Data-driven sustainability paves the way

Patrik Eurenius is a long-timer in Sandvik and a great example of the vast career opportunities that exist within the company. Now, he’s heading up Sustainability and EHS in the division Sandvik Coromant.

A true passion project for Patrik is how to use data from both our own and our customers sites to make the manufacturing process more efficient and more sustainable. One solution is the sustainability analyzer, a new product currently being piloted at customer sites.

“The Sustainability Analyzer is a tool where we can quantify the massive savings that are possible within a manufacturing site, simply by increasing productivity, automation and efficiency. In the Sustainability analyzer we use data from the processes to quantify the energy savings at our customer sites which is both a help for our customers and an opportunity for us to increase sales”, says Patrik Eurenius.

The manufacturing industry overall is transferring to becoming more sustainable and to decrease emissions and material waste. Patrik Eurenius talks about how the ability to gather data and to use it in the right way is crucial for this shift to happen.

“Having good data is going to be key. One of the most difficult challenges that our customers are facing is the lack of good data, or even more commonly, to make good use of all of the data that exists so that for example business cases and proof points can be made to support necessary investment decisions. And that is not only to decrease emissions, but we also need good data to enhance true circularity”.

As an example of the potential of data within circularity, Patrik Eurenius mentions traceability and buy-back programs.

“When we can trace a product, for example via a QR code, we know exactly what material it consists of. Then we can buy it back from our customers after they’ve used it and we can re-use the material in the product thereby decreasing the need for virgin material in our production processes. But for that to work, we need data and we need good traceability and business system that are able to handle the circle of a business model is also a challenge because many current systems are based on linear business models. So, also in this area it is crucial that we have good data to meet the sustainability targets for the future.