Development methodology for sustainable solutions: SustainValue Deliverable D3.3

Markku Reunanen, Pasi Valkokari, Katri Valkokari, Christian Grefrath, Dirk Wagner, Pascale Ruder, Renata Rotaru, Dominik Frey, Marco Macchi, Maria Holgado, Luca Fumagalli, Steve Evans, Padmakshi Rana, Samuel Short

Research output: Book/ReportReport

Abstract

Deliverable 3.3 (D3.3) is part of work package 3 of the EU-funded SustainValue project. Work package 3 (WP3), which comprises of five tasks, deals with life-cycle-based products and service development. Focus of WP3 is to develop a methodology which enables companies to design and develop sustainable solutions. The first tasks of WP3 viz. T3.1, T3.2 and T3.3 were already accomplished and two deliverables (D3.1 and D3.2) which analyse requirements and gaps for development methodologies for sustainable solutions were submitted. This deliverable D3.3 considers task description T3.4: "In order to complete the development methodology the next task is to combine the identified steps and phases to a complete development methodology. This methodology allows a step by step development. It assures a structured and systematic approach by giving tasks needed to be done for a complete and successful result".
The work carried out has involved the consortium partners including most of industrial partners to validate the results. Main result is a development framework which was developed and validated within the consortium and additional external actors. During the early phase of research when approaches for service or product development were identified and during the early interviews with the industrial partners, a first finding was that the development of sustainable solutions is not a task for single persons or a single division in a company. To develop and implement a sustainable solution several areas within and beyond the company boundaries must be considered. On different levels e.g. on network level with partners, strategic issues from top management, business model decisions, conceptual division like product engineers, operative division for logistics etc. must be involved to provide a (more) sustainable solution as a result. Hence there are several sustainability potentials on different levels which are later concretized with the help of so called dimensions. Hence the expression “development methodology” was changed to “development framework” to show and express the complex interdependencies between the different actors. Within this framework, which is a matrix combining a lifecycle perspective and an overview of different functional dimensions, different methodologies approaches are integrated and interconnected. Thereby the interfaces can be illustrated and described and different approaches can be integrated to avoid conflicts during development and to support the essential communication between the different dimensions (respectively actors/divisions in companies). The framework supports companies in their sustainable development process and creates transparency of the different tasks. Beside it gives several hints for useful approaches and tools. Further the framework can be used in companies as a tool itself to illustrate their own processes, interfaces, gates and communication channels. At the same time weaknesses and inefficiencies in their processes are revealed.
The framework has been validated within a big company with over 9000 employees where different division represent the dimensions as well as a small start-up company where the different dimensions are represented by only few persons. The framework introduced in this deliverable is the basis for the tools enhancing the several approaches. The tools will be described in detail in the following deliverable D3.4.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherEuropean Commission EC
Number of pages133
Publication statusPublished - 2013
MoE publication typeD4 Published development or research report or study

Keywords

  • sustainability
  • manufacturing
  • value network
  • business model

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