How do I develop sustainable products
When we talk about sustainability, one of the most important aspects to consider is the entire lifecycle of the product. This includes the development, manufacturing, use, and post-use stages. By evaluating the product at every stage of its lifecycle, we can better optimize our sustainability efforts and achieve the best overall results.
As responsible companies, it is our responsibility to take the lead in reducing our environmental impact, regardless of legislative decisions. We must be proactive in finding ways to minimize the negative impact of our operations on the environment and be willing to initiate the necessary changes to achieve this goal. By taking a proactive approach, we can set an example for other companies and work towards creating a more sustainable future.
How to develop sustainable products in Supply Chain?
Given the significant environmental impact of supply chain´s products, it is essential to assess their lifecycle as early as the development phase. This is because approximately 80% of a product's environmental impact can be mitigated during this stage. By starting our assessment early, we can take proactive steps to reduce the environmental impact of our products and contribute to a more sustainable future.
At Körber, sustainability is a top priority. We are dedicated to finding ways to improve the sustainability of our products and support our customers in achieving the same goal. Some of the internal activities and new developments we are working on include:
- Developing modular products that can be easily customized to meet the needs of our customers. This not only increases flexibility, but it also helps to extend the lifetime of a system or warehouse, reducing the need for over-dimensioning or expansion, which can help to reduce the environmental footprint and energy consumption.
- Developing products that can increase the storage density of warehouses. This can have a direct impact on energy consumption, particularly in industries such as cold storage.
- Implementing solutions for data analysis, including energy consumption, to provide our customers with transparency about their operating conditions. By combining this data with artificial intelligence, we can help our customers make more informed equipment selection decisions and improve the efficiency of their operations through digital insights.
Overall, our focus is on finding ways to bring value and contribute to the sustainability of our products and our customers through these and other initiatives.
Our products are designed for continuous operation over their lifetime, with movements to transport goods. In order to improve sustainability, we focus on reducing the weight of our products, as this has a direct impact on energy consumption.
To achieve this, our teams are implementing a range of improvements across all of our products, including topological optimizations, energy regeneration solutions, the use of green materials, and high-efficiency drives.
These initiatives are just the beginning of our journey. By working together, we aim to achieve the shared goal of our five business areas: to create a better life for current and future generations through our activities. Nevertheless, our goal is to continuously improve the sustainability of our products and operations, and we are committed to finding innovative ways to do so.
About the Körber Business Area Supply Chain
Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber uniquely provides a broad range of proven, end-to-end supply chain solutions fitting any business size, strategy or appetite for growth. Capable of delivering software, automation, voice, robotics, and materials handling – plus the expertise to tie it all together. We are a global partner not just for today, but also as the needs of supply chains continue to evolve. Conquer supply chain complexity – with Körber. The Business Area Supply Chain is part of the global technology group Körber.
Find out more onwww.koerber-supplychain.com
Author
Joaquim Soares
Head of R&D
Körber Supply Chain
joaquim.soares.ferreira@koerber.com
