Product and process life cycle inventories using SAP R/3

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has become a standard tool for analyzing environmental effects of products and processes. In addition, companies are requested to report product stewardship information to customers. However, performing life cycle inventories (LCI) and collecting product stewardship information is expensive. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are widely used to plan, organize, direct, measure, and control logistics, financial and human resources of organizations. Meanwhile, ERP systems are also prepared to register environmental management information, such as weights of raw materials and supplies, use of energy and water. ERP systems include much product and process related information needed for performing life cycle inventories, such as bill of material and work orders. The paper describes how an LCI on a product can be compiled using the ERP system SAP R/3. In addition, allocation methods for supplies on a product level are demonstrated with support from an ERP system. As an example the paper demonstrates how an LCI of an electric product of an automotive supplier was performed using the system SAP R/3. Finally, the paper summarizes the benefits and costs of the use of ERP systems for LCI qualitatively.