A leading German telecommunications company wanted to make the sustainability footprint of its IT landscape transparent and usable for day-to-day decision-making. Together, the client and ITM created an Alfabet-based framework that links energy and emissions data with applications, infrastructure, and the enterprise architecture.
01 Background
Converting Distributed Data into a Robust Control View
Relevant data was available in various parts of the organization. However, there was no consolidated view of applications and infrastructure. It was difficult to compare the efficiency of hardware and software. Assets that consumed a particularly high amount of resources were not easily identifiable.
The goal went far beyond a single dashboard. The company needed a reliable foundation for understanding IT-related CO₂ emissions and energy consumption. At the same time, it sought to improve data coverage and ESG reporting.
Sustainability should also be embedded in architectural and portfolio decisions on the same basis. To achieve this, environmental data had to be linked to the applications, infrastructure, and responsibilities that shape the IT footprint.
02 Procedure
Align the solution with business needs
Start with the decision-making questions
IT and sustainability managers needed different perspectives on the same footprint. ITM first determined which decisions the shared database should support. These questions shaped the model, the integrations, and the reports.
Integrating Sustainability Data with Architecture
Bizzdesign Alfabet serves as the architecture and analysis layer. Data from source systems is imported via ADIF and linked to the company’s infrastructure and application objects. Monthly metrics link CO₂e and energy consumption to the relevant technical and business context.
Making Calculations and Data Quality Transparent
Infrastructure emissions can be aggregated across the architecture down to applications and business domains. Defined rules allocate the values of shared resources. Monthly time series provide the necessary historical perspective. Data quality rules highlight missing values and unclear responsibilities.
Focus reporting on specific actions
Management dashboards combine emissions trends, key focus areas, architectural context, and data completeness. They also highlight underutilized assets with a significant carbon footprint. Transformation initiatives can then be compared based on cost and expected CO₂ reduction.
The result is not a standalone sustainability report. Rather, it consists of sustainability information presented in the context of architectural decisions that influence the IT footprint.
03 Result
A structured framework for continuous improvement
The company now has a structured framework for IT sustainability management in Alfabet. It links sustainability KPIs to architectural context, source data, accountability, and reporting.
The project does not present the dashboard as evidence that emissions have already been reduced. It lays the groundwork for continuous improvement: transparent data, consistent calculations, visible gaps, and a way to measure changes over time.
On this basis, the company can identify priorities, evaluate transformation options, and strengthen its future sustainability and compliance reporting.
IT Sustainability is one of the use cases we implement in Bizzdesign Alfabet. Discover our Alfabet expertise or talk to us about your requirements.