Backstage: TOSS Project

In this episode of Environment Variables, host Chris Skipper introduces "Backstage," a new segment offering behind-the-scenes insights into the Green Software Foundation's key projects. The episode highlights the "Transforming Organizations for Sustainable Software" (TOSS) project, led by Pindy Bhullar, which aims to embed sustainable practices across all aspects of business operations. The TOSS framework, divided into four pillars—strategy, implementation, operations, and compliance—provides organizations with a decision tree approach to drive sustainability in software development and IT. With collaborative efforts, workshops, and real-time feedback, the project is set to release version 1.0, with the ultimate goal of reducing carbon emissions across the industry.

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TRANSCRIPT BELOW:

Chris Skipper: Welcome to Environment Variables, where we bring you the latest news and updates from the world of sustainable software development. I'm your host, Chris Skipper. Today, we're launching an exciting new segment:

Backstage. Here, we'll take you behind the scenes at the Green Software Foundation to highlight ongoing projects and share insights from the members directly involved.

In the first episode of Backstage, you'll hear about innovative projects shaping the future of green software and the hard work behind it all. It's easy to overlook the complexity and dedication required to drive sustainability in the tech industry. But today, you'll hear more about the passion, thoughtfulness, and expertise that fuels these initiatives.

From collaborative projects to cutting edge research on sustainable computing, the Green Software Foundation is the conversation you need to be part of, and we're bringing you Deep Inside. Join us as we look into the stories, challenges, and triumphs of the people making a real impact on our environment through software.

We're no longer gatekeeping what it takes to set new standards and norms to green software. So, what does it take to inject sustainability into every aspect of software development? How are organizations and passionate climate activists in software turning ambitious goals into practical, actionable results?

Let's find out on this special Backstage episode. For this initial episode, we'll be looking at the Transforming Organizations for Sustainable Software project, better known as the TOSS project. Leading this project is the inimitable Pindy Bhullar, who provided us with some soundbites. This initiative is really important in the Green Software Foundation's broader mission to reduce carbon emissions through software.

It's all about providing changemakers in organizations with the tools, methodologies, and frameworks they need to embed green software practices and drive real, measurable change. Firstly, we asked Pindy to give us an overview of the TOSS project. It's goals and why it's so crucial for the foundation.

Pindy Bhullar: Transforming Organizations for Sustainable Software is the acronym for TOSS. Businesses will be able to utilize the TOSS framework as a guide to lay the groundwork for managing change and also improving software operations in the future. Software practices within organizations can be integrated with sustainability in a cohesive and agile manner, rather than addressing green software practices in an isolated approach.

For a company to fully benefit from sustainable transformation of their software development processes, we need to review all aspects of technology. The TOSS framework is designed to be embedded across multiple aspects of its business operations. Dividing the task framework along four pillars has allowed for simultaneous top down and bottom up reinforcement of sustainable practices, as well as the integration of new tools, processes, and regulations that emerge over time.

The four pillars include aim to foster a dynamic foundation for companies to understand where to act now, to adjust later, and expand with an organizational sustainable software transformation. The four pillars are strategy, implementation, operational, compliance, and regulations. And within each of the pillars, we have designed a decision tree that will be constructed to guide organizations in transforming their software journey.

The Green Software Foundation has created the specification to calculate carbon emissions from software, the SCI, and also developed the Impact Framework to enable firms to calculate their emissions. But in order for firms to transform their technology operations, we need to embed best practices across the wider organization.

Chris Skipper: It's clear that by integrating sustainability across multiple levels of business operations, the TOSS project is setting up organizations for long term success in their green transformation journey. Now, let's talk about the impact this project can have. Reducing the carbon footprint in software development is a huge focus for many companies today.

So, how exactly does the TOSS project help achieve that, and what kind of sustainability improvements can organizations expect by adopting this framework?

Pindy Bhullar: The TOSS project views sustainability in software development and IT operations as a holistic approach, and the primary goal is not to view software and IT as an isolated function, but integrate the carbon footprint into the functions across the organization.

The framework will help organizations to ask the questions and adapt their responses based on their needs, but also connect strategy, implementation, operations, and compliance and regulations.

Chris Skipper: It's insightful to see how the TOSS framework fosters a more integrated approach, making sustainability a core part of a company's strategy, operations, and compliance.

Now, as with any large scale initiative, developing a framework like TOSS must come with its challenges. We asked Pindy to share some of the key obstacles the team has encountered while bringing this project to life, and how have they navigated these challenges to keep the project moving forward.

Pindy Bhullar: We're all busy in our day jobs, so just being able to focus on the TOSS framework has been a challenge.

We've been having regular calls since the project inception January this year, which has enabled us to keep the discussions moving. We have overcome obstacles by building a version 0.5 of the framework and then asking volunteers from the GSF member organizations to join a series of workshops to review, question, challenge, and brainstorm. It enabled us to develop the framework further by incorporating all the great feedback.

Chris Skipper: It's great to hear how the team has managed to build the toss framework through collaborative efforts and feedback from GSF member organizations. It sounds like the workshops have played a crucial role in refining the framework.

Now, Pindy mentioned that the TOSS project incorporates a decision tree strategy. We asked Pindy to walk us through how this approach is helping organizations embed green software practices more effectively. How does this decision tree guide organizations in making sustainable choices throughout their software development and IT operations?

