Proper sustainability work is driven by knowledge. Science and data are crucial to making intentions reality. Without metrics to track, it is difficult to know where the problems are and what progress has been made. It is also hard to find things to celebrate beyond ‘good vibes’.

Of course, sustainability is not special in that it relies on data. Nearly everyone does these days, regardless of chosen practice. The ability to move beyond intuition and guesswork is excellent for people who are concerned about the results of their life’s work. With proper data analysis, it can be much easier to identify if goals have been achieved. This is true in marketing, healthcare, business management, HR, transit, and more

One of the first things I do with clients is explore what sustainability metrics they are using, if any. Often, that means I am setting up a spreadsheet with the client, choosing key progress indicators for impact areas related to the business and its stakeholders, and setting up systems to ensure that data is collected, distributed, and meaningfully used. Personally, I enjoy using the Future Fit Benchmark as my jumping off point for which KPIs to choose, and the free spreadsheet templates available from Future Fit make that easy.

At some point, the company may become so complex, busy, or sophisticated in its sustainability work that the humble spreadsheet is no longer able to keep up. (Apologies for the spreadsheet slander here. I grew up in a very pro-spreadsheet family, and I would hate for my mother to hear of this.) There are so many rows it is incomprehensible, or the information input is too much to keep up with. At this point, it is reasonable to explore the sustainable business management tools on the market. Luckily, in 2025 we are swimming in options.

Let’s begin with the homegrown: You can use Power BI and similar tools to make an inhouse KPI system. This might be out of your skill set, so hiring a contractor to create and manage this could be appropriate. The challenge is that the contractor may not be familiar with sustainability or your particular data needs. You can make things as customized as you want, but it will take effort, as Power BI is not built specifically to focus on sustainable issues. If your goal is to reduce time spent collecting and managing data immediately, this wouldn’t necessarily be the first choice as it could take some time to set up. If you are already paying for these tools to manage other business metrics, however, it makes sense to use the existing platform.

There are programs built specifically for different aspects of sustainability, such as carbon accounting. If you are managing a complex supply chain or campus, or you aren’t concerned with other targets like water usage, it could be appropriate to choose one of these. Many of these programs will also include a product life cycle tool, which can be of huge help to a development team, and will generate investor and regulator ready reports, which is essential in today’s shifting regulatory environment. Just be sure to select one that is applicable to your industry, geography, and company size. Specific tools also exist for water analysis, manufacturing concerns, and other issues that may be relevant to your company.

There are more comprehensive sustainability management tools. Ideally, a tool will cover major sustainability topics such as climate impact and labor rights. It should be able to generate impact reports and possibly an impact webpage, possibly in a way that allows for easy regulatory compliance. The best software is also able to integrate with other platforms to get HR and utility information and allow for easy uploads to certification platforms like the B Impact Assessment. “At Ecolytics, we’ve built a platform that brings these features together in one place—impact data tracking, integration capabilities, mapping to standards, and shareable reports—because we know sustainability teams need more than spreadsheets,” says Hazel Horvath, founder and CEO of Ecolytics, a Spearpoint Strategies Partner. “They need clarity, automation, and tools that evolve with regulatory demands. Our goal is to help companies not just track their impact, but use it as a lever for better business. Every other function—sales, marketing, finance—has tools to maximize efficiency. It’s time sustainability teams had the same.”

A quick note: many certification and ratings organizations also have business management tools in their platforms, plus they can be a great place to start building your list of KPIs. Using the B Impact Assessment, EcoVadis platform, and the like can be a good option, particularly if you are paying for the platform or certification in some way. However, they may lack the integration and report generation that dedicated tools have.

Because sustainability is a hot topic, there are many companies launching ESG platforms. If you want to venture into sustainability, you should consider not only the product but also the company offering it. Is the company certified as a B Corp? Is there some other measure of commitment? Are they staffed with people familiar with the sustainability industry, the debates around KPIs, and familiarity with regulations? Remember, customer service is the bane of many people’s experience with technology companies. Choose a vendor that is going to treat you well and will be aligned with the work you are doing.

Whatever you decide, remember that tracking your metrics is only the first step. You should use this information to drive change and value creation for the organization. Spearpoint Strategies, of course, is here to help with that.