Nearly all IT decision-makers have implemented automation projects within the last two years while about half have executed three to four automation projects during that same period.

So finds a recent study that polled more than 1,200 IT decision-makers in the U.K., U.S., France, Germany and Japan earlier this year by intelligent automation firm Abbyy.

The reason behind IT and automation investment, according to respondents:

• 48% answered it was to better prepare for remote work;
• 47% said it would help prepare for hybrid work;
• 35% said it would help with employee burnout; and
• 20% said they were responding to pressure from employees to implement.

Expecting results

Rather than just an expense, organizations expect to see tangible returns on sustainability investments. When asked how soon those investments would drive better business results:

• 9% said they already do;
• 10% said they will within one year;
• 32% said they will within three years; and
• 32% said they will within five years.

Another 17% expect to see returns on sustainability investments in more than five years, according to the study.

Sustainability tops the issues list

Sustainability is now at the top of organizational challenges, including among financial services companies, but many firms aren’t ready to manage it.

Sustainability rose as the top priority issue for to 51% of survey respondents in 2022 from 32% of respondents in 2021, according to the 25th edition of the IBM C-suite study series. By comparison, cyber risk climbed to the top concern for 45% of respondents in 2022, up from 39% in 2021. The study interviewed 3,000 CEOs from more than 40 countries and 28 industries.

“The intensified focus on environmental issues, along with uncertainty and rising pressures, has pushed sustainability to the top of the CEO list of challenges,” the study reads.

When looking to green IT strategies, automation can be a key element, according to Forrester analyst Abhijit Sunil, who researches green and sustainable IT programs. Greater sustainability can also mean greater efficiency.

“With regards to green IT, it’s all about — essentially — optimization,” Sunil recently told Bank Automation News. “I often talk about how green IT is about being responsible for the planet, but the way to achieve that is by optimizing it as much as possible so that it consumes the least amount of resources and at the same time generates the least amount of waste.”

Just being environmentally conscious can affect the bottom line in terms of employee turnover. Seven in 10 employees say they are more likely to stay with an environmentally conscious employer, the IBM study cites.

Bank Automation Summit Fall 2022, taking place Sept. 19-20 in Seattle, is a crucial event on automation and automation technology in banking. Learn more and register for Bank Automation Summit Fall 2022.