Unlocking the future of sustainable business: How PLM fosters collaborative sustainability
In an era where the climate crisis looms as an existential threat, businesses across industries are grappling with the complex challenge of transitioning to sustainability. One avenue that is increasingly gaining attention is collaborative sustainability—working together to break down barriers and accelerate progress towards a greener future. According to a recent article by the World Economic Forum, 73% of business leaders are willing to collaborate with competitors to achieve net-zero emissions. The Baker McKenzie’s report, “The Race to Net-Zero,” highlights that industry collaboration can serve as a catalyst for systemic change, especially by spreading the burden of innovation and accelerating progress. This article explores the transformative concept of Collaborative Sustainability enabled by Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platforms like ShareAspace. Here’s how PLM software can amplify sustainability initiatives through a collective, multi-stakeholder approach.
What is collaborative sustainability?
Collaborative Sustainability is an approach where multiple parties—suppliers, manufacturers, or even competitors—pool resources and data to meet sustainability objectives. Unlike traditional models where each entity works in isolation, collaborative sustainability offers a systems-thinking perspective to address complex global challenges.
Key benefits of collaborative sustainability
- Supply chain optimization: improve the carbon footprint across the supply chain.
- Resource sharing: Share best practices and reduce waste.
- Transparency and accountability: Facilitate compliance with sustainability standards.
- Holistic product design: Enable eco-friendly product design.
- Quick adaptation: Respond promptly to market demands for sustainable products.
- Long-term strategy: Use historical data for future sustainability planning.
The Role of PLM platforms in collaborative sustainability
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software like ShareAspace can be the technological backbone for Collaborative Sustainability. These platforms allow for centralized data management, real-time collaboration, and end-to-end transparency, which are critical for sustainable practices.
Supply chain optimization with ShareAspace
By providing a repository for gathering all kinds of sustainability data related to a product’s lifecycle, ShareAspace can enable supply chain partners to align on the use of sustainable resources. This collective effort can substantially reduce the carbon footprint of the entire value chain.
Resource sharing and best practices
ShareAspace can host a repository of best practices that companies can implement for sustainability. This eliminates duplication of efforts and allows companies to learn from each other, accelerating sustainable innovation.
Ensuring transparency and accountability
One of the key features of ShareAspace is its ability to track changes and maintain an audit trail. This creates a level of transparency and accountability that ensures sustainability efforts are backed by factual data, not just ‘green-washing’.
Case studies: Pioneering sustainability in PLM with DSIP and ResCoM
DSIP: Aligning industrial goals with sustainable futures
Digital Sustainability Implementation Package (DSIP) has drawn a consortium comprising core industrial partners such as Volvo GTT, GKN Aerospace, and Roxtec, alongside solution providers like Eurostep. Led by Blekinge Tekniska Högskola (BTH) and Chalmers University, the project aims to create digital solutions that enhance sustainability and resource efficiency across the product lifecycle.
DSIP’s sustainability fingerprint
Eurostep is leading DSIP’s “Digital data management platform” work package, introducing the innovative “Sustainability Fingerprint.” This tool integrates with ShareAspace and helps assess sustainability profiles early in the design phase. Aligned with ISO standards like ISO 10303-AP239 PLCS, DSIP fosters sustainable innovation and efficient resource use across the value chain. The project aims to strike a balance between immediate economic gains and long-term sustainable benefits, enhancing industrial maturity for sustainability. Learn more…
ResCoM: Championing closed-loop manufacturing
Resource Conservative Manufacturing (ResCoM) is another project that leverages ShareAspace, co-funded by the European Commission. ResCoM aims to overhaul the current “one-off” perspective prevalent in PLM systems to promote recycling and remanufacturing in the industrial ecosystem.
Problem and solution
The challenge lies in developing a framework to implement closed-loop manufacturing systems. To solve this, ResCoM extends the capabilities of Eurostep’s ShareAspace to support multi-lifecycle management. This includes introducing processes for remanufacturing and tracking product changes through multiple lifecycles. The project also brings a common web API to encourage developer participation.
Benefits
- First multi-lifecycle PLM platform: ResCoM aims to bridge the current gap in PLM software capabilities to support multiple life cycles.
- Enterprise-wide collaboration: It facilitates the integration of PLM tools for a comprehensive analysis of closed-loop systems, aiding informed decision-making.
- Efficient resource use: By fostering informed decisions, ResCoM expects to make closed-loop manufacturing more resource-efficient.
Conclusion: The future of PLM lies in sustainable collaboration
The evolution of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platforms like ShareAspace is unmistakable: they’re increasingly becoming crucial tools not just for streamlined product development but also for fostering sustainable industrial practices. As we’ve explored, the versatility of modern PLM systems in managing data, overseeing change, and facilitating collaboration allows them to be more than just a cog in the product development machine; they’re turning into the gears of sustainable transformation.
Case studies such as DSIP and ResCoM provide compelling evidence of this shift. DSIP, with its “Sustainability Fingerprint” tool, allows for early-stage design assessments that align both economic and ecological goals, while ResCoM takes a giant leap in addressing the limitations of current PLM software by supporting multiple life cycles and promoting closed-loop manufacturing. Both initiatives not only extend the capabilities of ShareAspace but also offer a blueprint for how PLM can be a fulcrum for sustainable innovation.
By integrating features that support a circular economy and efficient resource use, PLM platforms are poised to be invaluable assets in the industrial transition towards sustainability. It’s no longer just about getting products to market faster but also about doing so in a way that ensures we still have a market—and a world—to operate in for generations to come.
As the lines between product management and environmental responsibility continue to blur, one thing is certain: the future of PLM is green, and it’s a future that’s already being built today.
