Keywords
lifecycle management
MBSE
PLM
CAD/CAE
Digital Thread
Digital Twin
variant and configuration management
How to Cite
Abstract
Sustainability is no longer a secondary issue, but a central system goal of technical value creation. The focus is on a holistic view of the product life cycle from material selection, manufacturing, use, repair and upgrades to return and recycling. The approach of the AI based System of Systems Lifecycle Management of Digital Threads opens up new ways of managing environmental responsibility based on data. Instead of evaluating sustainability retrospectively, it is anchored early on in the development process through data driven methods, digital twins and networked decision making platforms. This not only allows environmental goals to be defined, but also makes them measurable and controllable.
The combination of life cycle analysis (LCA), digital traceability and circular design forms the methodological backbone of this approach. ISO 14040/44 compliant LCAs provide the basis for transparency and comparability, while digital twins capture real world usage data, enabling continuous optimisation. Companies can only successfully implement sustainability as a system goal if data quality, governance and technical interoperability are guaranteed. Clear responsibilities, defined roles and the principle of ‘bounded flexibility’ i.e. binding standards with situational freedom of adaptation play a decisive role here.
The aim is to understand sustainability not as an external goal, but as an integral part of technical and organisational decision making processes. The early integration of LCA findings, standardised key performance indicators (ecological, circular and maturity KPIs) and the use of digital tools creates a learning, self improving system. Research and practice show that it is precisely the linking of data, processes and responsibility that offers the greatest leverage for ecological effectiveness. In this way, sustainability becomes not just a marketing term, but a guiding principle throughout the entire life cycle from the initial idea to recycling.
References
A. Seegrün, L. Hardinghaus, T. Riedelsheimer and K. Lindow (2024). Incorporating sustainability into product lifecycle management: a systematic literature review. Proceedings of the Design Society.
E. Delaney, R. J. Trimble, A. Meaney and V. R. Goncalves (2022). The investigation of environmental sustainability within product design: a critical review. Design Science, 8.
N. Goridkov, A. K. Samson and F. Ceschin (2025). Empowering designers to create life cycle informed products: heuristics for extracting insights from LCA reports. Design Science.
D. A. McKendry and R. I. Whitfield (2022). Process considerations for PLM implementation for high value ETO programmes. Design Science, 8.
C. V. Velasquez, N. Salehi and S. I. Hallstedt (2020). How can ICT support the link between circular economy and PLM? A review. Proceedings of the Design Society: DESIGN Conference.
R. da Rosa Selhorst, M. A. L. A. da Silva and P. Teixeira (2025). Bridging the gap: streamlining life cycle assessment for practical application in product development. Proceedings of the Design Society.
A. Seegrün (2023). Sustainable product lifecycle management with digital twins. Journal of Manufacturing Systems.
G. Pronost, N. Shiwakoti and M. Estevez (2024). Digital twins along the product lifecycle: a systematic review. Digital Twin.
A. Bertoni, M. Bertoni and D. C. A. Pigosso (2025). Designing value robust circular systems through changeability: a framework with case studies. Design Science.
N. Goridkov, F. Ceschin and A. K. Samson (2025). Heuristics for extracting insights from LCA reports. Design Science.
R. da Rosa Selhorst, M. A. L. A. da Silva, P. Teixeira, et al. (2025). Streamlined LCA for design practice. Proceedings of the Design Society.
A. M. Saad and Y. Farhane (2024). Product lifecycle management as a sustainable approach within the Moroccan social and solidarity economy sector. Discover Sustainability.
D. A. G. Bergsjö (2009). Product Lifecycle Management: Architectural and Organisational Perspectives. PhD Thesis, Chalmers University.
T. Shevchenko, D. Hvass and R. Pigosso (2023). Circular product design toolkit: principles and building blocks. Proceedings of the Design Society.
ISO (2006, confirmed 2022). ISO 14040:2006 — Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework.
APEC (2004). Life Cycle Assessment: Best Practices of ISO 14040 Series.
J. Pryshlakivsky and D. A. Searcy (2013). Fifteen years of ISO 14040. Journal of Cleaner Production.
UNECE (2022). Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment methodology and standards (ISO 14040/44).
SimaPro (2024). Life cycle based sustainability standards and guidelines (ISO 14040/44/67). Insight Note.
