The Idea
Close cooperation between the Sustainable Distribution Laboratory and an institute for production technology and production processes enables holistic and sustainable solutions to be developed that cover the entire product life cycle. This not only promotes the development of environmentally friendly products, but also ensures that these products are brought to customers effectively and sustainably, giving the company a significant competitive advantage
The laboratory for sustainable distribution
The combination of a laboratory for sustainable distribution with a laboratory for production technology and production processes
The aim is to give companies the opportunity to develop holistic solutions in a protected environment that optimize both the manufacture and distribution of sustainable products.
The concept & The goal
The joint aim of the institute is to develop sustainable products and production processes that are supported by innovative sales strategies and processes. This creates an end-to-end sustainability approach from production to the end customer.
The laboratory can be "closed", i.e. company-specific, or "open", i.e. cross-company
In this way, "general topics" can be worked on in open groups and when it becomes more differentiated/specific, the company can switch to a "closed" lab and develop its own solution
Structure and Organization
1. Laboratory Structure:
- Department for Production Technology and Processes:
- Research and development of new production processes that conserve resources and are energy-efficient.
- Development of product variations that consist of sustainable/remanufactured materials and are produced sustainably.
- Sustainable Sales Department:
- Development and implementation of sales strategies for sustainable products.
- Training and support of sales teams in sustainable sales practices.
- Interdisciplinary teams:
- Formation of project teams that include experts from both departments to develop integrated solutions.
- Regular workshops and meetings to promote the exchange of knowledge and drive forward joint projects.
Strategy
1. Synergy Benefits:
- Cooperative development:
- Joint projects to develop new, sustainable product lines in which production and sales work together from the outset.
- Use of expertise from both areas to create products that can not only be produced sustainably, but also marketed effectively.
- Sustainability as a core principle:
- Integrating sustainable principles into all aspects of product development and distribution.
- Develop guidelines and standards for sustainability that are applied throughout the institute.
2. Promotion of Innovation:
- Technology and digitalization:
- Using the latest technologies, such as AI and data analysis, to optimize both production processes and sales strategies.
- Use of digital platforms to promote knowledge sharing and conduct virtual meetings and training sessions.
- Sustainable materials research:
- Researching and developing new materials that are more sustainable while meeting customer requirements.
- Testing and validating these materials in production to ensure their suitability for practical use.
Processes
1. Development Process:
- Iterative development:
- Application of agile methods in both production and sales in order to be able to react quickly to market changes and new findings.
- Regular feedback loops between production and sales to enable continuous improvements.
- Pilot projects:
- Running pilot projects to test new production processes and sales strategies on a smaller scale before implementing them on a large scale.
- Use pilot projects to collect data and evaluate the effectiveness of the new approaches.
2. Sustainability Assessment:
- Life cycle analysis (LCA):
- Application of life cycle analysis to assess the environmental impact of products from raw material extraction to disposal.
- Use of LCA results to optimize production processes and distribution strategies.
- Sustainability reports:
- Producing regular reports on progress and achievements in the areas of sustainable production and distribution.
- Communicating these reports to stakeholders to create transparency and trust.
Methods
1. Design Thinking:
- Application of design thinking to develop customer-oriented and sustainable solutions.
- Involving customers in the development process in order to better understand their needs and expectations.
2. Circular Economy:
- Promoting the circular economy by developing products that are recyclable or reusable.
- Implementation of take-back systems and recycling programs in sales.
3. cooperation and partnerships:
- Building partnerships with other institutes, companies and NGOs to share knowledge and resources.
- Participation in networks and initiatives that promote sustainable production and distribution.