No man is an island, and no business or product can stand alone. Every business or product is part of a larger system from which it draws resources and to which it deposits by-products and wastes The most successful businesses are those that understand, appreciate and leverage the system in which they operate.
Systems thinking offers particular opportunities for eco-innovators.
New ecologically-oriented businesses are being created daily from the byproducts and waste of other businesses. Opportunities abound to offer consumers greater convenience and other benefits with significantly less environmental impact by innovating product-systems as a replacement for stand alone products. How to Think Like A System Systems thinking can be applied at any stage of a product's life cycle from concept development, to raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, in-use, and recovery or disposal. Expand the boundaries of what you consider to be your business, redefining your consumer deliverable if necessary. Raw Materials Procurement.