponding knowledge is missing and suitable tools are not yet being widely applied in the industry. The SCSS presents a suitable approach to close this gap, but it does require further refinement, for example regarding its applicability to web-based software on external servers.
Highlights
Introduction and MotivationCompanies in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector increasingly consider sustainability issues in the way they conduct business [1,2,3]
The application of the set of criteria for sustainable software (SCSS) to the case of WeSustain GmbH and its Enterprise Sustainability Management (ESM) software reveals that the sustainability management software itself has not been systematically assessed with regards to its sustainability performance
Sustainability management software can be seen as a facilitator to more sustainable behavior, but it can be seen as an example for sustainability efforts by being sustainable itself
Summary
Companies in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector increasingly consider sustainability issues in the way they conduct business [1,2,3]. Relevant topics include the effects of ICT throughout the life-cycle and supply chain of products and services [1,3,5], such as health and safety as well as energy issues. Several analyses have investigated the effects that ICT has on society and the environment. In the life-cycle phases of manufacturing or recycling, ICT hardware poses a risk by exposing humans and the environment to toxic materials, e.g., e-waste [1,7,11]. Second order (indirect effects) are the result of the constant use of ICT services, including transparency and increase of speed. Third order ( indirect) effects are aggregated long-term outcomes of using ICT. Yi and Thomas [12] summarized
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