Incorporating circularity in requirement specifications during procurement of production systems

The transition from a linear economy to a circular economy in the manufacturing sector requires prompt initiation. Establishing suitable production systems requirements during its design and development is, therefore, pivotal in ensuring the systems’ capabilities and alignment with circularity. Such effort will aid in enabling efficient and sustainable use during the operation of production systems, but also enabling a prolonged lifetime. Today’s requirement specification might not adhere to such effort, causing the design and development of production systems dedicated for single product variants and a given volume. This paper explores how requirement specifications are developed and used within manufacturing industry and specifically how circularity is supported. In the study, an interactive research approach has been adopted wherein several workshops with a large manufacturing company in the automotive industry have been conducted. The results involve the identification of three phases during the procurement of production systems wherein requirements are pivotal, namely the Request for information, Request for quotation, and internal evaluation. These phases are described in detail, and developed requirements are exemplified in order to provide insights into how to include circularity in each of the phases.