Integrating design for environment into the product design of Switching Platforms

This paper describes the way environmental issues are being integrated into the product design of the Switching Platforms unit of Nokia Telecommunications. Switching Platforms is implementing design for environment by integrating environmental issues into its product design through influencing points found in the product process. Therefore the same people will make the decisions in design for environment that determine the overall product design decisions and environmental issues will be considered side by side with other requirements. To determine what to do in design for environment, idea generating workshops were arranged for the product design experts with the help of an electronic meeting system, GroupSystems. Check lists will be formed from the results of these workshops. Check lists can be thought of as the heart of their design for environment system. Based on the workshop material and check lists, metrics will be designed and strategies for design for environment set. This paper also contains a section discussing what they have learned during their design for environment implementation.