Driving Sustainability through Innovations
Technological innovations help to master the ecological, economic and social challenges of our time and contribute to sustainable and rewarding change of businesses.
NTT DATA Business Solutions
Why Conducting Business in a Sustainable Manner Becomes a Competitive Advantage
Sustainability plays a fundamental role in the orientation of all business activities and is crucial for the long-term economic success of many small and medium-sized enterprises. For some time now, customers and clients, business partners and the general public have no longer been interested merely in the pure profitability of a business, but rather in companies whose focus is on resilience, quality and sustainability. Thus, companies that do not specifically focus on sustainability may have difficulties in the long run securing financing and competing against their competitors.
Also investors and rating agencies are looking beyond merely financial data and including environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in their assessments. According to the ‘2021 CEO Outlook’ by KPMG already 58 percent of global CEOs are seeing increased demands from their stakeholders – such as investors, regulators and customers – for increased reporting and transparency on ESG issues. KPMG’s survey of 1,325 international leaders of major organizations from 11 key markets and 11 key industry sectors opens up further forward-looking insights:
75%
say that their digital and ESG investments are inextricably linked.
30%
plan to invest more than 10% of their revenues in becoming more sustainable.
52%
at high-growth organizations believe that their ESG programs improve financial performance.
Together with well-known partners and research institutions in our region, we are involved in initiatives and research projects for sustainable and practice-oriented solutions for climate protection. The continuous commitment to sustainability and related investments are already an established part of our corporate strategy.
Nobert Rotter, CEO at NTT DATA Business Solutions AG
The Role of IT in Sustainability – Change through Innovation
The IT sector is a driver of innovation and one of the key industries that will be actively engaged in the change towards a more sustainable and equitable future. Innovative technologies enable the analysis and forecasting of business activities and their impact on our environment. Increased transparency allows for more efficient processes and enables systems to be optimized, which in turn reduces waste and saves energy.
On Sustainable Paths for Long-term Business Success
NTT DATA Business Solutions is a global player in the IT industry – therefore we see it as our responsibility to leverage the possibilities and opportunities offered by our business portfolio to make a positive contribution to the environment, society and the economy.
As an SAP® Platinum Partner, we maintain a close partnership with SAP and therefore have access to their broad innovative sustainability portfolio. With this, our tailor-made add-ons and services we build the foundation for more sustainable business and entrepreneurship of our customers, which meets the society’s current and future sustainability requirements. Thereby we reconcile sustainability and profitability in a targeted manner and want to fully exploit the existing synergies and business potential.
Sustainability & Innovation: our customer and research projects
Projects with Positive Impact
Reducing CO2 and particle emissions from transportation with RGS Nordic
RGS Nordic handles enormous amounts of waste, soil and debris from building and construction sites. It cleans the materials, which are then re- or upcycled in other building or construction projects. RGS Nordic was worried about the many empty trucks/lorries arriving at or leaving their sites every day. Independent transportation providers would either unload materials at an RGS Nordic site or arrive to pick up recycled materials but most often driving empty either coming or going. This is wasteful both in terms of CO2 emissions but also a health issue with particle emissions from unnecessary “empty kilometers”.
NTT DATA Business Solutions developed a POC with RGS Nordic, which uses blockchain and AI to ensure that when a truck arrives with waste, soil or debris at an RGS Nordic site, it is matched with an outgoing order. This means a better fuel economy and optimized order schedules for the transportation providers.
Smart Island Rømø Showcases the Future of Holidays
Digitalizing sustainable tourism – in collaboration with Copenhagen Business School and Aalborg University, we have taken on the digitalization of the entire island of Rømø, Denmark. As the island is primarily a popular holiday destination, the objective of the project was to optimize processes for tourists. For example, to reduce waiting times in restaurants or retail outlets, to avoid traffic jams and to make the island’s water and energy supply more effective and sustainable. With cloud-based data collection and evaluation, we have helped tourism across the island to now function much more efficiently.