I. M. I. S. Sousa (2002). Approximate life cycle assessment of product concepts. PhD thesis, MIT.
I. M. I. S. Sousa (1998). Integrated Product Design and Life Cycle Assessment. MS thesis, MIT.
A. Munoz Mejia (2023). Carbon Footprint and Handprint Assessment for Net Positive Design. Master’s thesis, Harvard University.
W. J. Hassel (2025). Life Cycle Carbon of Cooling Down AI Data Centers. Harvard University.
N. Goridkov, A. K. Samson and F. Ceschin (2025). Empowering designers… (method and heuristics). Design Science.
M. Schwahn, M. Reuter and C. Herrmann (2024). Enabling design for circularity through circularity measures: breaking down R strategies. Proceedings of the Design Society.
M. G. Stölzle, A. M. Zink and H. Birkhofer (2023). Classification of methodologies for design for circular economy. Proceedings of the Design Society.
M. Saidani, M. Kravchenko, F. Cluzel, D. C. A. Pigosso and B. Yannou (2021). Comparing LCA, circularity and sustainability indicators for sustainable design. Proceedings of the Design Society.
B. Menu and M. S. Cooperman (2019). From product to dust: ways to regenerate value in the product life cycle. ICED – Proceedings of the Design Society.
L. Ruiz Pastor, F. J. Ferrándiz, A. Monzón and A. López Sabirón (2024). Design issues concerning circular economy assessment methods at the product level. Design Science.
D. A. McKendry and R. I. Whitfield (2022). Process considerations… (ETO). Design Science.
H. Zhang, Y. Ouzrout, A. Bouras and M. M. Savino (2014). Sustainability consideration within PLM through maturity models analysis. International Journal of Services and Operations Management.
S. I. Hallstedt, J. Lindahl and A. Isaksson (2023). Sustainable product development in aeroengine manufacturing: challenges and opportunities. Design Science.
I. Rojek, P. Mikołajewski and E. Dostatni (2020). Digital twins in product lifecycle for sustainability. Applied Sciences.
Y. Lu, X. Xu and J. Xu (2020). Digital twin driven smart manufacturing. Robotics and Computer Integrated Manufacturing.
M. Hübschke, C. Schiller and P. Offergeld (2025). Blockchain in supply chain management: a comprehensive review. Business Research.
F. Dietrich, A. Schumacher and M. G. Kummerow (2021). Review and analysis of blockchain projects in supply chain management. Procedia Computer Science.
X. Zhang, L. Zhao and Y. Wang (2023). A review of blockchain solutions in supply chain traceability. Transactions on Sustainable Transportation.
I. A. Omar, et al. (2022). Blockchain based supply chain traceability for COVID‑19 PPE. Computers, Materials & Continua.
S. Çodur and Z. Öztürk (2025). Blockchain technology from the supply chain perspective. University of Twente.
A. Seegrün, L. Hardinghaus and K. Lindow (2024). Incorporating sustainability in PLM: research gaps and operationalisation. Proceedings of the Design Society.
