Wipro Technologies - Case Study Example

Wipro Technologies: Case Study Questions Questions/Answers: Case Study Questions 1. Various green initiatives undertaken by Wipro Wipro consolidated and virtualised its computing systems so as to reduce the level of power use in its data centre. The space available in the data centre was optimised by consolidating servers for different applications, which helped to open space and optimise the company’s cooling needs. This is because by reducing the number of servers in the data centre, some space was left which was then used for the systems’ cooling needs. Wipro Technologies also started tackling its e-waste problem by obtaining ISO 14001 certification. It also initiated an e-waste disposal programme for its customers, which was called Green Computing, and started producing eco-friendly laptops and desktops which conformed to the European Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive. 2. Some of the challenges faced by Wipro/Benefits that the company reaped from green computing Challenges: The green computing initiatives were associated with high financial costs; for instance, the company required Rs. 6 million to virtualise the data centre infrastructure. Additionally, the whole data centre had to be reviewed; and the power and cooling needs had to be retrofitted for the new data centre. This means that additional resources had to be deployed in order to have the data centre reviewed. The restructuring of the power and cooling needs to match with the new configuration of the new data centre was indubitably time-consuming and required more financial resources in order to be successfully implemented. These costs could have negative impacts on the company in terms of its profitability since the company had to invest more finances to achieve all the programmes. Benefits: Wipro was able to reduce its servers from 400 to 100 and thus save 1 million KWh of power yearly. There was a 26 per cent reduction in power consumption as a result of using power management tools. Through virtualisation and consolidation, the company also targets to reduce it server footprint by 3 per cent. Wipro also started manufacturing environmentally-friendly laptops and desktops named GreenWare. This initiative was a turning point in the company’s fortunes since the company will not only realise increased sales as customers become more sensitive to environmental concerns but also puts the company on a higher scale as the first corporation in India to introduce eco-friendly computing devices. 3. Lessons that can be learned by other organisations Other organisations can learn that launching a green computing initiative like the one adopted by Wipro requires planning, investment and commitment from every player in the organisation. Importantly, the organisation must first recognise the need for the required change. For instance, Wipro realised that the exponential growth in its server use was becoming a major problem especially with respect to energy costs. The company therefore set out to reverse this situation by planning and launching the green initiative. Also noteworthy is the fact that the initiative was supported by the senior most leaders in the organisation including the CIO, CFO, Head of HR, CTO and the Chief Strategy Officer as well as the lower level through business units. In particular, organisations can learn the importance of Kotter’s (1995) eight-step model of managing change (see Cameron & Green, 2004, p. 101). The first step in this model is establishing a sense of urgency. This involves looking at the present scenario and projecting future scenarios so as to create an actual need for change as was done in Wipro’s case. Step two involves forming a powerful guiding coalition to guide change. In the case of Wipro, this involved bringing together efforts from customers, suppliers and employees. Third is to create a vision, as clearly articulated by Wipro management. The fourth step involves communicating the vision as well as the strategies to be adopted. Fifth is to empower others to act on the vision. Clearly, Wipro’s vision was embraced by all players from the CEO to senior most leaders to the business units. The sixth step involves planning for and creating short-term wins. For instance, there were significant energy savings from the new IT practices and this could motivate further adoption of new technologies. The seventh step is that the improvements should be consolidated and more change emphasised while step eight requires institutionalisation of new approaches. Organisations will therefore learn that change is a continuous process as stated by Daft (2009, p. 434) and should not cease with one innovation. For instance, Wipro started with reducing power consumption in its data centre but also went on to produce eco-friendly computer devices. 4. Who should drive green computing Because green computing is a concept that emerged because of environmental concerns, everyone must make an effort to contribute – be it an IT vendor, a small company, a large corporate body or a small institution. Harris (2008, p. 153) supports this idea by noting that the green computing concept is not just beneficial for the environment but also for cost efficiency; as such, it should be driven by every party that uses computers or computer accessories. To start with, IT vendors and consultants are likely to be the most dependable people who can help in disseminating the information regarding green computing because of their exposure as regards the use of computing resources. In addition, they are the actual users of computing gadgets too (Harris, 2008, p. 12). Harris also notes that people from the IT industry who are mere end-users of computing devices may not be well versed in terms of how they can save resources when they start using the computing device. This may be applicable to some corporate organisations that are mere end-users of computing devices. Harris terms such parties as zero-knowledge in the use of computing resources because they are merely spenders of the resources. Thus, IT companies should lead in green initiatives, as shown by Intel, which launched an innovative program called Intel Data Centre Manager platform, which can monitor, manage and optimise power consumption by data centres in real-time (Intel Corporation, 2009, p. 1). That is not to say that corporate customers should not be active in adopting green computing. In fact, corporate customers can be actively involved by purchasing computing tools which meet the objectives of green computing. Such gadgets should have less hazardous material, be power-efficient, and easy to dispose or recycle – which are the goals of green computing as noted by Stair and Reynolds (2011, p. 129). Corporate customers can also use basic green computing tips such as turning off computers when they are not in use and setting them to sleep mode when not in use for a short time, and the more advanced ones such as virtualisation and consolidation. As noted above, corporate customers can participate in the green computing initiative by purchasing computer devices that are environmentally friendly. For instance, it is preferable to use LED displays which reduce power consumption by 80 per cent compared to standard LCD displays. There are also solid state drives (SSD) which are poised to replace hard drives and are associated with faster data access as well as massive energy savings. Corporate customers can also purchase computers that have powerful processors that require less energy, such as the latest ones created by Intel (Baldauf & Stair, 2010, p. 630). Importantly, corporate customers that require massive data centres should spearhead the green computing initiative by replacing old power-wasting servers with new models designed to be power efficient. By doing this, all players in the IT-utilising industries will be rightfully involved in driving green computing. References Baldauf, K., & Stair, R. (2010). Succeeding with technology (4th edition). New York: Cengage Learning. Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2004). Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools & techniques of organizational change. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Daft, R.L. (2009). Organization theory and design (10th edition). New York: Cengage Learning. Harris, J. (2008). Green computing and green it best practices on regulations and industry initiatives, virtualization, power management, materials recycling and telecommuting. Lulu.com. Intel Corporation (2009). Innovating with local partners to drive green computing. Retrieved 18 September 2012, from http://download.intel.com/pressroom/kits/events/idfspr_2009/InnovatingDCM_IDFBeijing09_PR.pdf Stair, R., & Reynolds, G. (2011). Principles of information systems (10th edition). New York: Cengage Learning. The case study Read More