How do you update and improve your product-service system LCA over time?

To continuously enhance your product-service system's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), it's crucial to consistently gather accurate data on each stage of the system's life cycle while engaging stakeholders for feedback. Integrate innovative technologies to minimize environmental impacts, stay compliant with evolving regulations, and update assessment methodologies to reflect advancements. Optimize the supply chain for sustainability, continuously monitor environmental performance, and embed life cycle thinking into decision-making processes. These steps ensure ongoing improvement and effectiveness in guiding sustainable practices within your product-service system.

1. Functional Unit Definition: Consider what aspect of your PSS represents its primary function or utility. For example, if it's a car-sharing service, the functional unit could be defined by kilometers traveled or number of trips taken. 2. System Boundaries: Determine which stages and processes of your PSS will be included in your assessment. This could involve everything from raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use phase, maintenance, to end-of-life considerations. 3.Data Sources: Identify reliable sources for quantifying inputs and outputs at each stage of your PSS. Utilize databases, literature, surveys, or direct measurements to gather necessary data.

To update and improve your product-service system Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) over time, establish a routine process for collecting and analyzing data from each stage of the product's life cycle. Regularly review and incorporate the latest industry standards, methodologies, and technologies to ensure accuracy. Engage with stakeholders, including suppliers and customers, to gather insights and feedback. Implement continuous monitoring to identify areas for improvement and update your LCA model accordingly. Document changes and improvements systematically, ensuring transparency and consistency in your assessments. This ongoing refinement helps maintain the relevance and effectiveness of your LCA.

To update and improve your Product-Service System (PSS) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), begin by identifying key environmental parameters such as energy consumption, emissions, waste generation, and resource use across all stages of your PSS. Review and revise existing data to reflect current conditions, considering technological advancements, regulatory changes, and market influences. Simultaneously, capture data on new aspects like new service features, product designs, or partnerships that were not previously included. Use reliable methods such as interviews, questionnaires, or direct measurements to ensure data accuracy and consistency, and validate data against industry standards or peer-reviewed sources.

The importance of updates cannot be overstated: products and services change and evolve, processes increase in efficiency, and the data we have for a model changes with time. We're unfortunately used to LCA studies that are static (reports) and that get published and forgotten. I always recommend to use tools that let you maintain your models up-to-date (bonus points if you can automate that automation), so they can be readily used by decision-makers.

I'd argue even further: you should be constantly tracking comparing your impacts. The paragraph mentions 3 tools that are often used statically, but I'd argue that's leaving value on the table. Disclaimer: I've been involved in the development of Earthster, which has as key strength living-LCA models. Naturally, I believe this is where LCA is going, and how practitioners need to see it for it to be more meaningful in business decisions.

Implement a "green innovation challenge" or sustainability hackathon where employees collaborate to develop creative solutions to environmental challenges. Provide resources, mentorship, and recognition for successful initiatives that contribute to improving the product-service system LCA

From my experience Technology and Process Improvements: Implement technological advancements and process improvements to reduce resource consumption, energy usage, emissions, and waste generation throughout the product's life cycle.Supply Chain Optimization: Work with suppliers and partners to optimize the supply chain, minimize transportation distances, and select environmentally friendly materials and components.Customer Engagement: Educate customers about the environmental impacts of the product and encourage sustainable consumption behaviors, such as proper use, maintenance, and disposal