IT maintenance specialist Smart CT trials drone deliveries as it sets course for Net Zero
IT MAINTENANCE expert Smart CT is trialling drone deliveries of equipment to customers as part of its drive to greater sustainability.
CEO Andy Morgan said the successful trial, which saw technology devices delivered to a nearby customer from a drone, is being assessed before further trials.
The Reading company provides parts and engineers to maintain, install, replace and repair business-critical IT infrastructure on behalf of IT suppliers who support an extensive range of organisations – from household brands to industrial businesses – in need of connected devices, including networking, servers and other workplace technology.
“From day one we’ve been trying to identify ways we can become more sustainable,” he said. “The drone delivery is just one of those ways because it is not only a more direct means of getting parts to our customers quickly, but it also reduces emissions, fuel consumption and pressure on our road network.
“We learned some important lessons from the trial and we’ll be looking more closely at how we can take this to the next level.”
He said it is just one of many ways in which Smart CT, which was the subject of a management buyout two years ago, is working towards Net Zero by 2045 – five years ahead of the government’s target. During the management buyout due diligence in January 2022 Mr Morgan commission an independent environment, social and governance report to rate its commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. A follow-up report was carried out last year and Smart CT’s score rose from 34 per cent to 63 per cent. At the current rate of improvement, the company’s score predicted to 71 per cent this year.
Among the measures adopted by the company was the appointment of an ESG manager and an environmental manager who introduced tracking of waste reduction, energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, staff training to encourage sustainable practices, a review of waste management and working with customers to understand Smart CT’s impact on their sustainability.
The reviewer applauded the company’s work, saying: “This represents the ESG journey in terms of fully integrating ESG into the corporate strategy through regular engagement with all key stakeholders.”
Mr Morgan said: “We decided to take more action two years ago to make ESG a big part of our culture. We asked our staff what they felt and one of the areas they came up with was around our sustainability.
“That showed me that we have got the appetite for change among our staff and management so we are able to make it a central part of our culture and part of our business. We know it’s important for our customers so we’ve commenced the journey.
“We are in the early stages but the latest ESG report shows we’ve doubled our score, which is just fantastic and all credit to the team for doing that. We’ve got some way to go but we’ve still got the appetite with people who are very passionate about enhancing our business.”
He said the company has also been engaging with customers through its satisfaction surveys about their attitudes to sustainability.
“We want to get their feedback because ultimately, the customer is why we operate and what they think is very important. That’s opened up new dialogues about how they’re doing with regard to sustainability, and it’s almost a cross exchange of ideas, which is great. It’s great feedback for us as we evolve our business.”
Find out more about the company’s services and read its latest ESG impact report at smartct.com.
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Pictured: Smart CT engineers carrying out the first test of the company’s drone delivery service from its headquarters in Reading