Salehi, V. (2024). Application of Munich Agile Concept for MBSE for a holistic approach to collect vehicle data based on board diagnostic system. In Proceedings of the 44th Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (CIE) (Vol. 2B). https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2024-141089
Salehi, V. (2023). Application of Munich Agile Concept for MBSE based development of automated guided robot based on digital twin data. In Proceedings of the 43rd Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (CIE) (Vol. 2). https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2023-110983
Salehi, V. (2021). Application of a holistic approach of hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE) buses. Proceedings of the Design Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2021.48
Salehi, V.; Wang, S. (2021). Application of Munich agile concepts for MBSE as a holistic and systematic design of urban air mobility in case of design of vertiports and vertistops. Proceedings of the Design Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2021.50
Salehi, V. (2021). Integration of blockchain technology in systems engineering and software engineering in an industrial context. Proceedings of the Design Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2021.450
Salehi, V.; Taha, J.; Wang, S. (2020). Application of Munich Agile Concept for MBSE by means of automated valet parking functions and the 3D environment-data. Proceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference. https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2020-22040
Salehi, V.; Wang, S. (2019). Munich Agile MBSE concept (MAGIC). Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED). https://doi.org/10.1017/dsi.2019.377
Salehi, V. (2019). Development of an agile concept for MBSE for future digital products through the entire System of Systems Lifecycle management called Munich Agile MBSE Concept (MAGIC). Computer-Aided Design and Applications, 17(1), 147–166. https://doi.org/10.14733/cadaps.2020.147-166
Taha, J.; Salehi, V. (2018). Development of a low-powered wireless IoT sensor network based on MBSE. Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Systems Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1109/SysEng.2018.8544420
Salehi, V.; Groß, F.; Taha, J. (2018). Implementation of systems modelling language (SysML) in consideration of the CONSENS approach. Proceedings of the International Design Conference (DESIGN). https://doi.org/10.21278/idc.2018.0146
Salehi, V.; Wang, S. (2018). Web-based visualisation of 3D factory layout from hybrid modelling of CAD and point cloud. Computer-Aided Design and Applications, 16(2), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.14733/cadaps.2019.243-255
Salehi, V.; Wang, S. (2017). Using point cloud technology for process simulation in digital factory. Proceedings of the ICED Conference. https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/2220-4342
Salehi, V.; McMahon, C. (2016). Identification of factors during the introduction and implementation of PLM methods and systems in an industrial context. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology (AICT). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33111-9_35
Salehi, V.; Burseg, L. (2016). System-driven product development (SDPD) for mechatronic systems. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology (AICT). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33111-9_66
Salehi, V.; McMahon, C. (2011). Development and application of an integrated approach for parametric associative CAD design in an industrial context. Computer-Aided Design and Applications, 8(2), 225–236. https://doi.org/10.3722/cadaps.2011.225-236
Salehi, V.; McMahon, C. (2011). Development of an evaluation framework for implementation of parametric associative methods in an industrial context. Proceedings of the ICED 11 Conference (EID 2-s2.0-84858843777).
Salehi, V.; McMahon, C. (2009). Methodological integration of parametric associative CAD systems in PLM environment. Proceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference (DETC2009). https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2009-86583
Salehi, V.; McMahon, C. (2009). Action research into parametric associative CAD systems in an industrial context. Proceedings of the ICED 09 Conference (EID 2-s2.0-79957552184).
Salehi, V.; McMahon, C. (2009). Development of a generic integrated approach for parametric associative CAD systems. Proceedings of the ICED 09 Conference (EID 2-s2.0-80054981163).
Salehi, V.; McMahon, C. (2011). An integrated approach to parametric associative design for powertrain components in the automotive industry. Action Research. Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI Bayern).
Salehi, V. (2012). An integrated approach to parametric associative design for powertrain components on the automotive industry. University of Bath.
Salehi, V. (2015). Development and Application of an Integrated Approach to CAD Design in an Industrial Context. In Impact of Design Research on Industrial Practice: Tools, Technology, and Training.
Salehi, V.; Schade, D.; Taha, J. (2015). Application of SysML in the research field of definition of the environment model for autonomous driving simulation. Proceedings of the Design Society Conference 2015.
Salehi, V. (2025). Integration of Munich Agile Concept for MBSE in an Industrial Context for Future Centralized Car Server Architectures. Proceedings of the ICIEA EU Conference, Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
Salehi, V. (2025). A Holistic and Systematic Approach for Generation of Synthetic Data Sets from CAD Data Related CNC-Production Environment. Proceedings of the ICIEA EU Conference, Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
Salehi, V. (2025). Development of a Parametric Holistic CAD Design for Virtual Urban Air Mobility Concepts. Proceedings of the ICIEA EU Conference, Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
Salehi, V. (2025). Application of Blockchain in case of Engineering Data Processes and Product Lifecycle Management System. Journal of Intelligent System of Systems Lifecycle Management. https://doi.org/10.71015/dm8rgj08
Salehi, V.; Witte, M.; Loos, M. (2025). Integration of Vehicle Data File based on Blockchain Technologie in an industrial context. Journal of Intelligent System of Systems Lifecycle Management. https://doi.org/10.71015/yxkfke75
Salehi, V. (2025). Application of Systems Engineering in context of building 3D Environment for Autonomous Vehicle Systems in an industrial context for Central Car Computing. Journal of Intelligent System of Systems Lifecycle Management. https://doi.org/10.71015/qgdjwx03