Design for Environment Specific DFE Generic DFE DFE Checklists Green Accountin Life Cycle Assessments Green Supplier Management Green Design Tools Green Business Planning FIGURE 111.2 Examples of DFE activities within the firm. in sectors outside electronics, such as a poorly coordinated, polluting, or even non-existent disposal and material recycling system in some areas of the world. Moreover, it is important to realize that DFE recognizes environ mental considerations as on par with other objective and constraints--such as economic, technological, and market structure--not as superseding or dominating them. Nonetheless, if properly implemented, DFE pro grams represent a quantum leap forward in the way private firms integrate environmental concerns into their operations and technology. It is useful to think of dFE within the firm as encompassing two different groups of activities as shown in Fig 111.2. In all cases, DFE activities require inclusion of life-cycle considerations in the analytical process. The first, which might be styled"generic DFE, involves the implementation of broad programs that make the companys operations more environmentally preferable across the board. This might include, for example development and implementation of"green accounting"practices, which ensure that relevant environmental costs are broken out by product line and process, so that they can be managed down. The standard components lists maintained by many companies can be reviewed to ensure that they direct the use of environmentally opropriate components and products wherever possible. Thus, for example, open relays might be deleted from ch lists, on the grounds that they"cant swim,", and thus might implicitly establish a need for chlorinated solvent, as opposed to aqueous, cleaning systems Contract provisions can be reviewed to ensure that suppliers are being directed to use environmentally preferable technologies and materials where possible. For example, are virgin materials being required where contracts,standards, and specifications clearly call for the use of recycled material where they meet relevant performance requirements? Likewise, customer and internal standards and specifi cations can be reviewed with the same goal in mind o The second group of DFE activities can be thought of as"specific DFE". Here, DFE is considered as a module existing product realization processes, specifically the"Design for X, or DEX, systems used by many electronics manufacturers. The method involves creation of software tools and checklists, similar to those used in Design for Manufacturability, Design for Testability, or Design for Safety modules that ensure relevant environmental considerations are also included in the design process from the beginning. The challenge is create modules which, in keeping with industrial ecology theory, are broad, comprehensive, and systems-based, yet can be defined well enough to be integrated into current design activities. The successful application of dfe to the design of electronic systems requires the coordination of several design and data-based activities, such as environmental impact metrics; data and data management; design optimization, including cost assessments; and others. Failure to address any of these aspects can limit the effectiveness and usefulness of DFE efforts. Data and methodological deficiencies abound, and the challenge is great, yet experience at world class companies such as AT&T, Digital, IBM, Motorola, Siemens Nixdorf, Volvo, and Xerox indicate that it can be done. aT&T, for example, is testing a draft dFE practice; baselining the environmental attributes of a telephone at different life cycle stages to determine where meaningful environmental e 2000 by CRC Press LLC© 2000 by CRC Press LLC in sectors outside electronics, such as a poorly coordinated, polluting, or even non-existent disposal and material recycling system in some areas of the world. Moreover, it is important to realize that DFE recognizes environ￾mental considerations as on par with other objective and constraints—such as economic, technological, and market structure—not as superseding or dominating them. Nonetheless, if properly implemented, DFE pro￾grams represent a quantum leap forward in the way private firms integrate environmental concerns into their operations and technology. It is useful to think of DFE within the firm as encompassing two different groups of activities as shown in Fig. 111.2. In all cases, DFE activities require inclusion of life-cycle considerations in the analytical process. The first, which might be styled “generic DFE”, involves the implementation of broad programs that make the company’s operations more environmentally preferable across the board. This might include, for example, development and implementation of ‘‘green accounting” practices, which ensure that relevant environmental costs are broken out by product line and process, so that they can be managed down. The “standard components” lists maintained by many companies can be reviewed to ensure that they direct the use of environmentally appropriate components and products wherever possible. Thus, for example, open relays might be deleted from such lists, on the grounds that they “can’t swim”, and thus might implicitly establish a need for chlorinated solvent, as opposed to aqueous, cleaning systems. Contract provisions can be reviewed to ensure that suppliers are being directed to use environmentally preferable technologies and materials where possible. For example, are virgin materials being required where they are unnecessary? Do contracts, standards, and specifications clearly call for the use of recycled materials where they meet relevant performance requirements? Likewise, customer and internal standards and specifi- cations can be reviewed with the same goal in mind. The second group of DFE activities can be thought of as “specific DFE”. Here, DFE is considered as a module of existing product realization processes, specifically the “Design for X”, or DFX, systems used by many electronics manufacturers. The method involves creation of software tools and checklists, similar to those used in Design for Manufacturability, Design for Testability, or Design for Safety modules that ensure relevant environmental considerations are also included in the design process from the beginning. The challenge is to create modules which, in keeping with industrial ecology theory, are broad, comprehensive, and systems-based, yet can be defined well enough to be integrated into current design activities. The successful application of DFE to the design of electronic systems requires the coordination of several design and data-based activities, such as environmental impact metrics; data and data management; design optimization, including cost assessments; and others. Failure to address any of these aspects can limit the effectiveness and usefulness of DFE efforts. Data and methodological deficiencies abound, and the challenge is great, yet experience at world class companies such as AT&T, Digital, IBM, Motorola, Siemens Nixdorf, Volvo, and Xerox indicate that it can be done. AT&T, for example, is testing a draft DFE practice; baselining the environmental attributes of a telephone at different life cycle stages to determine where meaningful environmental FIGURE 111.2 Examples of DFE activities within the firm