Combining the digital and sustainable revolution - How organizations make successful use of data management in order to develop and realize business models for the Circular Economy.

Abstract

This thesis has aimed to investigate the possibilities of data management for circular business models (CBMs). Since the world is running out of non-renewable resources, it is needed to evaluate alternatives to the take-make-waste principle. Unlike linear economy, where resources are disposed once they are no longer used, circular economy aims to maintain the value of resources by constantly reusing them. This requires changes in business models of organizations. How could these changes towards CBMs be backed by data management? New technologies such as Internet of Things and Big Data Analysis could be very beneficial to the development and implementation of CBMs. What problems do organizations face in the use of data management strategies for their CBMs? And what factors determine the adoption and successful implementation of data management strategies for CBMs? These questions are answered in this thesis. By means of a qualitative research, organizations with CBMs have been interviewed. Problems faced in the implementation and the factors that determine the adoption and success for these strategies have been discovered. This research showed that organizations mainly make use of data management to improve processes and to increase efficiency. Data management strategies are mostly concerned if the organization (and the CBM) can clearly benefit from these strategies.