Projects with Positive Impact on Circular Economy
Intelligent Automation in the Food Industry
Where food meets IT – bringing together expertise to realize new digital concepts in the consumer goods industry. As part of the ‘smartFoodTechnologyOWL’ innovation alliance of the OWL University of Applied Sciences, we are working with over 40 other partners from industry, research and politics to develop innovative solutions for key future tasks in the food industry. In a joint cooperation project with the participation of Dr. August Oetker KG applied digitization and IoT technologies are being used to create virtual images of exemplary food products that open up new avenues for competitive and resource-saving production.
Our Head of COE Consumer Products, Walioullah Ali, together with Christian Fretter, Head of R&D at Dr. August Oetker Nahrungsmittel KG, give insights into the project and the benefits of working together:
Digital Innovation Is Key to Achieving Sustainability Goals
69% of firms view digital innovation as key to achieve their sustainability goals. The top 3 technologies to achieve those goals are: Cloud, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.
NTT Ltd., Innovating for a Sustainable Future, 2022
Top Innovations and Technologies to Drive Sustainability
Innovations are increasingly being created with the intention of becoming more sustainable. Whether optimizing resource efficiency or balancing economic and ecological aspects - sustainable management holds massive potential for companies.
Cloud and Platform
Cloud computing has become a norm in corporate IT. NTT DATA Business Solutions is your partner in cloud technology and presents current trends.
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation, and Conversational AI will change your business. Discover more about Artificial Intelligence Technology.
We Are the Partner by Your Side in the Sustainability Transformation
Thanks to NTT DATA Business Solutions’ close partnership with SAP®, our specialists can use and functionally supplement SAP solutions around ‘SAP Cloud for Sustainable Enterprises’. The innovative SAP sustainability portfolio meets the current sustainability requirements of both society and our clients’ capabilities and thus forms the foundation for more sustainable business and entrepreneurship. However, the right software is only part of the change towards a more sustainable business. With our SAP expertise within the NTT DATA Group, complementary add-ons, individual services and our transformation expertise, we accompany you on your personal path to more sustainable business processes.
Have You already Identified a Sustainability Strategy and Initial Fields of Action?
We support you with our SAP portfolio and innovative technologies to implement the defined measures.
SAP S/4HANA
You are looking for SAP S/4HANA, but need help with the implementation? With us, your SAP S/4HANA transformation is completed in no time.
SAP Analytics Cloud
SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) is the simple cloud solutions that combines business intelligence, predictive analytics, and planning functions.
Cloud and Platform
Cloud computing has become a norm in corporate IT. NTT DATA Business Solutions is your partner in cloud technology and presents current trends.
SAP Ariba
Streamline and simplify all procurement and spend processes with SAP Ariba, from source to pay, on a single, integrated cloud platform.
SAP Concur
By providing a single integrated end-to-end travel and expense management solution, businesses can significantly reduce costs, save time and benefit from process efficiencies when compared to the traditional approach of addressing each business function separately.
SAP SuccessFactors
Improve talent management and employee engagement with SAP SuccessFactors, a cloud-based HCM software. Leverage the suite for your entire HR processes – from recruitment, through core payroll, to learning and development solutions.
How Do We Live Sustainability Ourselves?
At NTT DATA Business Solutions, sustainability is one of our most important long-term corporate goals. For example, as an active steering member of the Green Software Foundation, we are committed to continuous emissions reduction within the information and communications technology (ICT) industry.
To create new paradigms and values that can contribute to a more prosperous and harmonious society, we support the United Nations’ (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for achieving lasting sustainable development. We do this by targeting global societal issues through our own business activities. In addition, we focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects to further drive sustainable growth for our customers and clients and for ourselves.
Corporate Social Responsibility at NTT DATA Business Solutions
At NTT DATA Business Solutions, ecological, economic and social awareness and action does not start with the customer, but directly with us in the company. Find out how we live sustainability and corporate social responsibility in our company!
