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Helping to secure a sustainable future for Capgemini’s business

Simon Hodge writes about Capgemini's sustainability programme:

A sustainability policy is a big feature of many companies and organisations today, and Capgemini is no exception. Consumer pressure, government legislation and a growing realisation that sustainability can make companies stronger and more profitable are combining to make sustainability essential in the 21^st century business environment. It is this third point that is my main role during my current project with Capgemini’s sustainability team – I am identifying the savings that Capgemini can make and the extra revenue we can generate by being sustainable.

There are two key parts. The first is the idea that wasted resources are also wasted money. Capgemini used to use 1.7 million plastic cups each year. We stopped, and bought reusable plastic beakers instead, on the basis that it would save a lot of plastic from going to landfill. But it also saved us tens of thousands of pounds each year. By opting for a disposable rather than reusable option, we had been, in a very real sense, throwing money away. It was such a simple change to make, but by doing it we helped both the environment and our balance sheet. When this logic is applied to areas like electricity, paper, water and so on, the financial and environmental benefits can be huge.

Secondly, it’s about clients. Public and private sector organisations increasingly expect the partners that they work with to take sustainability seriously. In some cases the role it plays can immense – in 2009, for example, Capgemini won a huge contract with a government agency on the back of its ability to offer them the most sustainable IT contract in government. The systems that Capgemini used for this contract were so energy efficient that we were not only able to offer the strong sustainability credentials, but also big cost savings. Embracing sustainability has not only been good for the environment and the communities we work in: it has brought big benefits to Capgemini and our clients.

Live art: the CDC takes part in The Prince's Trust Challenge

Amelia Cameron writes about the CDC's involvement with The Prince's Trust:

Client work is the primary focus of all consultants at Capgemini but CDCers can also get involved in other opportunities to help them develop as consultants. One of these opportunities is to participate in The Prince’s Trust challenge. This challenge has been taken up by 5 CDCers who are competing with other teams of employees across the UK to turn an initial investment of £1,500 into a profit of £10,000.

The team are aiming to rally over 28,267 people to contribute to a world record breaking work of art by uploading an image for free to a website. The project has been named “Live Art” as it will evolve and grow over time and will raise funds through sponsorship and an auction of the final artwork in 2011. Having developed the Live Art business plan and secured investment, the team are now working hard to deliver the project. The current focus is on building the website and producing a marketing and publicity campaign that will recruit website sponsors and a gallery to display the artwork.  

The challenge has given the participants an amazing opportunity to be bold, learn about the challenges of a start-up business and raise funds for a great cause.

Focusing on People Development

This blog was written by James Simpson. James is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini in March 2009.

Although client delivery work is very much the primary focus for all CDCers during their time on the graduate programme and beyond for the rest of their careers at Capgemini; a focus on “People Development” will also play a large part in the lives and development of CDCers. Examples of People Development activities CDCers will regularly be involved in could include supporting graduate recruitment by being a campus champion, presenting at graduate fairs /insight days /induction or hosting an assessment centre; being a buddy to a new joiner to the CDC; or supporting training activities for a Capability Unit with Capgemini Consulting. In addition, there is also a chance to become involved with a number of charities and not-for-profit organisations that Capgemini have a relationship with.

For myself, I have been involved in facilitating a young enterprise event at a school in the South East of England; walking twenty miles to support the Myotubular Trust, as well as organising a fundraising event for the One to One Africa. In the future, I hope to be involved in this year’s Million Maker’s challenge for the Prince’s Trust, and some of my colleagues in the CDC will be taking part in the Prince's Trust Wild Challenge. Other examples of People Development work other graduates have been involved in, include helping to set up a new charity, and doing pro-bono work for charity organisations.

The opportunity to get involved in People Development activities proves an enriching experience for many CDCers throughout their time on the programme. It presents the chance to support some fantastic causes, learn new skills, have fun and meet other consultants across the business.

Raising money…it’s just the way we roll

Chloe Booker is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini in September 2008: