A process-based approach to operationalize life cycle assessment through the development of an eco-design decision-support system

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is recognized as a powerful method to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product. However, its use in product development processes remains marginal. While authors have advanced different technical solutions to facilitate or accelerate the conduct of an LCA, current methods are generally still not adapted to designers, who often lack the time and expertise to make use of LCA results in their day-to-day activities. This paper addresses the issue by proposing a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) methodology that can be used to develop suitable Decision-Support Systems (DSS). These systems would enhance the use of LCA results in early design phases. The development of such a tool in a particular case study illustrates how its development is aligned with the current designer expectations and constraints. The case study is built on the results of a previous LCA of a known strategic product and includes a library with existing newly characterized materials and components, making it possible to evaluate several design alternatives from an environmental and cost perspective, using LCA as a predictive tool rather than a retrospective one.