The pioneers of green change: data-driven companies in the circular economy
According to the study "Europe's Changing Industry," three out of four companies are already on the way to a true circular economy. They are thus coming ever closer to the goal of fully sustainable business. What is striking here is that companies that already use product lifecycle management (PLM) find the transformation much easier.
For a study, the product innovation platform Aras surveyed more than 440 top decision-makers from 19 European countries. "The classic throwaway economy has had its day. In its place is a production model based on reuse and recycling. But for the transition from linear resource processing with landfill as the final destination to the circular economy to succeed, companies need to rethink and plan their development and production processes, including the subsequent recycling processes," says Jens Rollenmüller, managing director of Aras Germany. Aras' technology enables the rapid deployment of flexible, extensible solutions that increase the adaptability of companies.
The circular economy is now no longer just an empty promise in many areas of industry, but is being actively implemented. According to the study, 57 percent of respondents said they were already well on the way to a true circular economy, and 20 percent even said they were very far along. Increasing digitization plays an important role in supporting this sustainability approach. In fact, 26 percent of companies that already use PLM consider themselves to be pioneers in the area of sustainability.
For Rollenmüller, this is also confirmation that a PLM solution enables holistic and collaborative working through the smooth exchange of data and information. He says: "PLM provides companies with a control center that enables the necessary data transfer for cycle-oriented management. For example, information on the recycling of individual components can be adapted again and again throughout the product's life and made available to the design engineers.
Success in sustainability: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Companies that use PLM are particularly strong in the areas of Reduce (lowest possible resource use), Reuse (high reuse rate) and Recycle (high reuse rate). This software integrates not only the design and manufacturing phases, but also data from the supply and customer chain, facilitating sustainability throughout the value cycle. This opens up new opportunities and business models, such as energy savings, innovative product development, and entry into a circular economy.
Source: www.aras.com
