Spring is finally here, and so is a new update on the Product Service Systems in the Nordics project!
The PSS pilot projects are in swift progress, and many interesting new findings have been established within each pilot. Examining value chains and how they develop when expanding a PSS business to new markets is in the works. The environmental impacts of the PSS companies are being assessed. New exciting business model components that promote the sharing economy and circular consumption are being investigated for implementation in relevant PSS companies. Furthermore, most pilot projects are currently working on the examination and mapping of customer journeys for the PSS companies – more on that will be published in the May newsletter!
Parallel to the pilot project assessment, April has been a month of workshops. In the beginning of the month, all PSS pilot companies were invited to participate in an in-house workshop. The workshop aimed to create a knowledge-sharing space and encourage collaborative problem-solving among all PSS companies. During the workshop, the PSS companies identified the main barriers experienced when working with a circular business model and possible solutions to these. The PSS companies also went through a reverse customer journey to identify pain points throughout the business model, both in the customer service part and in the logistics behind-the-scenes part of the models.
Findings from the projects and workshop were also brought to this year’s World Circular Economy Forum, held in Brussels this April! Norion was invited by WCEF to do a presentation on the Nordic stage about Product Service Systems and how they can pave the way for circular consumption and production in Nordic countries. The forum gathers thinkers, doers, and leaders to speak and present their findings in relation to the circular economy and facilitates a forum for knowledge sharing. We at Norion are grateful to have had the opportunity to present the work conducted with the PSS companies at the forum.
Barriers and findings from the PSS workshop
Product pricing is difficult in a PSS. Pilot companies have identified that locals often find PSS solutions expensive, while visitors/tourists think PSS solutions are cheap. Showing the cost benefits of PSS solutions is also hard—high value is often found to be more important than sustainability.
There is a lack of knowledge exchange between markets in the Nordic countries. Therefore, engaging new customers in the local areas and across the Nordic markets can be difficult.
Quality control, repair, and maintenance of returned products use a lot of resources, equipment, employees, and time.
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