Table 3

Managerial questions to build circular business experimentation capability

InstitutionsStrategyOperations
How can we contribute to solving societal and environmental issues? With whom can we collaborate to achieve this goal?What is our vision for the future of the organization and how can we use the circular economy paradigm to guide this?How can we recruit employees with the right skillset and mentality?
What training can we develop for existing staff members in different functions?
What key performance indicators can we adopt? How can we analyse our environmental impact across the product portfolio?
How can we engage top management in the circular economy transition?
What new skills and incentives are needed?
How can we build circular economy into roles and responsibilities? Who is tasked with experimentation and who will support?
What budgets (IT, R&D, marketing, operations) can we allocate to experimentation? Who has the mandate? What incentives can we apply?
How can we overcome the linear economy paradigm through our business vision and mission?What new routines, capabilities or organizational structures are needed?What new structures (e.g., IT team collaborating with marketing and sustainability on experiments) are needed? What skill gaps need to be filled?
What own capabilities (e.g., repair, reverse logistics) can we build on to allow for circular flows of products and materials?
How can we create awareness and knowledge of circular economy, sustainability and experimentation methods?
Whom do we bring together internally? Whom should we collaborate with outside the organisation to bring in new capabilities?What new team and cross-functional-team settings will be needed to start experimentation? Who will be responsible?
What complementary capabilities do we need from partners (e.g., logistics, repair, local or digital infrastructure)?
What (upcoming) legislations stimulate our circular economy transition?What environmental legislation enables or hinders us to innovate in different countries?What products and services are most affected by environmental legislation?
Which experiments have the lowest legal barriers?
What legal structures or frameworks are needed for new business models?What legal issues (e.g. financing or product related) are constraining new business models? How can we build workarounds or opportunities?
What new markets and offerings can be offered in areas with the least constraints or best legal starting point (e.g. pro-repair or anti-planned-obsolescence laws)?
How are market preferences for circular economy and sustainability changing?Which type of customers do we target for our sustainable offerings? What new markets can we address?How can we communicate customer and sustainability benefits simultaneously?
How can we adopt a customer-centric mindset while designing new business models?
What new service expectations of customers can be met through our circular offering?How can we develop better customer relationship management through new circular service business models?
What existing capabilities (operations, service) can amplify our offering?
How can we drive the “twin-transition” of digital and circular economy?How can we create a digital infrastructure for experimentation?What new digital capabilities do we need for online testing?
What data do we need to access, and can we access to be able to experiment?
What ethical and legal aspects of digital experimentation need to be incorporated?How can we comply with data privacy and access laws?
What staff training can we provide for ethical customer testing of new business models?

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