In the constant hype surrounding the concept of Going Green, there is an increased focus on the call center to make the change. An interesting article posted earlier this year touched on the obstacles that keep the call center from achieving a true Green operation through virtualization. A few key points included an equipment-based, site-based call center platform; and agent working onsite.

The good news is that the call center that is willing to make the change to a hosted environment can quickly take a Green approach to doing business, while also saving money and increasing productivity in the process. A recent Contactual (News - Alert) blog takes the conversation one step further by examining the true environmental impact the organization can have when the call center takes a virtualized approach to business.

In truth, when a call center has virtualized its platform with a hosted or SaaS (News - Alert) solution, it is greener by the mile or even millions of miles. There are fewer cars on the roads as employees do not have to travel to work. The virtual call center model enables the organization to utilize work-at-home agents and reduce the overall cost of doing business. In reducing the traffic on the roads, they reduce emissions, and power and energy consumption.

In a 100-seat call center environment, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the average one-way community distance is 19 miles. When this number of doubled to represent a round-trip daily commute, the average employee will travel almost 850 miles per month. When 100 call center agents become virtual agents and work from home, roughly 1 million commuter miles are saved off highways and byways.

Next, consider the Environmental Protection Agency’s estimate that each gallon of gasoline used emits 19.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. For a vehicle that gets 21 miles to the gallon per every one of the 100 agents, the carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by 931,000 pounds per year. The benefit for the agents is measurable as well – they collectively can save more than $140,000 in commute-cost savings.

While it is true that the call center does have certain obstacles to overcome in order to implement a virtual environment and drive a Green approach to business, the reality is the call center can easily make the necessary change. It will require a focused strategy and a redefined business model, but the benefits will produce measureable benefits for the call center, the employees and the environment.