5. Summary and conclusions
Traditionally, environmental management systems have
been location-based, addressing the impacts of local activities
on the environment. A product-based environmental management
system, in contrast, addresses the impacts hardware
products have on the environment. As the business model
has evolved environmental impacts of ‘‘location’’ activities
have decreased due to the outsourcing of manufacturing
activities, and as legal and customer product-based eco-environmental
requirements have continued to become more stringent,
a product-based environmental management system
appropriately aligns environmental issues with business drivers.
This approach proved to be a successful alternative to implementing
a stand-alone eco-design initiative managed by the
EH&S organization.
Integration of eco-design considerations as early as possible
into the product realization process offers the flexibility to
make changes and improvements to products. The choice of
specific eco-design solutions should achieve a reasonable balance
between the various environmental issues and other relevant
considerations such as safety and health, technical
requirements, functionality, quality, performance, and economic
aspects, including manufacturing costs and marketability,
while complying with all relevant legislation.
The initial milestones of the PBEMS project have been
reached. The PBEMS has been developed, implemented and
certified by a third-party. The Green Team is currently working
on the next phase of the project: continual environmental
performance improvement of wireless products. In addition,
during this phase the team will continue to set the direction
of EH&S management systems for Mobility Solutions, support
the Mobility Solutions goal of integrated QEH&S management
systems, and position Mobility Solutions EH&S management
systems for alignment with an initiative to integrate
QEH&S management systems across Lucent.
The Green Team continues to support EMS initiatives
through participation on cross-functional product development
teams, participation on process management teams, and by
supplying DFE subject matter expertise to the design and development
community. Team members remain responsible for
the coordination and success of semi-annual surveillance
audits required by the third-party registrar to maintain
certification.
Mobility Solutions has found that by addressing ecorequirements
in much the same way as other product requirements,
costs are reduced, speed to market is increased, and
products meet the quality and performance needs of customers
while complying with regulatory requirements. By following
the processes that have been put in place, Mobility
Solutions can continue to protect customers, the business,
and the environment. Mobility Solutions has proven that
a PBEMS is good for the environment and makes sound
business sense.