What can I do?
LCM is a dynamic, flexible process - organisations may start with small goals and objectives with the resources they have, and get more ambitious over time.
Making it happen
There are three things to bear in mind for implementing Life Cycle Management successfully in your organisation:
- Any organisation, large or small, can implement LCM, as different ambitions and ability levels can still lead to good LCM practices and benefits. LCM can and must be tailored to suit the organisation.
- The LCM program should ultimately involve many levels of an organisation, with the highest level of support and priority from management, but will often start in one functional area of the business.
- LCM involves strategies and programs that influence action beyond facility boundaries. This can involve elements of (or all) products, services, and stakeholders, and the entire supply chain, including suppliers, retail stores, authorities, and consumers.
Involving many levels within the organisation
Life Cycle Management is not a task to be assigned strictly to an individual in a business, nor should it be limited to a head office function. Initially it may have to be, but the aim should be to eventually integrate it across the business. All staff members can be encouraged to contribute toward adopting a
Life Cycle Management approach by developing a life cycle culture within the organisation.
It may be appropriate for you to go one step further, actively seeking out information to better understand and address life cycle issues as they impact your specific business operations. Depending on your company's size and type, you may also choose to train some employees in specific
Life Cycle Management skills and learn to apply certain life cycle tools.
In practice, senior management can lend their support by ensuring the necessary resources have been set aside to support your LCM initiatives by participating in setting strategic goals and ensuring these goals and targets are communicated across the organisation and the employees involved in the initiative feel that their ideas and suggestions are taken seriously.
Key roles and actions
Listed below and in associated pages are some ideas and examples for applying Life
Cycle Management in a selection of functional areas across an organisation. Opportunities for involving staff are certainly not limited to these five job roles, nor do you need to follow all of the suggestions (as they may not be applicable to your industry). The intention is simply to show that LCM is 'doable' by a wide range of employees, and that they all have an invaluable role to play in reaching your goal of a better way of doing business.
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Strategic Management
Strategic managers and strategic planning processes can build corporate commitment to Life Cycle Management by ensuring that it is reflected in the company's corporate policy and strategic direction, and informs strategic planning. -
Product Design
Product Designers are critical in the Life Cycle Management process because it is at the design stage when the environmental impact across all stages of the product will be largely determined. As such, through improved product design they can generate improved environmental outcomes across the life cycle. -
Procurement
Procurement personnel can have an active role in increasing dialogue with suppliers to improve Life Cycle Management practices and communicate the benefits of environmentally responsible procurement within the organisation. -
Management Accounting
Implementing LCM in management accounting means identifying, assessing and reporting on a broader range of environmental impacts and costs. Management accountants can play a pivotal role in sharing this valuable data with internal decision makers to initiate change and identify improvements. -
Marketing and Communications
As the hub of communications in an organisation, and to the external market, marketing and communications professionals play a crucial role in creating meaning around Life Cycle Management and demonstrating the value it delivers.
Life Cycle Management Tools
Life Cycle Management uses both qualitative and quantitative analysis to assess the environmental impact of your business operations. For example: undertaking a mapping exercise of your business operations will help your business to identify the greatest environmental impacts. Or to begin with, you could list all of the inputs and outputs for a single unit process. These steps alone will highlight business opportunities of improving efficiency by identifying duplicative processes, for example, and paint a broader picture of your business operations and relationships with suppliers and customers. If it will add value to your business to quantify some areas of impact, or identify which product would be best to include in your operations, there are a number of tools available, including Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
Qualitative life cycle tools
- Tool 1: Life cycle mapping for products, services and your business
- Tool 2: Identifying your inputs and outputs
- Tool 3: Design checklist
- Tool 4: Engaging your suppliers
- Tool 5: Setting priorities.
Quantitative Tools
- Life Cycle Assessment
- Ecological Footprint
