A design strategy for KPN introducing a platform to enable, inspire and educate SME customers resulting in a more sustainable use of telecom services

Abstract

The sustainability adoption of sustainability practices is currently low for Small Enterprises, Freelancers and Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs), while they must do their part to become more environmentally sustainable. SMEs are responsible for many greenhouse gas emissions emitted and as almost all companies in the Netherlands are SMEs, this presents an urgent call for change. However, many SMEs are not prioritising sustainability which is not without cause. Many limitations within SMEs withhold them from taking action. The most significant hurdle for SMEs is their size which comes with limited human, financial and technical resources.

Furthermore, the same limitations result in SMEs’ lagging use of digital technologies. This lagging use of digital technologies is unfortunate because ICT can positively contribute to environmental goals if an SME uses ICT in their business. A way to improve environmental sustainability with ICT is through telecommunication (telecom).

However, there is still no broadly adopted manner in which SMEs can use current telecom technologies to be less harmful to the environment. The telecom sector is in a position where it can enable its customers to become more sustainable and reduce scope 3 downstream emissions. Nevertheless, as the role of enabler is not yet optimally utilised by telecommunication companies (telcos), customers are not yet decreasing their emissions. Therefore, there is potential for KPN to guide SMEs with their sustainability expertise to transition them towards sustainability through using telecom.

SMEs face challenges when open to adopting sustainable telecom practices. The explorative research in this thesis has shown that six different topics influence whether an SME can or is willing to adopt a sustainable telecom practice. These topics are; the right means for an online way of working, collaborative effort, education of digital sustainability, management decisions for sustainability, office building restrictions and reducing physical presence.
To enable SMEs to use their telecom more sustainably, telcos should keep these topics in mind while working towards solutions. Furthermore, elements that are valuable to SMEs to adopt sustainable telecom practices are knowledge, inspiration, community and guidance.

In this thesis, a platform is designed with which KPN can support SMEs by being the provider that connects telecom to sustainability by facilitating SME customers with inspiration, guidance and education on suited sustainable telecom practices while considering specific context challenges that SMEs face. With the platform, KPN educates its SME customers by communicating sustainability information to provide the customers with sufficient knowledge to start acting. As a result, the SME customers of KPN can be inspired to use telecom more sustainably. Furthermore, the platform includes a community of stakeholders connecting KPN to customers and customers to each other to exchange sustainability knowledge. The development of the platform allows KPN to become a partner in sustainable telecom use for SMEs.

To work towards the proposition of being a sustainability partner, KPN should prioritise sustainability in their organisation and introduce it in the SME market. To do so, KPN should educate and teach its employees about sustainable telecom practices KPN conducts. To incorporate sustainability at KPN, a new design principle is designed that communicates sustainability. The design principle summarises information about SME customer values for sustainability so it can be tested on customer journeys. With the new knowledge, the employees can prioritise sustainability more in their work, resulting in its implementation in customer journeys.