Product service systems

As an independent product design consultant I've been getting more requests from clients for sustainable design solutions. I can see how Okala and SM can help me navigate these waters, but how do I integrate this approach into my business practice?

By Steve Belletire on July 31, 2009

I’m glad to hear you’re getting such requests. More companies are now seeing the value of ecodesign strategies. Regarding your question being engaged with this site is a good indication you are serious about providing ecodesign options to your clients. And the Okala methodology and other resources available via Sustainable Minds can provide a solid foundation for delivering quality services.

However, what isn’t included is the practical knowledge to transfer this information into part of a consulting service mix. This response offers you and other consultants a simple framework for how to best integrate ecodesign services.

This information is available in detailed form in a new Greenleaf publication, Consulting for Business Sustainability. Chapter 12, A Guide to Sustainable Design Consulting, directly addresses your question and it is my contribution to the book. I’ll provide an outline of the key practice points within the chapter, but I recommend you obtain the publication. http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/consult

1: Do your homework First, a company must have a genuine appetite for developing more environmentally responsible products and/or processes. Be certain your client views this approach as strategic to their business future and not just a short-term marketing detail. Start by acquiring information regarding corporate mission statements on the environment, current supply chain practices, any ‘low hanging fruit’ processes underway – anything that helps you get a fix on how the company perceives and communicates its environmental role.

Certifications & labeling, Designers , Electronics, Life cycle assessment, Manufacturing , Marketing, Materials & processes, Packaging, Product service systems, Products, Software & systems , Standards & regulations , Strategies, Supply chain, Sustainability paradox, Sustainable Europe , Teamwork

Can you give me some guidelines for determining the functional unit when doing an Okala assessment?

By Louise St. Pierre on June 30, 2009

Good question – the functional unit is one of the first steps in doing an assessment. It can be very simple, but be aware that that simplicity can be deceiving. By choosing the functional unit carefully, you leave options open for a variety of approaches and solutions – much like good framing for a design problem.

A functional unit should contain three characteristics, or precepts:

It should be a quantity of service that a user readily consumes.
It should include a physically measurable unit.
If the product involves time a part of the service, then a unit of time should be included.

Here are a few examples:

If you were assessing showers, for example, there would be many options for selecting your functional unit. Each would delimit the study in some way:

If you chose to assess Okala millipoints per showerhead itself (without water or energy consumption to heat the water), then designs that affect water consumption are not factored into the assessment.
If you chose Okala millipoints for one 8-minute hot shower, then the quantity of water would be assessed as a variable, depending on the quantity of water per minute that the showerhead releases.
If you chose Okala millipoints per 10 gallons of 110 degree Fahrenheit shower, the quantity of water and energy would be set, not variable.

Designers , Life cycle assessment, Manufacturing , Materials & processes, Product service systems, Products, Strategies