Navigating Sustainability in Manufacturing: My Conversation with Mark Rushton

22 Jul

In a recent episode of "Twenty Minute Talks," I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark Rushton, Senior Product Marketing Manager at aPriori. We discussed his career journey, aPriori’s work in sustainability and the challenges manufacturers face regarding sustainability.

Mark’s Career Journey: From Design Engineer to Sustainability Advocate

I started by asking Mark about his career path and how it has shaped his understanding of sustainability in manufacturing. Mark’s first encounter with sustainability was during a sustainability module in his industrial product design degree. This experience left a lasting impression on him, and has come full circle in his role at aPriori.

After university, Mark worked as a design engineer before transitioning into software roles at a 3D CAD reseller and later at a 3D CAD developer. These positions allowed him to interact with a diverse collection of design engineers and companies. Mark thinks that during these roles he likely went in to hundreds if not thousands of companies, giving him a comprehensive view of the industry. Over the past two years at aPriori, Mark has focussed on understanding the current challenges in sustainable manufacturing, particularly through close collaboration with large discrete manufacturers.

Understanding the Four-Phase Sustainability Maturity Model

We shifted our conversation to the aPriori four phase sustainability maturity model. I had seen a blog post that Mark had written about the model which is how we got talking about an episode for Twenty Minute Talks. He explained that this model is a framework derived from customer conversations and focuses on product sustainability, which is more advanced than corporate sustainability. The model comprises four phases:

Establishing a Product Baseline: This involves assessing sustainability, primarily based on carbon equivalent emissions. Life cycle assessment tools are typically used for this purpose, though they rely heavily on assumptions.
Sourcing: Manufacturers can choose more sustainable suppliers without significant design changes, making it a low-risk activity.
Value Engineering for Sustainability: This approach involves reengineering a product to improve its sustainability without altering its design significantly.
Designing for Sustainability: The final and most mature phase focuses on providing design engineers with the visibility and data they need to understand the impact of their design decisions on carbon footprint.

Advice for Manufacturing Leaders

I asked Mark what advice he would give to manufacturing leaders starting their journey toward sustainability. He acknowledged the complexity of sustainability but emphasized the importance of progress over perfection. Mark noted that making steps forward is key at the start. He suggested setting up a good process and instilling a culture of sustainability throughout the business. By making small gains collectively, significant progress can be achieved.

Balancing Cost and Sustainability

Our conversation also touched on how manufacturers can balance cost and sustainability. Mark noted that many companies are applying an internal carbon price to convert carbon emissions into a currency, facilitating strategic decision-making. He mentioned examples like Volvo and Volkswagen, which use varying internal carbon prices to guide their sustainability efforts.

Future Trends in Sustainable Design and Manufacturing

Looking to the future, Mark expressed excitement about new business models that could enhance sustainability. He highlighted the potential of the "as a service" model, where products are offered as services rather than one-time sales. This approach changes manufacturers' incentives, encouraging them to produce longer-lasting, serviceable products, which is more sustainable in the long run.

Thanks again to Mark for sharing his ideas and thoughts in this episode. You can watch or listen to the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.

Twenty Minute Talks will continue to feature conversations about the future of sustainable manufacturing. If you or anyone you know want to apply to be a guest on the series get in touch with me to get the conversation started.