Areas investigated when initiating OEM remanufacturing – a case of robotic lawn mowers

Abstract

The remanufacturing activities on the market are increasing as more companies follow the trend of applying resource-efficient solutions. This trend is also seen among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) when closing their resource flows. However, as there are few descriptions of how OEMs initiate remanufacturing in practice, there is also little guidance for them to follow. Therefore, to support OEMs in initiating remanufacturing, the aim of this paper is to describe areas investigated during a remanufacturing initiation. This is conducted by studying an OEM of robotic lawn mowers without prior remanufacturing experience and then describing the undertaken journey from primarily producing new products to also offering remanufactured products. The study describes four areas of investigation at the OEM: (1) Select products for remanufacturing, (2) develop the remanufacturing process, (3) determine the quality of remanufactured products, and (4) perform sales activities. These areas are elaborated on to show the considerations of the OEM during the initiation. Based on the findings, the importance of viewing the remanufacturing initiation phases as a system of parallel activities rather than a linear chain is emphasised for future development of guiding remanufacturing initiation frameworks.