User problem
Navigating Sustainability Challenges in Sweden
In a world grappling with the consequences of climate change, organizations are confronted with the imperative of reducing their carbon footprint.
In Sweden, companies are thrust into the deep end of complex sustainability reporting without expert guidance, all the while trying to stay afloat amidst the tides of rapidly changing regulations.
This case study examines Stratasys' sustainability product, a tool designed to empower organizations to make informed decisions that align with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol for emissions reduction.
Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG):
Set up measurement points
Establish structure and calculations according to GHG.
Data Collection Collect
Report the data in Stratsys.
Results
Total climate impact, from the baseline year zero.
Identify focus areas
Identify the emissions where the biggest impact can be made.
Identify actions
Focus on a priority area - What can we do? What would be the effect?
Follow up
Towards the baseline year Towards the goal.
Project Objectives
- Increased efficiency in action creation for reducing emissions: Save time, money, and resources.
- Supporting user understanding: Help users determine if their reduction efforts align with their larger goals and comply with regulations.
- Evidence-based reduction actions: Contribute to the development of reduction actions based on solid evidence.
- Enhancing Stratasys' competitive advantages towards a sustainable future: User needs for emission Management.
Towards a Sustainable Future
User Needs for Emission Management
I conducted research to understand the users and their current situation when developing actions to reduce emissions.
Research insights:
- Action visibility and delays: Users require a transparent view of their progress and delays for each emission goal, helping them stay on course and modify strategies as needed.
- Future impact forecasting: Enabling users to calculate and visualize the outcomes of their emission reduction efforts.
- Effective suggestions: Users need evidence-based recommendations to minimize reliance on costly external consultants.
- Cost-effective, high-impact solutions: The ideal tool offered affordable yet impactful solutions for significant carbon dioxide reduction, balancing cost with effectiveness.
These insights were crucial in shaping a tool that addresses the pain points of many companies today lacking expertise in efficient reduction planning.
Navigating the Green Shift
Stratsys position in the market
Further investigating the market, I quickly saw that competitors to Stratsys had more tools to help their customers with reduction plans. This confirmed the importance of developing this part of Stratasy's product to gain a strong position in the market.
Business impact:
Stratsys is falling behind the competitors as they only offered support in the product for the first part of GHG, regarding reporting the emissions, but risk losing customers who also want to reduce emissions.
Sustainability is a rapidly growing industry with increasing regulations for all companies in Sweden. Therefore, sustainability can be a lucrative market opportunity.
From Insight to Impact
Pioneering User-Driven Solutions in Emission Control
AI is used by other competitors to enhance the customers' sustainability work and streamline the process. The competitors also offered consults and expert service, E-learning, but just a few offered the service of forecast emission for the customers.
The competitor analysis and the insight from the research helped decide which of the features would give Stratasys the best competitor advantage and help its customers in the best way.
Developing a forecast design would give Stratasys a unique business opportunity.
This research led to insights that formed the design of an overview feature. The overview design was developed to help users identify focus areas and check if they align with their overarching goals. I also created a forecast feature to enable users to understand how their efforts contribute to their objectives and to provide clear indications when they are off track.
I recognized that users need support in creating actions, so I designed a feature with AI suggestions based on their data.
- Most of the design is under NDA -
Overall, my concept aims to minimize the time users need, not only to develop effective actions but also efficient action plans aligned with their overall goals to reduce company emissions. Additionally, it contributes to aligning companies with regulations and enabling a sustainable future for us all.
"So, when can we develop this?"
- Sustainability strategists and sellers asked the product owner after my presentation.
“Your designs will push our sustainability product to the next level.”
- Design lead
Learnings -
Seeking External Perspective
The biggest lesson was the value of seeking external help when stuck. There are many ways to do this, but the important thing is to save time by not trying to solve things alone. An external perspective saves time and provides valuable insights. I also learned the importance of keeping the scope down in order to save time and make it realistic for the timeframe.
Want me on your team?
I would love to have a chat so feel free to reach out. You can connect with me on Linkedin, email me at k@tunius.se, or send me a message here.