Resource Efficiency - The Trend towards Sustainability

What does Resource Efficiency Mean?

In industry, the term resource efficiency refers to the optimal use of available resources (energy / raw materials / materials / personnel). The sustainable and efficient use of all these resources is intended to generate optimum output with a minimum of input.

The focus on the sustainable use of resources makes sense for companies in several respects: on the one hand, by optimizing processes, goods can often be produced at lower prices or more goods can be produced at constant prices. On the one hand, optimizing processes often allows goods to be produced at lower prices or more goods to be produced at constant prices. This increases the profitability of production, as resources (raw materials) are becoming increasingly scarce and represent a significant cost factor.

On the other hand, an awareness of the issue of resource efficiency often helps companies to reduce their consumption of materials in the medium to long term and to invest more in energy efficiency. The consistent use of renewable energies or the implementation of energy-efficient systems reduces (CO2) emissions, which also limits the carbon footprint of companies. This conserves natural resources and protects the environment. 

Resource Efficiency - Challenges in Practice

Using resources more efficiently - that's easier said than done. According to a study conducted by IW Köln on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, almost half of all companies see further potential for saving additional resources in their operations. At the same time, companies continue to face numerous challenges - at all levels - when it comes to practical implementation.

Technological Adaptations

Many (old) machines are not designed to work as efficiently as possible. In addition, they are often difficult to integrate into resource-optimized processes. As a result, these machines or systems either have to be extensively retrofitted or completely replaced. To avoid completely disrupting production chains and incurring considerable costs, the changeover must be carried out with a sense of proportion.

High Initial Investment

Switching to greater resource efficiency is a potentially very costly process. Although modern machines and intelligent software solutions in production are important, they typically tie up a lot of capital in their acquisition. Especially in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), these initial costs can have a prohibitive effect and slow down important adjustments - regardless of the long-term benefits.

Complex Processes / Supply Chain

Supply and value chains are more complex today than ever before. Numerous economic players are often involved, which represents a hurdle for many companies on the way to complete resource efficiency along the entire process. The more intensively manufacturing companies want to pursue and implement (software-based) shopfloor control, the more important it is to maintain a constant exchange with partners and suppliers.

Regulatory Requirements

Legal requirements for resource efficiency may be desirable and sensible for society as a whole, but they put many companies under pressure. This is particularly true for companies that operate globally and therefore have to comply with a large number of regulatory requirements in different countries and markets. However, such requirements can also affect national companies for which the sustainable use of resources has previously been of secondary importance.

Availability of Relevant Data

In order to determine how sustainable your own processes currently are and to what extent certain measures affect their efficiency, you need a large amount of reliable measurement data from production. The use of appropriate sensors or suitable Industry 4.0 solutions is a mandatory prerequisite - without detailed machine and process data acquisition, it is otherwise impossible to understand how strong the effects of certain adjustments are and how successfully resources are actually being saved.

A Head Start through Data - How MES Solutions Promote Resource Efficiency in Companies

The sustainably efficient use of resources stands and falls with the availability of data. Continuous and structured data collection is essential for this: the more detailed data from production and other processes is available and analyzed, the easier and more precise the planning of machines and systems as a whole will be. Powerful manufacturing execution software - together with the corresponding IoT sensor technology - creates the right basis for this.

Efficient Use of Materials & Resources

MES systems provide a precise overview of the material flow and enable dynamic production planning. Real-time data on the availability of machines, personnel and other resources is retrieved and evaluated for this purpose. This helps to avoid surpluses in the warehouse and idle times for machines and prevents valuable resources from being wasted. This ensures optimum plant utilization in the medium to long term.

Optimization & Monitoring of Energy Consumption

The energy consumption of individual machines and systems is recorded precisely using our own sensors and evaluated using energy data recording software. This means that there is always a clear overview of current consumption. If unavoidable downtimes occur, machines are simply switched off (automatically). In addition, processes can be optimized in such a way that, ideally, the overall energy requirements of systems are reduced - and therefore also the costs.

Preventive Maintenance & Reduction of Downtimes

Machines are a fundamental resource, especially for manufacturing companies. With the help of MES software, their status can be precisely recorded at any time, which in turn enables predictive planning of maintenance and servicing measures. This ensures that the machines can perform to their full potential over their entire service life - avoiding potentially expensive breakdowns and inefficient processes significantly improves resource efficiency. 

Optimization of Personnel Planning & Deployment

Thanks to detailed information on the availability of materials and machines, personnel planning can be optimized accordingly. As part of shift planning, this ensures that there is neither too much nor too little staff on duty. Thanks to the link with internal skill management software, the most important qualifications are also available on call at all times. This precise planning avoids expensive overtime and reduces employee stress in a simple way.

Resource management and production management go hand in hand in practice. With the help of manufacturing execution systems, high-performance IT network infrastructures and optimum interface technology, manufacturing companies become modern production facilities that are actually up to the challenges of Industry 4.0.

The Concept of Resource Efficiency - Advantages for Companies

Efficient processes - whether in production, planning or administration - are not an end in themselves: companies that take a close look at the topic of resource efficiency and are willing to apply these findings to their own processes can benefit from such measures in numerous areas.

Sustainable Cost Reduction

The efficient use of central resources such as materials (raw materials), machines and personnel can often significantly reduce running costs in these areas while maintaining the same quality of the end product/service. This also increases the profitability of the business unit as a whole - simply by consistently optimizing existing processes and procedures.

A Competitive Edge

The more efficiently a company uses its resources, the more economically it operates - especially with regard to direct competition. A high level of efficiency often helps companies to provide services more cost-effectively or faster than direct competitors. This in turn strengthens their competitive position, both in the short term and in the long term with regard to projects with future customers.

Good Environmental Balance

A good environmental balance sheet and an authentic commitment to greater resource efficiency potentially contribute significantly to a company's positive image. The more pronounced the sustainability profile, the better the public perception of the company. Such a positive image can also be an important factor when it comes to obtaining new contracts - for example, when procurement procedures place great emphasis on sustainability aspects.

Stability in the Company

If companies invest time and money in the efficiency of their own processes, it is highly likely that the company as a whole is well positioned for the future. In any case, those responsible have recognized the importance of efficient production processes and are willing to focus their own structures on optimizing them in the future.