Life cycle assessment integrated value stream mapping framework to ensure sustainable manufacturing: a case study

Abstract Sustainable manufacturing follows triple bottom line approach and requires a holistic manufacturing view across the product’s total life cycle. Traditional lean manufacturing tools do not account for environmental and societal benefits. In this context, this article presents a method for value stream mapping (VSM) integrated with life-cycle assessment (LCA) for ensuring sustainable manufacture. The proposed framework is capable of visualizing and assessing manufacturing process performance from sustainability view point. Also, desired future state of performance with minimal environmental impacts also has been developed. The proposed framework has been demonstrated with an application study. The environmental impacts in four major categories are being computed and compared. The key performance measures from environment, economy, and societal perspectives were compared and percentage improvement has been computed. Discussion about selection of appropriate disposal scenario for the selected product after its use phase is made and validated. The key contribution of the study is a practical framework for LCA-integrated VSM with a desired and improved future process scenario. The scientific value of the present study is that it has contributed a new framework for VSM integrated with LCA to ensure sustainable performance. The study provides insights to practitioners to visualize process performance from traditional and environmental perspectives.

[1]  Adisa Azapagic,et al.  Life cycle assessment of electricity generation in Mexico , 2011 .

[2]  A. Posner.  Learning to see. , 1955, Eye, ear, nose & throat monthly.

[3]  S. Sikdar.  Sustainability and recycle–reuse in process systems , 2007 .

[4]  Björn Johansson,et al.  Framework and indicators for a Sustainable Manufacturing Mapping methodology , 2010, Proceedings of the 2010 Winter Simulation Conference.

[5]  Mohammad Dadashzadeh,et al.  A Value Stream Approach For Greening The IT Department , 2012, BIOINFORMATICS 2012.

[6]  Shahed Shojaeipour,et al.  Sustainable manufacturing process planning , 2015 .

[7]  Angus Morrison-Saunders,et al.  Conceptualising sustainability assessment , 2004 .

[8]  Ezutah Udoncy Olugu,et al.  Fuzzy-based sustainable manufacturing assessment model for SMEs , 2014, Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy.

[9]  Fazleena Badurdeen,et al.  Visualizing Sustainability Performance of Manufacturing Systems using Sustainable Value Stream Mapping (Sus-VSM) , 2012 .

[10]  Alvin B. Culaba,et al.  A methodology for the life cycle and sustainability analysis of manufacturing processes , 1999 .

[11]  Jane C. Bare,et al.  Development of impact assessment methodologies for environmental sustainability , 2014, Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy.

[12]  J. Minx,et al.  A definition of “carbon footprint” , 2010 .

[13]  A. Hoekstra,et al.  Globalization of Water: Sharing the Planet's Freshwater Resources , 2008 .

[14]  Paul Young,et al.  Manufacturing and the environment , 1997 .

[15]  Mohammed A. Omar,et al.  Design for sustainability in automotive industry: A comprehensive review , 2012 .

[16]  Fazleena Badurdeen,et al.  Sustainable value stream mapping (Sus-VSM) in different manufacturing system configurations: application case studies , 2014 .

[17]  Ana Maria Gati,et al.  Environmental Value Stream Mapping (EVSM) as sustainability management tool , 2009, PICMET '09 - 2009 Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering & Technology.

[18]  Tomaso Poggio,et al.  Learning to see , 1996 .

[19]  William Faulkner,et al.  Sustainable Value Stream Mapping (Sus-VSM): methodology to visualize and assess manufacturing sustainability performance , 2014 .

[20]  Andrew Fearne,et al.  Sustainable Value Stream Mapping in the Food Industry , 2009 .

[21]  F. Frank Chen,et al.  Lean and green: A current state view , 2010 .

[22]  John R. Shook,et al.  Learning to See: Value Stream Mapping to Create Value and , 1998 .

[23]  P. V. Mohanram,et al.  Activity Based Costing in Value Stream Mapping , 2010 .

[24]  Linda Hendry,et al.  Proposing a world-class manufacturing concept for the make-to-order sector , 2002 .

[25]  Robert John Mason,et al.  Environmental and transport supply chain evaluation with sustainable value stream mapping , 2002 .

[26]  S. Vinodh,et al.  Environmental impact assessment of an automotive component using eco-indicator and CML methodologies , 2011, Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy.

[27]  H Kylian,et al.  Validation of a questionnaire for assessing physical work load. , 1999, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.