Applying the ABCD method on product systems innovation

The A-B-C-D method to applying the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development consists of four steps which can be used to guide product innovation, or entire organizations, towards sustainability. It is a strategic planning process that frees creativity and aligns short and long term innovation efforts.

This method is based on backcasting from sustainability principles.

You'll find a short outline of the process below.

 A = Awareness and Visioning

This first step aligns the innovation team or organization around a common understanding of sustainability and identifies a 'whole-systems' context for their product system; building a common language around sustainability as well as creating a vision of what that product or service system would look like in a sustainable future.

The Natural Step principles of sustainability, basic science and whole-systems approach are presented to develop strategies for living in balance with nature and our global community. Participants review details of the state of the earth's systems, including the ecological, social and economic trends that are undermining our ability to create and manage healthy and prosperous ecosystems, businesses and communities.

During the visioning process, people are encouraged to set ambitious goals which may require radical changes in the product or service system. Some goals may take many years to achieve.

This is where businesses often begin to identify the service they provide independent of any one product (for example, providing energy services versus oil). Incorporating this awareness into the visioning process unleashes innovation and releases the innovation team from preconceived limitations.

B = Baseline Mapping

This step uses the four sustainability principles to conduct a sustainability ‘gap analysis’ of the major flows and impacts of the product across its’ life cycle to see how its activities are running counter to sustainability principles. The analysis usually includes an evaluation of products and services, energy, capital and human resources from 'cradle to cradle'. The assessment also often looks at the social context and organisational culture in order to understand how to positively introduce change. This allows the innovation team to identify critical sustainability issues, their business implications, any assets they may have and opportunities for change.

C = Creative Solutions

In this step, people are asked to brainstorm potential solutions to the issues highlighted in the baseline analysis without any constraints.

Armed with their vision of success and potential actions, organisations look backwards from the vision to develop strategies toward sustainability. This is called backcasting and it prevents people from developing strategies that just solve the problems of today. Instead, they begin with the end in mind, moving towards a shared vision of sustainability (and product success), with each action providing a platform for further improvement.

D = Decide on Priorities

After identifying the opportunities and potential solutions in the ‘C’ step, the group prioritises the measures that move the product or service system toward sustainability fastest, while optimising flexibility as well as maximising social, ecological and economic returns. This step supports effective, step-by-step implementation and action planning. At this stage, innovation teams can pick the 'low-hanging fruit' – actions that are fairly easy to implement and offer a rapid return on investment in order to build internal support and excitement for the journey towards a fully sustainable product.