Whether your company is internally driven to implement sustainability initiatives or such efforts are externally driven by your customers, a new independent research report by Waukesha's Environmental Systems Inc. helps executives responsible for financial and operational performance sort through sustainability information, understand trends and visualize what is possible.

“Companies of all sizes and types are looking for ways to control operating costs, including energy, personnel, facility and maintenance,” says Paul Oswald, president of ESI. “The good news is that the benefits derived from reducing operating costs have a direct positive impact on creating a more sustainable business.”

The purpose of the study was to identify and analyze the key trends shaping the Building Automation Systems (BAS) industry. It found three major trends in the BAS industry: An increasing focus on innovation and integration; a greater convergence of information technology and BAS; and a continuing, growing interest in effective energy management.

“The difficulty for many businesses is a lack of understanding in how to get started on a path to reduce costs and improve sustainability,” Oswald says. “Making sense of it all and determining what is relevant to reducing costs are not easy tasks.”

A recent study from Moskowitz Jacobs, Inc., a White Plains, N.Y.-based strategic brand development firm, shows that executives are exploring sustainability issues and their companies do have room for improvement. In interviews conducted with 450 CEOs, CFOs and senior management, the study found that:

• 87 percent have room to improve on energy management;

• 74 percent do not have a handle on energy cost;

• 59 percent are not well-positioned in house to control energy and improve operational efficiency; and

• 49 percent are seeking ways to optimize energy usage.

A PDF of the full report from Environmental Systems Inc. in Waukesha can be downloaded here or by visiting www.thinkesi.com.