Evaluation of the Realization Effort of Product Upgrades in the Context of the Upgrade Circular Economy

The manufacturing industry is currently undergoing a fundamental shift away from linear economic models toward a circular economy. A fundamental principle of the upgrade circular economy lies in the extension of product lifecycle, which extends beyond the mere closure of material cycles through recycling. Thus, a variety of measures may be employed to extend the product lifecycle, including reuse, refurbishment, or product upgrades through technical changes. The upgrade circular economy focuses on the prolongation of the product lifecycle through value-enhancing upgrades to preserve resources, increase customer satisfaction and foster sustainability. However, enhancing existing products without modifying their underlaying architectural structure results in reduced flexibility when it comes to incorporating technical modifications and novel features. Thus, the upgradability may be constrained through the existing product architecture, due to the lack of compatibility or outdated interfaces. Companies need to consider both current functional capabilities and potential future adaptability when managing the product lifecycle. This necessitates the evaluation of the realization effort, whether novel features can still be integrated into the existing product architecture. In this regard, it is necessary to consider both the development effort for the upgrade and the re-assembly effort for the implementation into the existing product. This paper presents a holistic overview of criteria to evaluate the realization effort of product upgrades in context of the upgrade circular economy. A methodology is developed to evaluate the realization effort of upgrades for existing products, examining the interdependencies between the scope of the technical change and criteria for development and re-assembly effort.