Who is responsible for Green Software?

It is said about the Bermuda Triangle that ships inexplicably disappear into nothingness there. Analogously, one can say: In many companies there is still a Bermuda Triangle where Green Software disappears. The corners form:

• the client of a software development (usually a specialist or executive department)
• the project managers for the development and
• the operation

Who among them is responsible for Green Software? Those responsible for projects are measured by their adherence to budgets and deadlines. Resource efficiency is often not one of the explicit requirements because the clients simply find it difficult to formulate such a requirement. As a result, project management and the development team have more important things to do than measure and improve resource efficiency. “After all, they don’t give us the time we need to do it,” they say. The company, on the other hand, is presented with the software ready to use. There is nothing they can do about it (in their perception) anyway. The clients, in turn, are then presented with the resulting operating costs. They can’t estimate the values and think to themselves, “Well, that’s just the way it is.” Result: the “greenness” of the software created falls through the cracks. The responsibility for it disappears like ships in the Bermuda Triangle.

What can you do?

In fact, all three parties can make their contribution. The clients have to make the requirement, and have it scheduled. The more fit the development teams already are in terms of green software, the less additional effort is needed for this. (It is helpful to involve appropriate competent service providers. Either by commissioning them directly with the development, or by bringing them into your own team as coaches and members). The project management and the development team may have to help the clients to specify the requirements for Greenness. They should also advise the principals by showing the impact of functional requirements or availability requirements. Operations, in turn, can measure actual power and resource consumption and report back to the client and developers. After all, software tends to behave differently in production than on the test system. In addition, the company can review its portfolio of IT services and gradually switch to more efficient products.

Find the entrance

Ideally, everyone would join in and pull together. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. Realistically speaking, where can we start most effectively? Most likely on the side of the customer. If, for example, they demand that the software to be developed be awarded the Green Software Design Label , then this is a clear requirement. Project management and the development team can derive appropriate technical requirements from this and plan for them. Finally, the client and implementer can then work together to agree on the most efficient operation. Instead of the client, of course, the software development team or the operators can also become the protagonists for Green Software Design. By building up appropriate know-how, extending the build process accordingly and making similar preparations. If there is a central coordination of software development in the company, this can set appropriate standards. The same applies to sustainability officers.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who takes the initiative first. The main thing is that someone does. And if you fear resistance, you can bring in consultants for green software design. External recommendations can often make a big difference.