To minimise environmental impacts from its base stations for mobile phone networks, Lucent Technologies Mobility Solutions Group has implemented a greener design process with the help of a DNV-certified ISO 14001 environmental management system focused on hardware product impacts.
When out driving, you have probably seen those tall aerial towers with boxes the size of a large refrigerator underneath. If you have a mobile phone, you have certainly used one. These boxes, or base stations, house the equipment needed to set up and complete calls on cellular phones.
A base station contains electronic components such as transmitters and receivers that work with your handset to complete a call. Designers must consider functionality, cost, government regulations and environmental parameters. One major manufacturer of telecom base stations is Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, New Jersey, U.S.A.
An eco-friendly product
Lucents Mobility Solutions Group is dedicated to design anywhere, manufacture anywhere in the world. Following a global trend, Lucent is moving away from in-house production. Outsourcing has meant that Mobility Solutions designers have less influence over the facility-related environmental aspects of base-station production. On the other hand, consumer-driven and legal eco-environmental requirements are becoming more stringent, and public concern over industrys environmental impacts is increasing.
This led Mobility Solutions to ask, where are our environmental impacts? With about 6,000 employees in 16 countries, the only constants are the design process and the product. This conclusion led to the development of an environmental management system (EMS), which is focused on hardware design rather than on manufacturing or facility operations.
Materials and energy consumption are factors that could impact the environment during the products life cycle. A product-based EMS addresses how hardware products affect the environment regardless of where the product is developed. Says Environment, Health and Safety Planning Engineer at Lucent, Kathleen Donnelly, It allows us to systematically address the immediate and long-term eco-environmental impacts of our hardware products.
Product realisation ranges from concept to end-of-life, that is from the idea stage to when the product is taken out of service. At the drawing-board stage, developers can reduce any environmental impacts base stations would have after leaving Lucent. Working closely with the design and development community, we integrated product-based EMS requirements seamlessly with other, more traditional product development processes.
Formal design framework
Through this ISO 14001 certification, Mobility Solutions ensures that hardware design innovations meet stringent legal and customer requirements. The product-based EMS has provided a business-wide formalised framework for managing the implementation and integration of environmental considerations into design, planning and business decisions.
Based on analyses of the areas that needed to be addressed customer, legal, regulatory, environmental and other demands an eco-roadmap was developed. This addresses product evolution in terms of sustainability and environmentally compliant product design. It is a supporting tool in the products overall technology roadmapping process.
Design for Environment (DFE) principles have long existed in Lucent, but this is the first time they have been fully juxtaposed with other design principles.
Says Paul Mankiewich, Mobility Solutions Chief Technical Officer, Under DFE, we apply engineering concepts to minimise the environmental impacts of each products life cycle. We also seek product innovations that will meet or exceed cost and performance objectives while reducing pollution and waste.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an important tool in the product-based EMS. It enables the evaluation of inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a base station throughout its life cycle, as well as reducing its cost.
The EMS elements audited include environmental policy, planning, implementation and operation, checking and corrective action, and management review. Initially, verification of the product-based EMS was conducted at five locations: Whippany and Mount Olive, New Jersey; Columbus, Ohio; Nurnberg, Germany; and Swindon, U.K. After 18 months of work by Mobility Solutions Green Team, an ISO 14001 certificate from DNV marked the first milestone.
International teamwork
The Mobility Solutions Green Team developed, implemented and maintains the product-based EMS. It includes individuals from a variety of disciplines, each of whom brings unique skills to this endeavour. Areas of expertise include product design and development, product realisation, DFE, ISO 14001, LCA, roadmapping, product conformance, quality and supplier management. Based in several countries around the world, the team members co-ordinate through conference calls and e-mail messages.
The Green Teams accomplishments were recognised as a Team Achieving High Performance through Lucents internal company-wide team recognition process. Each team member received an acknowledgement from Lucents CEO, Pat Russo for their strong commitment to environmental performance improvement.Mobility Solutions continues to see the value of health, safety and protecting the environment, says Mankiewich. Weve proved that its both good for the environment and makes sound business sense.
Text: Cecilie.lone@dnv.com
Photo: Courtesy Lucent Technologies
Date: 2002-08-15