Pindy Bhullar: We use the decision tree approach for the TOSS project for a number of reasons, particularly in contexts where decisions involve multiple options and varying outcomes. It's also a great way to visually represent complex decisions into manageable parts, and it helps decision makers visualize the entire process in a structured, analogical format.

It also enables the evaluation of multiple potential paths and their respective outcomes. So each decision point can have different branches, each representing a different course of action. One of the benefits of decision trees is the ability to easily update or expand as new information becomes available.

This flexibility is critical in the space of green IT and green software, as this topic is constantly evolving.

Chris Skipper: It's clear that the decision tree approach adds flexibility and adaptability, making it a perfect fit for an evolving field like green IT and software. Now, let's dive into the specific tools and technologies that are supporting the TOSS project.

We asked Pindy to highlight some of the key tools or frameworks being used and explain how they align with the project's sustainability goals. How do they contribute to helping organizations achieve lower emissions and more sustainable software practices?

Pindy Bhullar: To build the framework of decision trees, we are using mirrorboards.

Initially, it helped us to brainstorm and use the ideation tools to create mind maps to generate and organize our ideas in an interactive way. We also benefited from the real time collaboration and, more importantly, the ability to create the visual charts. The tool is enabling us to progress with the TOSS framework and build the sustainable software decision trees.

Chris Skipper: Now, let's explore the collaborative side of this initiative. We asked Pindy if there have been any significant partnerships or collaborations with other organizations or teams that have enhanced the success of the TOSS project. How have these partnerships contributed to its development and progression?

Pindy Bhullar: There have been excellent collaborations during this project. The workshop sessions were critical in partnering with organizations because it enabled us to further build the TOSS decision trees. It also helped us to make faster progress, while allowing the group to discuss new ideas, make revisions, and also to bring new insights.

Chris Skipper: It's clear that collaboration has played a crucial role in pushing the TOSS project forward, with the workshops really driving the development of those decision trees. Now, let's shift focus to the progress the TOSS project has made over time. We asked Pindy to walk us through some of the significant achievements or milestones the project has achieved so far, and how has it evolved since its inception earlier this year?

Pindy Bhullar: At the start of the project, we created a business case which outlined the TOSS project and what we wanted to achieve. Then we moved into a phase of brainstorming and mind mapping, really trying to capture key points of how we wanted to develop the framework and decision trees. We started then to break down the functions that would be involved in organizations and we created the four pillars that I mentioned earlier.

And out of that, then we started to get into the detail and start to create the decision trees. We have progressed since the workshops, and now we're working towards version 1.0 of the decision trees. We have redeveloped the strategy and implementation pillar, and we're still working on the operational and compliance and regulation pillars.

From the initial ideas, we've added further content and details to the framework, and it's constantly evolving.

Chris Skipper: It's truly fascinating to hear how the TOSS project has progressed. From the initial business case to the detailed decision trees, and the continual refinement of the strategy and implementation pillars.

Now, as we look to the future, we'd love to know more about what's on the horizon for TOSS. What are the next steps in the project, and what long term impact will it have on the widespread adoption of green software practices across the industry?

Pindy Bhullar: Over the course of the next few months, we want to complete version 1. 0 of the four decision trees. Also, create the guidance documentation that will sit alongside it. And in addition, create a white paper documenting the framework. We want the long term impact of the framework to help organizations implement tools, methods for calculating their emissions, processes, ensuring that we link the strategic level of the organization all the way through to software development and operations.

Chris Skipper: I'd like to thank Pindy for sharing such valuable insights into the TOSS project. It's clear that this framework is not only about integrating sustainable practices, but transforming the entire approach organizations take to software operations. From her detailed explanation of the four pillars, strategy, implementation, operations, and compliance, it's evident that TOSS provides a holistic solution that embeds sustainability at every level.

The collaborative workshops and iterative feedback process she described have played a crucial role in refining the decision trees, and it's exciting to hear that version 1.0 is on the horizon. As the project evolves, it's clear TOSS will have a lasting impact, empowering organizations to seamlessly incorporate green software practices and meet their carbon reduction goals.

We truly look forward to seeing how the framework will continue to grow and shape the future of sustainable software. Now, we've come to the end of the episode, but before we finish off, we have a few events to read out. Firstly, we have Sustainable AI, Myth vs Reality, Gain Insights and Actionable Strategies on the Intersection of IT and Environmental Responsibility at this in-person event hosted by Sustainable IT Netherlands at Accenture in Amsterdam on October 15th, starting at 6pm Central European Standard Time.

Next up, we have CNCF Sustainability Week, Cloud Native for Green Software. Share and explore ideas, patterns, best practices, and tools in the context of the green software principles. This hybrid event is hosted by Green Software development, Karlsruhe at Blue Hands in Karlsruhe on October the 15th at 6:30 PM CEST.

And finally, we have Code Green London October Meetup. Learn about the latest in green software and network with London's green tech community. Also on October the 15th at 7:00 PM BST. This in-person event at the Red Badger in London will feature past environment variables guest Tereze Gail. Who will be talking about Salesforce's sustainable AI approach.

Hear how the world's largest enterprise software company is balancing AI innovation with environmental responsibility. So, we've reached the end of this special backstage episode. I hope you enjoyed the podcast. To listen to more episodes about Green Software, please visit podcast.greensoftware.foundation and we'll see you on the next episode. Bye for now.