A practical example
An application that recalculates the same report repeatedly may create avoidable work. Measure the workload, consider caching or scheduling, and compare the result under similar conditions. Include the effect on hardware and service requirements. Describe the measured improvement precisely rather than calling the entire product sustainable because one optimisation was made.
Measure software sustainability
| Focus | Practical approach | Check before proceeding |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Identify unnecessary computation and repeated work. | Measure the workload before and after a change. |
| Hardware | Use capacity efficiently and consider equipment lifespan. | Moving work elsewhere does not automatically remove its impact. |
| Carbon | Consider when and where electricity is consumed. | Distinguish measured results from broad environmental claims. |
Can moving an application to the cloud prove it is greener?
No. Environmental impact depends on workload, efficiency, hardware and electricity, among other factors. Use an appropriate measurement boundary and avoid unsupported comparisons.
Useful next steps
For a related perspective, read Using IoT Data in Marketing: Purpose, Context and Privacy, Immersive Product Experiences: When Metaverse Features Help, Edge Computing: Decide What Should Run Near the Device.
If you need help applying this to your business, explore our business automation services or discuss your project.
Sources and further reading
By Tech Me Today. Originally published November 17, 2023. Expanded on .
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