Development of Manufacturing Sustainability Assessment Using Systems Thinking

Abstract

Abstract:The existing body of knowledge in sustainability assessment of manufacturing indicates that although extensive research is going on, significant shortcomings remain unsolved. In this paper, the specific needs of a new sustainability assessment system are discussed. Systems thinking is suggested as an alternative to the reductionist approach which is commonly applied to sustainability assessment. Although previous research has recognized the potential of systems thinking applied to sustainability assessment, few practical examples have been demonstrated. Therefore, this article focuses on a practical application of systems thinking to the development of a sustainability assessment system of a manufacturing organization. A framework for development is proposed employing systems thinking. It is suggested that systems thinking reveals several aspects usually not addressed by the reductionist approaches. It is demonstrated that a combination of tools like analysis of multiple viewpoints, conceptagon, seven samurai, and model-based systems engineering can enhance a development of a suitable assessment systems.

Testing and Verification of a New Corporate Sustainability Assessment Method for Manufacturing: A Multiple Case Research Study

“…">Corporate Sustainability AssessmentDespite being a relatively new research discipline, sustainability assessment already has a coherent body of research that explores a variety of topics. The major topics are SA definitions [26,27], the purpose of assessments [28][29][30][31], requirements to SA [29,30,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38], types of SA methods [39][40][41], and criteria to categorize the methods [42,43], shortcomings and challenges of SA [44][45][46][47][48], and applications of SA [49][50][51][52][53][54]. As stated by Pope et al [55], the term sustainability assessment Sustainability 2018, 10, 4121 3 of 40 is used to refer to both ex-post and ex-ante evaluative techniques or processes.…”

A systems perspective on contact centers and customer service reliability modeling

“…Previous research has successfully implemented systems thinking approaches to problems of different areas of knowledge. For instance, in the manufacturing domain, a systems perspective was taken for the development of a framework for sustainability assessment system and a conceptual factory ecosystem model to improve activities related to sustainability of production . In addition, systems perspective was applied to review the Defense Acquisition System for the U.S. Department of Defense, the development of a methodology for address cybersecurity, and to evaluate business model evolution .…”

Defining Organizational Context for Corporate Sustainability Assessment: Cross-Disciplinary Approach

“…Purposes of SA are defined by Waas et al [37] as (1) information generation for decision-making; (2) structuring complexity; (3) operationalization and forum for participation, debate and deliberation; and (4) social learning. In addition, Moldavska and Welo [38] formulate the purpose of SA as "to support decision makers, facilitating the identification of actions that they should undertake in the attempt to contribute to sustainable development". The authors also specified that SA should provide information about issues in the company that require improvements.…”

“…Moldavska and Welo conclude that focus on the CSAS and its connections with exterior systems may increase the applicability of CSA. Thus, the authors raised the importance of the following questions: (1) what kind of changes may occur in the company due to the application of CSA; and (2) what does the company need to change in order to use CSA [38].…”

“…Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) as a system has been discussed by Bina [16], who argue that conceptualizing and exploring SEA as a system allows focusing on the relationship between planning processes, assessment and the context in which both are implemented. Furthermore, the definition of CSA in the organizations is given by Moldavska and Welo [38] as "a system that addresses [manufacturing] organization and provides valuable input to decision-makers regarding sustainable development". The term CSA is used by authors to define any analytical technique (e.g., guideline, algorithm, software) to evaluate organizational sustainability performance and people involved in data collection, data analysis and communication with decision makers.…”