2 Scope definition

The results from an environmental assessment in the form of figures are not very often of interest as such. These figures do not make sense until they are used in a comparison. You would normally compare different alternatives like:

• Competitors product
  
• Next or previous generation product
  
• Different product concepts
  
  

Functional Unit

To be able to conduct a meaningful comparison you have to define the “Functional Unit” of the service the product or the system provides to the customer. The Functional unit must include a qualitative description of the service and quantification. The quantification must specify the duration, including the entire life span of the product.

Some examples of functional units are given below:

For some products (especially consumer products) you can divide the “Qualities” in some which are an essential part of the functionality and therefore mandatory and others which are used to attract a certain fragment of the customers. This could be features like smart design and certain games for a mobile phone.

When you later (in section 3) quantify the environmental impact this should be consistent with the functional unit.

By referring to the functional unit one will be able to compare different products that have different characteristics like comparing Paint A covering 20m²/liter requiring maintenance every 5^th year with Paint B covering 15m²/liter and requiring maintenance every 8^th year.

Task 2.1:

Define the functional unit for the case-product as described above!

Analysis of interested parties

The product has several stakeholders. They all have various environmental expectations to the product and they are all more or less influencing the success the product will obtain on the market. Some of the stakeholders do not refer specifically to the product, but are merely stakeholders to the company as such and not just to a specific product. In this context we will focus on the product/stakeholder relation well knowing that some relations are more company/stakeholder relations.

The most important interested parties are listed below. Dependent on the type of product, the market situation, the employment situation etc. these parties will be of varying importance.

• Internal:
  
  • Company management
    
  • Employees
    
  • Stockholders / Owners
    
    
• External:
  
  • Authorities as legislators
    
  • Authorities as supervisors/inspectors
    
  • Authorities as customers
    
  • Customers and customer’s customer (“the end user”)
    
  • Potential Employees
    
  • Potential Investors and banks
    
  • Insurance companies
    
  • The Public
    
  • The Media / Press
    
  • Suppliers
    
  • Retail stores
    
  • Waste management – and recycling companies
    
    

The scope of this assessment on concept level is not to perform a comprehensive “Product chain survey”. The purpose of this is to spot important environmental impacts or expectations related to the product.

Task 2.2:

Fill out the list below of the most important stakeholders and their relation to the product in terms of environmental impact or expectations to the environmental performance of the product!