TD Synnex Develops Sustainable IT Training Modules for Channel Partners, MSPs

TD Synnex, the global IT distributor, has developed three training modules to help channel partners and MSPs prepare for sustainable IT services.

The training modules are part of a larger TD Synnex sustainability plan -- which will require certain partners and customers to have science-based sustainability targets by fiscal year 2028. The targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an organization that assists companies with their net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions plans.

TD Synnex and Sustainable IT Services Training for Partners: More Details

Seeking more information, Sustainable Tech Partner raised two follow-up questions. Adam Rutstein, VP of corporate citizenship and sustainability at TD Synnex, offered these perspectives...

Q: Can you estimate (A) how many TD Synnex partners and (b) customers will need to align with the sustainability plan by fiscal year 2028? 

Rutstein: We will be able to provide future updates on our SBTi progress in our annually published Corporate Citizenship Reports.

Q: Will TD Synnex set up any workshops, tools or or guidance to help partners and customers understand how to align with the sustainability plan?

Rutstein: Yes, we will be working closely with partners to provide guidance on this topic, and Education & Thought Leadership is a key pillar to our sustainability program.  We have developed three training modules that provide our partners with education on a variety of topics.  Our current modules are Sustainability Essentials, Circular Economy and Carbon and all three can be helpful resources for our partners as they build out their own programs.  Additionally, we are developing a sustainability practice builder that will help our partners enhance their own sustainability programs while also helping to unlock commercial opportunities around sustainability. 

Sustainable IT Services: Signs of Progress, Challenges

Roughly 50% of partners worldwide said that they expect to generate revenue from sustainability solutions in 2024 – up three percentage points from 47% in 2023, according to research firm Canalys.

Still, only 31% of partners track Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and just 23% of partners record their Scope 3 emissions, according to research firm Canalys said.

Distributors such as TD Synnex could play a big role in the sustainable IT services movement. Among the reasons: Distributors often have massive, complex, multi-vendor supply chains. Improving the efficiency and sustainability of supply chains worldwide is a growing priority for many IT firms.

TD Synnex: Business Background, Supply Chain Details

TD Synnex, based in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, has roughly 23,000 employees. The IT distributor's supply chain involves:

• Roughly 200,000 products and services;
• approximately 2,500 technology vendors; and
• roughly 150,000 customers -- most of which are VARs (value-added resellers), MSPs (managed IT service providers), IT consulting, and systems integrators.

We'll be watching and listening for more sustainable IT updates from TD Synnex. We expect the company's next quarterly earnings call to potentially arrive in June 2024.