Channel committed to sustainable change

Agilitas IT Solutions has launched its ‘CONNECT for a Sustainable Future’ report. This guide forms the latest instalment in the Agilitas’ IT Channel insight campaign, ‘CONNECT - Voice of the Channel’, which continues to provide actionable market insight in 2021.

The report, which explores the findings of the latest research commissioned by Agilitas, reveals that 84% of UK IT Channel Leaders are optimistic about adopting more eco-friendly processes throughout their supply chains now and in the future. Of this number, 54% showed significant confidence in these efforts, by scoring 8 and above on the barometer (where 10 is very optimistic).

In April 2021, Agilitas launched its latest ‘Channel Confidence Index: New Horizons’ which placed sustainability of high importance to today’s channel leaders, achieving a collective score of 7.8 out of 10. 

To understand the outlook on sustainability amongst IT Channel senior leaders, the guide discusses how changing business models, expanding propositions and ultimately transforming the industry can help channel firms survive and thrive, whilst making way for a more sustainable future. This research comes at a pivotal moment as the IT Channel and wider world looks towards post-COVID-19 and beyond.

This report revealed that sustainability is directly linked to building resilience amongst IT Channel leaders. When asked to identify which areas of their organisation they are implementing change in order to build resilience, 45% of respondents stated they had already begun driving their sustainability and circular economy efforts, with a further 40% committed to introducing them in the future.  

When investing in improving sustainability credentials in the coming months, Agilitas found that ‘born in the cloud’ providers were the most likely (41%), followed by distributors (40%) and security firms (38%). Only 3% of respondents did not believe that IT channel businesses would be making efforts to improve their current strategies in the next 12 months.  

The report also explains how it is the smaller, more agile companies who are mobilising sustainability initiatives the fastest, with 71% estimating between up to three months and a year. Meanwhile, industry giants staffing 250-500 employees (59%) forecasting it taking between up to three months and a year due to the size and complexity of their organisations.

“The implications of humans and technology is having a profound impact on the environment and planet - and now is the time for action. Our findings show that the IT Channel is responding to this necessary shift to build a greener future for the sector and across the world. From eco-friendly supply chain processes to building a culture of sustainability through workforce initiatives, IT Channel organisations must find ways to reduce waste and build a circular economy that maximises resources with efficiency and longevity. The optimism shown by channel firms leaders in their ability to make change rapidly is a huge vote of confidence for our industry, as sustainability becomes firmly ingrained in business strategies of the future,” commented Shaun Lynn, CEO of Agilitas.