Circular Production Management
Strategies for accelerating the transition from linear to circular production operations
Time: Wed 2024-06-05 10.00
Location: C1 (Casesal), Kvarnbergagatan 12, Södertälje
Language: English
Subject area: Production Engineering
Doctoral student: Emma Lindahl , Produktionsutveckling, Production Management
Opponent: docent Patricia van Loon, Chalmers tekniska universitet
Supervisor: Professor Monica Bellgran, Produktionsutveckling, Mälardalens universitet; Seyoum Eshetu Birkie, Processledning och hållbar produktion
Abstract
The manufacturing industry is searching for ways to reduce its use of natural resources but at the same time remain a business and be competitive. Production companies have seen the possibilities ofcircularity in production, which could bring new business opportunities when steering production towards closed-loop production systems. This licentiate thesis is focused on production operations, a central function in the production company that directly creates value for the customer in the manufacturing stage. Previous research shows that circularity could work as a strategy for the production company to reach the UN Sustainable Development goals. Previous research has focused on circularity in theproduct development stage and the design of production systems.However, little literature has focused on how established production operations practically change from their current linear production to a circular production. This licentiate thesis investigates how the production operation works with circularity transition today, and in what ways the production operation is supported to reach circularity goals. To address thementioned literature gap, research studies have been carried out by production companies in Sweden. Findings from the studies show similarities between the investigated companies regarding the scope and definition of the adopted circularity strategy, lack of clarified goals and lack of strategies in managing the production towards the anticipated direction. However, based on common circularity principles adopted from literature and managerial data generated from company interviews, themes and concepts were discovered that could give general recommendations anddirections for production companies to accelerate the transition from linear to circular production. The findings from the empirically driven investigations provide valuable insights into how circular transition couldbe managed in practice and which obstacles may arise and be overcome.The main contribution is three main aspects, circular production strategy, management systems and standards, which are identified as the enginethat in close connection with production operations drives the circularity transition. The practical contribution of this thesis addresses the lack of practical guidance on how manufacturing companies actually couldachieve circular production.