Article
Redefining manufacturing through sustainability and innovation
Feb. 14, 2025 · Authored by Cindy M. Bratel
Manufacturing stands at its most crucial turning point as the current production systems are reaching their limits due to being built on centuries of treating resources as infinite and waste as inevitable. The world is witnessing a fundamental shift in how things are manufactured. Every element is vital, from the energy that powers factories to material sourcing and the end-of-life process for products.
Technology can help manufacturers make the inevitable shift towards sustainability. Achieving success in this shift to sustainability depends on having a seamless integration into both business strategy and operations. Technologies like IFS Cloud have a product road map that helps manufacturer’s sustainability needs. Unlike traditional industries that were driven by profit alone, this transformation is pushed by multiple forces: resource scarcity, regulatory pressure, market demands and technological breakthroughs. To stay competitive, it’s important for manufacturers to understand these factors.
How sustainable manufacturing works
Sustainable manufacturing is built on the foundation of how companies design, produce and manage their operations. Manufacturers can achieve true sustainability by forming a closed-loop system where waste becomes raw material, where energy comes from renewable sources and where products are designed to be reused or remanufactured from the start. Below are the fundamental principles that guide businesses to create products that balance accountability and profit:
- Resource optimization includes the efficient use of raw materials, energy and water throughout the production process. This principle focuses on maximizing value from every input while minimizing waste. It can be achieved by systemic monitoring and management of all resources entering and leaving the manufacturing process.
- Zero waste manufacturing aims to eliminate all forms of waste from production. To achieve waste-free processes, manufacturers should rethink traditional methods and find innovative ways to use or repurpose all materials and resources.
- Supply chain integration
