@misc{9241844,
  abstract     = {{Despite the growing importance of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a key tool to assess the environmental impact of products and services, many companies struggle with its implementation, lacking internal structures and capabilities to incorporate it into their operations. This thesis aims to understand the factors influencing companies' implementation of LCA, examining both drivers and barriers, and translating them into recommendations. Alfa Laval was selected as the single case study for the research, collecting the data through semi-structured interviews across different units of the company, as well as additional sources such as company documents, site visits, and surveys. Frameworks such as the TOE (technology, organization, and environment) framework, as well as the diffusion theory, helped to structure the findings. 
The study showed decentralization regarding LCA practices in the organization, with different units being at different stages of LCA adoption. Additionally, drivers and barriers were identified and categorized according to the frameworks, with factors such as the lack of data, complex products, and internal willingness acting as important factors that facilitate or hinder the LCA implementation. Recommendations for LCA work in the company were proposed based on themes such as internal knowledge and improvement of data management. Additionally, recommendations for a company-wide guideline were proposed, highlighting the benefits and shortcomings that it would have in the organization. This was examined through an application study in one unit of the company for a packaging case, where the recommendations and guidelines were analyzed in a concrete case.}},
  author       = {{Kulkarni, Renuka Sanjay and Quintero Rueda, Johan Sebastian}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Towards Life Cycle Assessment Implementation in a Decentralized Manufacturing Organization: Drivers, Barriers, and Group-Wide Recommendations at Alfa Laval}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}