BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS , UNITED STATES , February 15, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, Sustainability and ESG solution provider, Sustaira releases an insightful evaluation framework for ESG & Sustainability Software, consisting of 60+ criteria. With a growing demand for organizations to aggregate, track, measure, and disclose ESG and Sustainability data, combined with the challenges of doing so, organizations are seeking guidance on where to start. To enable Sustainability, ESG, Finance and IT leaders to make an informed decision on which software and platform to adopt for their Sustainability and ESG needs, Sustaira shares the common Evaluation Criteria that are considered and is guiding organizations through how to look at the ESG domain challenges and what to look for in solutions, going beyond software.

Outlined by analyst firm Gartner and Forrester, companies will need to focus on Sustainability and ESG in 2023 and beyond. Business leaders are becoming aware of their duty to meet Sustainability and ESG goals and intertwine those goals with software. This is highlighted by advisory firm Verdantix, predicting that 2023 will see increased maturity in corporates’ commitment to ESG and sustainability, with expanding budgets for ESG and sustainability services and software. Organizations in every industry, at every size, must comply with changing regulatory requirements, prompting them to move away from the traditional, error-prone, spreadsheet-based approach. This is a growing pressure from the changing regulatory ESG disclosure requirements, such as the SEC regulations, TCFD, ISSB, CSRD, GRI, CDP, and more. Environmental impact is now one of the top three concerns for investors, following profit and revenue.

The core challenge for many organizations to comply with these rapidly growing regulations and stakeholders’ requirements, is that their ESG and sustainability data is siloed and disparate, both internally and externally. This results in manual, error prone processes, thus leading to inefficient reporting and disclosures. These challenges compound into an inability to gather real time ESG insights, turn data into measurable actions, and demonstrate positive impact.

As a result, the need for agile ESG software in this domain is rapidly accelerating and organizations are left with a decision to make. To help address this, Sustaira has released a valuable ESG & Sustainability Software Evaluation Criteria based on hundreds of conversations with ESG and Sustainability leaders, research published by analysts Gartner, Forrester and Verdantix, a powerful network of ESG and Sustainability consultants, direct customer experiences, and expertise in (low-code) software solutions. Sustaira also released a comprehensive evaluation guide of Sustaira's capabilities based on this ESG Evaluation Criteria Framework. More in depth information is provided and can be found here: https://www.sustaira.com/evaluation-criteria-framework-for-esg-sustainability-software

Sustaira has segmented the evaluation criteria into three main groups that consist of various subcategories. Those main groups are:
Functional Criteria and Capabilities
Technical Criteria and Capabilities
Organizational Criteria and Capabilities

Functional Criteria and Capabilities are the considerations an organization makes regarding features and functionality in the ESG solution itself. This includes topics such as ESG Goals & KPI Tracking, carbon accounting methodologies and calculations, dashboard and visualizations, (Co)creation of completely new ESG apps, including Excel migrations, and many more. The evaluation framework includes Functional criteria and capability considerations in the following subcategories:
Rich ESG Portfolio with single views
ESG Program Management
ESG Data acquisition / aggregation
Functional (co)creation & customization flexibility
ESG Actions, Results and Rewards
ESG Reporting

Technical criteria and capabilities are considerations regarding technical specifications within the solution itself. This includes topics such as integration capabilities, tiered user access, integration and architecture, and more! The evaluation framework includes Technical criteria and capability considerations in the following subcategories:
Integration / Openness of ESG Platform
Customization Capabilities and Agility
Internationalization
Reusability
Security & Compliance
Deployment and Architecture Flexibility

Organizational criteria and capabilities are considerations regarding the solution provider and its ecosystem. Considerations such as market approach, certifications, pricing and product vision are all included. The evaluation framework includes Organizational criteria and capability considerations in the following subcategories:
Enablement and Support Model
Does the solution and company have a partner network? Is it global?
How will a user adopt the solution and what best practices do they offer to succeed?
Futureproof
How open is the platform in terms of costs and capabilities? Can you extend the platform and export?
How does the solution implementation process work?

These evaluation criteria are essential to making an informed decision and a key tool to use when evaluating and comparing solutions. Not only will users need to consider what features and functionalities are required versus nice-to-have for their purposes, but also technically how this solution will fit their existing and future IT landscape. Lastly, when adopting a new solution, users also embark on a journey with their provider. Making sure the organization offers support, flexibility, and stability, ensures that your adoption will be beneficial for both parties.

For those wanting to join the journey with Sustaira or learn more, be sure to download Sustaira’s Evaluation Criteria Framework for ESG & Sustainability Software at this link: https://www.sustaira.com/download-esg-software-evaluation-criteria This framework is an easy to use checklist that organizations can reference to do comparisons. Another way to get started is through the comprehensive evaluation guide of Sustaira's capabilities based on this ESG Evaluation Criteria Framework. That can be found here: https://www.sustaira.com/sustaira-esg-sustainability-software-evaluation-guide If you have an interest in one of our ESG app templates or have ideas for new initiatives, please contact us directly.

About Sustaira

Sustaira is the Sustainability & ESG Software Platform for all your web and mobile solutions. Imagine a world where cutting edge technology and Sustainability domain expertise are combined. At its core, Sustaira offers the all-in-one Sustainability App platform, app templates, and custom web and mobile initiatives. This technology is then paired with low-code App delivery and implementation services. Lastly, organizations have the option through a Sustaira’s ecosystem and network for Sustainability and ESG Consulting. Sustaira is going beyond goal setting, data gathering and reporting. Sustaira makes it actionable, accountable, scalable, and rewarding. As a 360-degree software platform, Sustaira is on a mission to accelerate Sustainability and ESG initiatives by enabling and empowering Sustainability Directors to make their organizations more Sustainable. Faster. Sustainability starts with Sustaira.

Maggie Burnham
Sustaira
+1 720-384-5762
maggieburnham@sustaira.com
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