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engineering (LCE). It is one of the components of LCM. While LCM as a product
management system aims to improve the sustainability performance of a company
through minimizing environmental and socioeconomic burdens associated with an
organization’s value chain (Remmen et al. 2007), it has a narrower focus on the management and controlling of measures to improve the environmental profiles of a company’s products. It is a helpful management tool to support design for environment.
2.1 Success Factors for Life Cycle Engineering
Within the Company
The fundamental aim of life cycle engineering is the management and controlling of
measures for the improvement of the environmental profiles of products. However,
in order to implement and integrate LCE into corporate processes, there are some
key success factors to be considered:
Organization: In order to help assure a consistent implementation of life cycle engineering into the companies’ processes, the commitment of the top management
is crucial. Thus, the life-cycle based improvement of the vehicle fleet in terms of
environmental impact and resource conservation forms an integral part of
Volkswagen’s corporate policy and environmental strategy.
Analysis: The LCA methodology provides a comprehensive tool to both gain a
detailed insight in the environmental profile of a product and analyze the potentials for improvements. However, to be applicable, the LCA must be based on a
framework that ensures reliable and robust results derived within a reasonable
time frame, despite of the degree of complexity of the product under study.
Optimization: In order to transfer conclusions from the LCA into realistic and convertible improvements, it is necessary to translate the results into technical goals.
These have to be expressed in a form that is sufficiently specific to allow decisions and measures from an engineering point of view.
Communication: Environmental improvements in vehicles must be visible for customers and other stakeholders. It is therefore crucial to communicate about new
features and to inform customers and other relevant stakeholders about the activities and successes in developing environmentally friendly technologies and
products. For this purpose, the Volkswagen brand developed “Environmental
Commendations” (Warsen and Krinke 2012).
2.2 Integration of Life Cycle Engineering into Company
Processes
To successfully support the development of an ecologically advantageous new vehicle, it is crucial to obtain top management awareness and to implement life cycle
engineering in the company’s development processes.
F. Broch et al.
engineering (LCE). It is one of the components of LCM. While LCM as a product
management system aims to improve the sustainability performance of a company
through minimizing environmental and socioeconomic burdens associated with an
organization’s value chain (Remmen et al. 2007), it has a narrower focus on the management and controlling of measures to improve the environmental profiles of a company’s products. It is a helpful management tool to support design for environment.
2.1 Success Factors for Life Cycle Engineering
Within the Company
The fundamental aim of life cycle engineering is the management and controlling of
measures for the improvement of the environmental profiles of products. However,
in order to implement and integrate LCE into corporate processes, there are some
key success factors to be considered:
Organization: In order to help assure a consistent implementation of life cycle engineering into the companies’ processes, the commitment of the top management
is crucial. Thus, the life-cycle based improvement of the vehicle fleet in terms of
environmental impact and resource conservation forms an integral part of
Volkswagen’s corporate policy and environmental strategy.
Analysis: The LCA methodology provides a comprehensive tool to both gain a
detailed insight in the environmental profile of a product and analyze the potentials for improvements. However, to be applicable, the LCA must be based on a
framework that ensures reliable and robust results derived within a reasonable
time frame, despite of the degree of complexity of the product under study.
Optimization: In order to transfer conclusions from the LCA into realistic and convertible improvements, it is necessary to translate the results into technical goals.
These have to be expressed in a form that is sufficiently specific to allow decisions and measures from an engineering point of view.
Communication: Environmental improvements in vehicles must be visible for customers and other stakeholders. It is therefore crucial to communicate about new
features and to inform customers and other relevant stakeholders about the activities and successes in developing environmentally friendly technologies and
products. For this purpose, the Volkswagen brand developed “Environmental
Commendations” (Warsen and Krinke 2012).
2.2 Integration of Life Cycle Engineering into Company
Processes
To successfully support the development of an ecologically advantageous new vehicle, it is crucial to obtain top management awareness and to implement life cycle
engineering in the company’s development processes.
F. Broch et al.