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Overcoming the productivity challenge in product life-extending operations: a multiple-case study of European facilities.

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Title: Overcoming the productivity challenge in product life-extending operations: a multiple-case study of European facilities.
Authors: Gróf, Clemens1 (AUTHOR), Netland, Torbjørn1 (AUTHOR) tnetland@ethz.ch
Source: International Journal of Production Research. Nov2025, Vol. 63 Issue 21, p8026-8046. 21p.
Subjects: Labor productivity, Reverse logistics, Business process management, Waste minimization, Contextual analysis, Factories, Mathematical models
Abstract: A promising path toward closed-loop supply chains is to extend the lives of products. Instead of discarding worn-out products, they can be restored to a functional condition through product life-extending operations. Organising such operations at scale requires purpose-built industrial facilities. However, it also brings its own set of unique, context-driven productivity challenges. This study explores how product life-extending operations can be designed for increased productivity. In a multiple-case study, we collect in-depth qualitative data from nine industry-leading European companies with extensive and longstanding product life-extending operations. First, we derive a generic framework for product life-extending operations that describes critical decisions during the operational process. Second, we discover that a key roadblock to productivity is the need to interact repeatedly with both the product and the customer during the life-extending process. We use this to develop a theoretical model of productivity in product life-extending operations. In a post-hoc test with five other firms, we check the validity and generalizability of the proposed conceptual and theoretical models. Our findings can support practitioners and policymakers in increasing the industrial adoption of product life-extending operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of International Journal of Production Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Overcoming the productivity challenge in product life-extending operations: a multiple-case study of European facilities.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gróf%2C+Clemens%22">Gróf, Clemens</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Netland%2C+Torbjørn%22">Netland, Torbjørn</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> tnetland@ethz.ch</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22International+Journal+of+Production+Research%22">International Journal of Production Research</searchLink>. Nov2025, Vol. 63 Issue 21, p8026-8046. 21p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+productivity%22">Labor productivity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reverse+logistics%22">Reverse logistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Business+process+management%22">Business process management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Waste+minimization%22">Waste minimization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Contextual+analysis%22">Contextual analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Factories%22">Factories</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematical+models%22">Mathematical models</searchLink>
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  Data: A promising path toward closed-loop supply chains is to extend the lives of products. Instead of discarding worn-out products, they can be restored to a functional condition through product life-extending operations. Organising such operations at scale requires purpose-built industrial facilities. However, it also brings its own set of unique, context-driven productivity challenges. This study explores how product life-extending operations can be designed for increased productivity. In a multiple-case study, we collect in-depth qualitative data from nine industry-leading European companies with extensive and longstanding product life-extending operations. First, we derive a generic framework for product life-extending operations that describes critical decisions during the operational process. Second, we discover that a key roadblock to productivity is the need to interact repeatedly with both the product and the customer during the life-extending process. We use this to develop a theoretical model of productivity in product life-extending operations. In a post-hoc test with five other firms, we check the validity and generalizability of the proposed conceptual and theoretical models. Our findings can support practitioners and policymakers in increasing the industrial adoption of product life-extending operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of International Journal of Production Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/00207543.2025.2509170
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 8026
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      – SubjectFull: Labor productivity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reverse logistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Business process management
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      – SubjectFull: Waste minimization
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      – SubjectFull: Contextual analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Factories
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      – SubjectFull: Mathematical models
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            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Text: Nov2025
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              Y: 2025
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