Developing PSS strategies

ResCoM – Resource Conservative Manufacturing

• Multiple Lifecycle Product Design Tool: This ideation tool uses the Modular Function Deployment (MFD) method to plan for multiple product lifecycles, identifying modular interfaces and standardisation to support extended product use.
• Circular Calculator: An assessment tool that allows designers to evaluate how their strategic decisions affect the circularity of resource flows and the potential value capture of a PSS. It provides visual representations of mass and value flows based on reuse, remanufacturing, or recycling scenarios, enabling the exploration of different design solutions.
• Economic and Environmental Performance Tools: Tools such as the multi-method simulation tool, multiple product lifecycle management tool, and the MI: BoM Analyzer (Eco Audit Reports) provide detailed overviews of the business model’s economic and environmental performance. The MI: BoM Analyzer also assesses regulatory and supply chain risks associated with circular scenarios.

ready2LOOP

• MECO Analysis Tool: Screens products for environmental impact.
• Readiness Workshop Toolkit: Helps businesses identify and prioritise key areas for transitioning by assessing readiness dimensions.
• Circular Strategy Scanner: Provides an overview of circular economy strategies to inform decision-making.

The Circular Toolbox

• Getting started: This step provides foundational knowledge on circular business models, archetypes, and impact potential. It includes exercises and tools to ensure a shared understanding of Circular Economy and resources to identify relevant business models and their application in the market. Furthermore, team building, scoping intended outcomes with management and establishing company goals are also aspects supported by the tools provided in this module.
• Understanding the customer and the market: Here, tools assist in mapping, clustering, and analysing customer and market data for rental business models. This module offers “dos and don’ts” from established businesses, methods for identifying customer needs, and framing challenges as opportunities for new ideas. All the resources focus on helping you translate valuable customer and market insight into value propositions for your business model. 

• Prototyping your concept: This step guides the creation and testing of prototypes using a “Customer Journey Tool” and “Prototype Canvas”. The focus is on getting you to test and validate your concepts and ideas as early as possible, inexpensively. This entails engaging with feedback from your customers before you move on. 
• Fine-tuning your business model: After this module, you’ll have a clear blueprint of your resale or rental model, helping you identify the partnerships, decisions, and steps needed for a successful pilot launch. It will also help you assess if your model is financially viable, customer-friendly, and positively impacts people and the planet. Importantly, for PSS solutions, tools focused on challenges and opportunities when creating meaningful partnerships can be found in this module. 
• Piloting your business model: This final step provides tools for storytelling (“Get To By” or “Letter from a fan” tool), billboard design, and setting objectives, key results, and initiatives. This last module contains a bonus podcast episode with examples of how other companies have benefitted from their circular innovation process. It includes advice on what to avoid and focus on in your pilot execution. After this module, you will have concretised time horizons and scaling for your pilot launch. 

ATTC 2 toolbox  

• 15 diagnostic methods to assess readiness for change and identify areas that need improvement.
• 9 methods for facilitating organisational change, which can be applied by organisations themselves or external facilitators.
• 9 methods for creating and developing business ecosystems, intended for ecosystem leaders. 

Circular X tools

• Business for sufficiency database: This tool showcases publicly available data from organisations promoting sustainable consumption practices. A common challenge faced by PSS providers in the Nordics is the lack of market readiness and the persistence of traditional ownership patterns. The database provides real-world examples of companies tackling these issues through initiatives like awareness-raising, product life extension services, repair support, and personalised production. It serves as a source of inspiration for developing strategies aimed at circular business actions.
• Boundary tool: This process template is designed to help businesses engage in multi-stakeholder collaboration to enhance circular practices and foster innovation. Many Nordic PSS providers need to establish new partnerships for their solutions, and this tool facilitates the partnership selection process by focusing on complementarities and mismatches in stakeholder relationships, competencies, and activities. The template is structured as an activity wheel with five key steps, helping businesses navigate the complexities of partnership building.
• Circular rebound tool: This tool helps business innovators reduce the environmental impact of circular business models by addressing rebound effects. It’s designed for business designers, entrepreneurs, and consultants developing circular products or business ideas. If you’re working on a circular product or model, this tool can help you ensure that your solution truly reduces environmental impact. If you’re not actively working on a circular project, the tool can still be valuable for learning through role-playing with a case study.
• The Circular Experimentation Workbench: The Miro templates aim to help entrepreneurs and innovators rethink and refine their business models for the circular economy. It’s particularly useful for identifying low-cost, resource-efficient ideas to start experimenting with. Whether you’re part of a startup or a larger business, this tool is great for teams with diverse backgrounds – like marketing, design, engineering, or product development – and encourages collaboration to drive innovation.
• Circular Business Model Pilot Plan: This poster tool helps you turn circular business ideas into action by guiding you through the execution of a small-scale pilot. It’s designed as a planning tool to engage stakeholders to balance economic, environmental, and social value. It pushes you to focus on practical, immediate steps using available resources.