This new post from the PLM Green Global Alliance (PGGA) is next in a series on “Leaders in PLM & Sustainability” where we interview professionals from around the world who are working at the intersection of Product Lifecycle Management and Sustainability.
Our goal for these profiles is to recognize and encourage professionals who are contributing to the greening of PLM across their own work, industry, customers, and suppliers. This is fundamental to PGGA’s mission of creating a global network between professionals who use, develop, research, market, consult, teach, or support PLM business strategies, enabling technologies, and software solutions that have value in transitioning to a more sustainable global economy. As demonstrated by our non-commercial website, we execute this mission by educating, collaborating, and advocating for the role of PLM in creating a circular economy of low-carbon products and processes.
As referenced in our first profile featuring Mark Reisig, our second one recognizing Jos Voskuil, and third featuring Dave Duncan, there are numerous technical, economic, and geopolitical challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade as climate scientists warn us is so critical. Yet, with each of these hurdles there are many rewarding “hands-on” career opportunities to participate in what may be the most important application of PLM we will ever experience.
We are excited to announce that our next recognized “Leader in PLM & Sustainability” is Klaus Brettschneider. Klaus is Director of Sustainability Solutions and SAP PLM Practice Lead at the U.S. based consultancy Linx-AS. Klaus was one of the first contributors to PLM Green where he shares his expertise as a moderator leading our coverage of Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Climate Change. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental technology from the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich and a Certificate in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation from Harvard University. Increasingly relevant, Klaus has experience deploying enterprise-wide PLM solutions internationally in both the U.S. and Europe, spanning industries and business cultures which often have different expectations and norms for both PLM and sustainability initiatives.
PLM Green contributor Klaus Brettschneider, who is Director of Sustainability Products at Linx-AS LLC, has authored a new thought-leadership whitepaper on “The Sustainability Thread: Rethinking the digital thread to drive sustainability performance and green R&D.”
In the executive summary, Klaus writes:
“The digital twin and digital thread concepts are now mainstream best practices for product lifecycle management (PLM) practitioners and innovation-minded organizations. The interconnectivity of product data models provides superior agility for manufacturers as the digital thread breaks through to once-siloed stakeholders with real-time, accurate information from R&D to commercialization to the customer and back.
Enter sustainability. With regulatory, consumer, and investor pressures on the rise, many manufacturers are running into stakeholders in new silos in the rush to deliver products to market—all the while, leadership wrestles with scattered data, multiple reporting frameworks, and aspirations of a more proactive green R&D posture.
In this white paper, the author posits the creation of a digital thread for sustainability data, simply stated herein as the sustainability thread. The paper explains how integrating sustainability requirements in an organization’s digital thread strategy can transform both sustainability performance and product development. It also explores through real-world use cases how the digitalization of sustainability-related processes can greatly improve operational efficiency and reporting accuracy.”
Continue exploring these topics covered in the whitepaper by downloading it HERE.
