Information technology and product lifecycle management

Information technology has the potential to address two key difficulties of product lifecycle management: product information loss and secondary market transaction costs. Applicable technologies include bar-code systems, radio-frequency identification (RFID), Internet-based secondary markets, and smart chips. In addition to enhancing manufacturers' product stewardship programs, product management systems could benefit consumers by maintaining product value and making re-sale easier. The concept of product self-management, in which a product manages its own transition into re-use or re-cycle markets, provides a new aspect for sustainable product design. Existing applications are discussed, including on-line secondary markets, RFID, and scanners for home use. The development of product self-management through links between web-based transaction systems and product-embedded information systems, such as bar codes, RFID, and smart chips, is explored.