What does sustainability actually mean for us as a development service provider for the mobility of tomorrow?
In our understanding, the product development process comprises several milestones that have varying degrees of influence on the end product and its impact on the environment in terms of sustainability. These milestones are:
The highest degree of influence on sustainability is exerted at the requirement and styling stage.
The basic sustainability parameters that determine the environmental impact of the product over its entire life cycle are defined in these early phases.
By integrating sustainable criteria into the requirements and implementing these criteria in the design, the greatest positive effects on the carbon footprint can be achieved.
The subsequent phases build on these fundamental decisions and can further optimize them.
But before we get lost in gray theory, let's get to the heart of the matter - what can we do for our customers?
We divide our expertise regarding sustainability into the following three areas:
- Design for sustainability (Dfs)
For us, this means that we provide support in the design of environmentally friendly products, from the concept phase to market launch. This includes advising on and implementing design strategies that reduce environmental impact. As well as modular designs for easier repair and reuse and a well thought-out design for easy disassembly and recycling. Of course, this also includes the selection of sustainable materials, minimizing energy consumption and optimizing manufacturing processes. And finally, this extends to the analysis and selection of materials with a lower environmental impact. Ultimately, we also create opportunities for the holistic assessment of the ecological impact of materials over their entire life cycle.
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculation
This includes LCA studies, i.e. the implementation of comprehensive life cycle analyses for products, services or processes. The collection and analysis of data on the environmental impact in all phases of life, from raw material extraction to production, use and disposal, is also an important part. The calculation and reduction of the CO2 footprint of a company or product, i.e. almost “classic” carbon footprint analyses, as well as the identification of hotspots and the development of strategies to reduce emissions are an important part of this area. Reporting and certification, in particular the preparation of LCA reports in accordance with international standards (e.g. ISO 14040/44) and support with certification by recognized organizations round off our services.
- Project management / consulting
If you ask a project manager what is involved in project management, they can usually list a lot 😅
And when it comes to developing sustainability in particular, the possibilities are enormous. Project planning and control with the development of detailed project plans with clearly defined goals, milestones and schedules, monitoring the progress of the project and adjusting the plans if necessary are the first major areas of influence.
Identifying potential risks and developing strategies to mitigate them - i.e. risk and resource management with the efficient management of available resources to achieve the project objectives within budget - is the next effective lever.
Or stakeholder management, including communication and collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, regulators and internal teams to ensure that all requirements and expectations are met, can have a significant impact on a more efficient and sustainable approach.
The impact can also be enormous when it comes to process optimization and consulting, starting with a good analysis and then optimizing existing processes to increase efficiency and sustainability. And the possibilities go on from best practices and implementation of new methods and technologies to training and knowledge transfer to expand the knowledge and skills of employees.
Here is a brief insight into our current innovative and sustainable projects.
