Role of Sustainability Data in Manufacturing Companies

The meaning of sustainability is increasing among manufacturing companies, as pressure is coming from both within and outside of the company. Data and sustainability are strongly linked as data, e.g., enables highlighting sustainability actions and measuring implications. This paper studies, how manufacturing companies are seeing the role of sustainability data when innovating their practical actions. We explore the theme by presenting findings from 12 recent interviews with manufacturing companies. The results are demonstrated in a framework for describing companies’ data utilisation and sustainability-related actions, divided into four different types: 1) Beginners in data utilisation having no sustainability focus, 2) Beginners in data utilisation with sustainability focus, 3) Advanced data utilisers with rising sustainability focus and 4) Advanced data utilisers with sustainability focus. In addition, the paper presents practical viewpoints of sustainability data in manufacturing companies. Managerial and theoretical implications consist of clarifying scattered viewpoints for the role of sustainability data in manufacturing companies.