Process standardization for product regulatory requirements: an effort to improve environmental compliance and organizational efficiency
Barkoumi, Albert Mumin (2022)
2022
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060615844
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060615844
Tiivistelmä
Environmental regulations for electrical and electronic equipment are updated regularly, and a producer supplying products globally must adhere to environmental regulations in their distribution countries. The pace at which regulations are updated, expectations of regulations, and increased supply chain complexity pose challenges for medium to large producers.
To support a company’s strategy for standardizing an environmental compliance process, the requirements, regulatory framework, relevant technical standards, and an analysis of the company’s environmental compliance process were reviewed. Discussions were held with key company employees to understand their process gaps.
The main gaps affecting the process include the escalations for data collection, the undefined roles and responsibilities for managing materials containing hazardous substances, data collection for components of new products, and generating a region-specific scope for component data collection.
A standardized environmental compliance process consists of an understanding of the regulatory framework for the products in scope, affected product components, clarified roles and responsibilities across relevant business functions, and regard to environmental aspects in supplier and material risk management. The process could be supplemented by a sampling strategy for high-risk components and by reducing the use of components in the scope of the regulatory framework.
To support a company’s strategy for standardizing an environmental compliance process, the requirements, regulatory framework, relevant technical standards, and an analysis of the company’s environmental compliance process were reviewed. Discussions were held with key company employees to understand their process gaps.
The main gaps affecting the process include the escalations for data collection, the undefined roles and responsibilities for managing materials containing hazardous substances, data collection for components of new products, and generating a region-specific scope for component data collection.
A standardized environmental compliance process consists of an understanding of the regulatory framework for the products in scope, affected product components, clarified roles and responsibilities across relevant business functions, and regard to environmental aspects in supplier and material risk management. The process could be supplemented by a sampling strategy for high-risk components and by reducing the use of components in the scope of the regulatory framework.