Work

A stakeholder-centered repairability index supporting circular product design

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: : In response to increasing environmental concerns and regulatory pressure, repairability has become a central focus of circular product design. European legislation, such as the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC and the French AGEC law (Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy), now require products to be designed to facilitate repair. However, existing methods for assessing repairability often fail to account for heterogeneous stakeholder expectations, ranging from individual consumers to maintenance professionals and design teams. Moreover, most available approaches remain product-specific and lack applicability across different product categories. To address these limitations, this paper introduces the RIUP method (Repairability Index according to User Profiles), a novel approach for evaluating repairability that integrates multiple user perspectives. The method is grounded in the EN 45554 standard and relies on a criterion-based assessment framework combining a scoring system with a customizable, stakeholder-specific weighting system as its core contribution. The RIUP method is applied to an illustrative case study of a heat-sealing machine to demonstrate its stakeholder-centered assessment capabilities. The results show that repairability outcomes vary depending on the stakeholder perspective considered. While the overall repairability of the machine is satisfactory, the design team’s perspective yields a higher repairability index than those of consumers or maintenance teams. These findings highlight the importance of explicitly considering maintenance-related constraints alongside design objectives when developing circular products, particularly in service-oriented business models. Future work will extend the method to incorporate product-specific criteria and support the development of a dynamic repairability index.

Source: Cleaner Environmental Systems

DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2026.100419

Authors: Christian Wandji, Helmi Ben Rejeb, Andreas Riel, Cyrille Dalla Zuanna

Language: English

Topic: Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,910

Funders: Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques, Agence de la transition écologique