Optimize Product Durability to Transcend Take, Make and Waste

Durability Defined: What Is Product Durability?

Product durability refers to the ability of a product to withstand wear, pressure, or damage and retain its functionality over time. Durable products are designed to endure usage, reducing the need for frequent replacements and promoting cost-efficiency.

Importance of Durability

Durability is not just about product longevity but also about retaining value, quality, and functionality. Products with high durability are less prone to wear and tear, making them more reliable for consumers and environmentally sustainable.

The ‘Take-Make-Waste’ Economy

The current linear economic model—take, make, and waste—is unsustainable. It extracts finite resources to produce goods that are used briefly and then discarded. This approach contributes to overflowing landfills and increasing consumer demand for sustainable products.

By prioritizing product durability, companies can reduce waste, lower scope 3 emissions, and meet sustainability goals. Transitioning from a throw-away mindset starts with designing products that are durable, maintainable, and reusable.

Durable Products: Shaping a Sustainable Future

Durable products are essential for addressing global challenges like resource depletion and environmental pollution. They offer economic and ecological advantages, including extended product lifespan, reduced waste, and energy conservation.

Benefits of Data Analytics in Optimizing Durability

Product data often resides in design files, production datasets, machine log information, social media posts and customer relationship management systems. Integrating the data onto a single dashboard helps companies understand quality issues and extend the life of products, either by analyzing real-time customer reviews and offering aftersales support or upgrading future designs to increase product longevity. Data analysis reinforces decision-making so companies can reduce waste production and execute decarbonization strategies.

• Improved Design: Analyzing customer feedback helps refine designs for greater longevity.
• Enhanced Maintenance: Real-time monitoring predicts failures and ensures timely repairs.
• Upgraded Product Versions: Insights from data enable companies to enhance future product iterations.

A circular economy emphasizes reducing waste and keeping products in use for as long as possible. Product durability plays a pivotal role in this transition by enabling reuse, refurbishment, and remanufacturing. Click on the infographic below to learn more about how advanced analytics enable high-quality products in line with a circular economy.

Feedback from closed loops is especially crucial for service-based business models offering equipment as a service, where the cost of maintenance is absorbed by the company instead of the customer. Data analytics reveal abnormal behavior, recommend corrective actions and automate routine operations so companies can maximize the return from services such as vehicle leases or industrial equipment subscriptions. By designing for durability and easy repair, products retain value even with prolonged use. A platform approach gives companies visibility to initiate timely maintenance, cut costs and capitalize on equipment-as-a-service models.

Durable products not only stay in use longer; their high-quality components can be reused. This process — called remanufacturing — slashes energy demand by up to 80%². For example, an electronic device can be refurbished using a combination of reused, repaired and new parts before recovering and recycling its precious materials during disassembly. Remanufacturing preserves finite resources and enhances device longevity while presenting an economically viable alternative for eco-conscious customers.

Feedback loops from service-based business models, such as equipment-as-a-service, highlight the importance of durability. By designing products for repairability and longevity, companies can:

• Maximize asset utilization.
• Reduce maintenance costs.
• Enhance customer satisfaction.

How to Measure Product Durability

Measuring product durability involves assessing its strength, resistance, and ability to withstand environmental conditions. Key metrics include:

• Wear Resistance: Ability to resist degradation from friction or use.
• Material Strength: Capacity to bear weight or pressure without breaking.
• Lifecycle Durability: Performance over time under typical usage conditions.

Manufacturers use these metrics to ensure their products meet durability standards and satisfy consumer expectations.

Durability Economics: Benefits for Manufacturers and Consumers

Durability contributes to economic growth by reducing waste and fostering sustainable practices. Manufacturers benefit from lower material costs, while consumers save money through reduced repair and replacement expenses. Durable products also drive innovation in recycling and remanufacturing technologies.

Durability Meaning in Sustainability

In the context of sustainability, durability is about creating products that minimize environmental impact. Durable goods reduce resource extraction, energy consumption, and waste generation, aligning with global sustainability goals.

Strategies to Enhance Product Durability

1. Design for Longevity: Use high-quality materials and modular designs.
2. Repairability: Ensure products are easy to repair with readily available parts.
3. Recyclability: Incorporate materials that can be recycled or repurposed.