Innovative companies are learning how they can both reduce the bottom line and champion the environment. International standards and government mandates have driven companies, especially manufacturing companies, to Design for the Environment. As the ability to measure and monitor a company's environmental impact increases, companies are experiencing greater scrutiny regarding their sustainability practices. Green NPD reviews the various ways companies can reduce their environmental impact while improving the corporate and customer experience.
This course is designed to help students learn how to apply Design for the Environment (DfE ) to the product development process with or without executive support.
Participants will learn:
- The most successful examples of DfE as a source of innovation and differentiation.
- The role of nature to inspire sustainable innovation.
- The business case for DfE: how championing the environment is good for the bottom line.
- The relationship of DfE to design for manufacturability, serviceability and usability.
- The redefinition of end of life: design for upgradability, reuse, disassembly and recyclability
- How to insert DfE into your current product development culture and process.
- How to extend your green product development process to suppliers, partners and channels.
- The most useful websites to learn about standards, material ratings, and sustainability metrics to support your green new product development process.
The course will follow a highly interactive workshop format to ensure that the theory and best practices of Green NPD are understood. Participants will learn from case studies and in-class projects about how best to evaluate and apply DfE principles. Students are also encouraged to bring their own sustainability challenges to class to learn how to resolve them using DfE.
"Product Management: Moving the Product to Market" is recommended.
