Short answer
When designing products and their associated supply chains, adopt an integrative assessment approach that explicitly models and balances environmental impact with economic viability across all tiers.
- Field
- Sustainability
- Source
- Production Planning & Control (2019)
- Method
- Case Study and Method Development
- Evidence
- Strong effect
An eco-intensity based performance assessment method can integrate environmental and economic considerations within complex supply chains, mitigating inherent tensions. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in Production Planning & Control. Using Case study and method development, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing products and their associated supply chains, adopt an integrative assessment approach that explicitly models and balances environmental impact with economic viability across all tiers.
Eco-intensity modelling balances environmental and economic goals in multi-tier supply chains
An eco-intensity based performance assessment method can integrate environmental and economic considerations within complex supply chains, mitigating inherent tensions.
Production Planning & Control · 2019
Key Findings
- 01An integrative approach can address tensions between environmental and economic sustainability dimensions.
- 02The eco-intensity based method provides a balanced consideration of environmental and economic performance.
- 03The approach facilitates sustainable supplier evaluation and identifies supply chain hotspots for improvement.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing products and their associated supply chains, adopt an integrative assessment approach that explicitly models and balances environmental impact with economic viability across all tiers.
How to apply
When evaluating potential suppliers or redesigning product supply chains, use a framework that quantifies both environmental metrics (e.g., carbon footprint, waste generation) and economic metrics (e.g., cost, lead time) for each stage and component.
Project actions
- 01When researching your product's supply chain, consider the environmental and economic impacts beyond your immediate suppliers.
- 02Look for ways to quantify and compare different sustainability metrics alongside cost factors.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Addresses a critical gap in integrating environmental and economic sustainability.
- +Provides a practical, data-driven method applicable to real-world supply chains.
Limitations
Gathering accurate data from multiple organizations in a supply chain can be challenging and time-consuming.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity is strengthened by its application to a real-world case study. Reliability would depend on the consistency of data collection and the robustness of the eco-intensity calculation method.
Think critically
To what extent can a single 'eco-intensity' score truly capture the multifaceted nature of sustainability, and what are the risks of oversimplification?
Design Principles
"Holistic sustainability assessment: Evaluate environmental and economic performance concurrently across the entire product lifecycle and supply chain."
Designers and engineers often face pressure to optimize for cost while simultaneously meeting environmental targets. This research offers a framework to systematically evaluate these competing demands across an entire supply chain, not just direct suppliers, enabling more holistic and effective decision-making.
What This Means for Your Design
This research shows how to create a score that measures both how 'green' and how 'cheap' a whole supply chain is, helping companies make better decisions.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use the concept of integrative assessment to justify design choices that balance environmental and economic factors.
- 2.Refer to this research when discussing the limitations of focusing solely on cost or environmental impact in isolation.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights the importance of an integrative approach to sustainability assessment, demonstrating how eco-intensity modelling can balance environmental and economic considerations within multi-tier supply chains. This framework is valuable for evaluating design choices that impact both ecological footprint and commercial viability.
Source
Production Planning & Control
An integrative approach to assess environmental and economic sustainability in multi-tier supply chains
journal · 2019
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about eco-intensity modelling balances environmental and economic goals in multi-tier supply chains?
- When designing products and their associated supply chains, adopt an integrative assessment approach that explicitly models and balances environmental impact with economic viability across all tiers. Evidence: Production Planning & Control (2019).
- Why does "Eco-intensity modelling balances environmental and economic goals in multi-tier supply chains" matter for design?
- Designers and engineers often face pressure to optimize for cost while simultaneously meeting environmental targets. This research offers a framework to systematically evaluate these competing demands across an entire supply chain, not just direct suppliers, enabling more holistic and effective decision-making.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing products and their associated supply chains, adopt an integrative assessment approach that explicitly models and balances environmental impact with economic viability across all tiers.
- What were the main findings?
- An integrative approach can address tensions between environmental and economic sustainability dimensions.. The eco-intensity based method provides a balanced consideration of environmental and economic performance.. The approach facilitates sustainable supplier evaluation and identifies supply chain hotspots for improvement.
- What research method was used?
- Case Study and Method Development.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2019 journal from Production Planning & Control.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When evaluating potential suppliers or redesigning product supply chains, use a framework that quantifies both environmental metrics (e.g., carbon footprint, waste generation) and economic metrics (e.g., cost, lead time) for each stage and component.
- What are the limitations?
- The effectiveness of the method is dependent on the availability and accuracy of primary data from all participating organizations within the supply chain.