Sustainability in the NTT DATA Group
Company Brochure
NTT DATA Sustainability Report 2022/2023
This report aims to give our customers, employees, partners and suppliers as well as interested members of the public a first insight into our approach to sustainability in the company and in our supply chain.
Our Experts about the Sustainability Transformation in the CXO Magazine
In the fight against climate change, a rapid shift to sustainable business models is imperative. However, such a transformation does not only bring more sustainability for the environment, but also for your company: Benefits include increased efficiency and resilience, reduced organizational risk and an expansion of business opportunities and potential. Sustainability therefore does not exclude business growth, but actually stimulates it. Read our experts’ articles in ‘The Sustainability Transformation’ by NTT DATA’s CXO magazine:
- Achieving Sustainable Growth By Attracting Young Talent by Selin Bakaçhan
- How Businesses Can Serve the Greater Good by Sergio Oliveira
- Seven Tools for Sustainability Success by Kristoffer Nilaus Tarp
- Sustainable Public Places and Infrastructures for a Greener Future by Thomas Kierkgaard
- Think Bigger When It Comes to Your Carbon Footprint by Dries Guth and Paul Dietrich
Going Green with Technologies for Long-Term Business Success
Sustainability plays a fundamental role in the orientation of all business activities and is crucial for the long-term economic success. Start the green transformation towards a more sustainable business together with us.
Just contact us – our experts will be glad to help you!
Projects with Positive Impact on Social Responsibility
Digital Avatars Support Pupils and Teachers
Virtual AI buddy helps kids learn to read – through AI technologies digital avatars can become real educational helpers: Learning to read through the personalized play-out of content and vocabulary and pronunciation and comprehension trained with a playful approach. Concurrent teachers can view the learning progress via a learning assistant dashboard. If the virtual assistant is used systematically, homeschooling costs can be halved and overall school costs reduced by 5%. Also, the lives of children, teachers and parents worldwide can be positively impacted.
The “AI Learning Helper” is the result of an international collaboration between NTT DATA Business Solutions Denmark, NTT DATA UK and NTT DATA Romania and was recently awarded with the “SAP Innovation Award 2022“.
more about our virtual ai buddy
The FarmBot-Network Turns Urban Land into Agricultural Land
Re-thinking the agriculture of tomorrow – back in 2017, we developed an innovative concept for combating against future food shortages and nutritional instability in the course of the NTT DATA Hackathon. The core idea is to increase the efficiency and productivity of smart agricultural robots, so-called FarmBots, by means of networking via a smart farming platform and the use of innovative technologies such as AI, IoT or blockchain. In view of climate change, the growing world population and the trend towards urbanisation, the project received the First Prize of the NTT Group Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conference in 2019.
More about the farmbot-network
Optimization of Medical Supply Chains to Improve and Save People’s Lives
Innovative IT soar to new heights – the start-up Wingcopter, which was already named a technology pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2020, focuses on optimizing supply chains of medical goods. Their future plans include the delivery of packages, tools and spare parts, and food and groceries. Wingcopter pursues an emerging business model and has to meet complex requirements regarding the production process. In the successful collaboration, we have built an intelligent SAP cloud ERP landscape with ‘RISE with SAP’, which gives the innovative start-up a boost for its business processes.
AI Makes Telephone Care for Danish Children more Efficient
A virtual assistant supports Børns Vilkår – the Danish children’s aid organization Børns Vilkår communicates with children seeking help not only via telephone calls, but also via SMS and chat. A virtual assistant, developed by NTT DATA Business Solutions Denmark, supports the Børns Vilkår team and continuously learns to better understand the language of children and young people. The AI-based solution helps more than 500 volunteer counselors who receive more than 220,000 calls from children in Denmark every year. As a result, the number of enquiries handled has been significantly increased.