Remanufacturing Furniture: Mapping the Process Flow and Assessing Environmental Impact
Publicerad
Författare
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Purpose
This research has three main purposes. Firstly, to identify the key steps and critical activities
of the process of remanufacturing furniture. Secondly, to assess the environmental impact of
the process. Lastly, to provide targeted recommendations to improve the process of
remanufacturing furniture.
Methodology
The methodology used in this thesis is based on a multiple case study design. The data was
collected through document studies, one Gemba walk, and semi-structured interviews with six
different Swedish furniture SMEs. Thematic analysis was used to extract key findings and
support process mapping techniques, which were applied to visualise remanufacturing flows.
Moreover, a partial Life Cycle Assessment was conducted to assess the environmental
impacts specifically related to the remanufacturing stages.
Findings
The critical activities of remanufacturing are cost and workload appraisal, transportation, and
manual labour. As for the environmental impact, it is clear that remanufacturing a piece of
furniture for 15 years still has less impact on the environment than producing new furniture
that lasts for 15 years. As for the targeted recommendations, they include digital tools,
modularity, related technology, improve logistics, inter-company partnerships, and PaaS
model.
Implications
This thesis proposes a practical framework combining process mapping and environmental
assessment tailored for SMEs to visualise, evaluate, and improve their remanufacturing
processes. The findings provide actionable insights for companies aiming to align operational
practices with circular economy goals.
Delimitations
The case companies operate in Sweden and are categorised as furniture SMEs. The
assessment is limited to the remanufacturing process and the environmental impact. Further
research may be needed to improve the generalisability of all the findings discussed in this
research.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Circular economy, Remanufacturing, Process mapping, Flowchart, LCA, Furniture industry, Sustainability, SMEs