Phase 1: Analysis of current business model and resource streams

Before approaching any changes or transformations, it is of importance to understand your current situation and current business models (business as-it-is now).  

The main questions to answer:

  • who are the customers in your current business model, what are their needs, how conscious customers are about the product itself and the way it is manufactured?
  • what is offered to the customers, what is the customer value proposition, are we answering all customer needs with our product?
  • how the value proposition is made available (value chain) – what processes, activities and resources are required, and what are their costs?
  • why is the business model financially valuable, and how are revenues generated (revenue model)?

Analyse your current business model with the help of Business model canvas, which is a tool based on the 9 building blocks with supporting questions.

The business model canvas is useful for distilling the supporting business case down into something easily digestible. By forcing everything to be on a single page, each question must be answered briefly, which often cuts through any grandstanding to illustrate whether each area is truly addressed and viable. It is highly recommended to follow the numerical order of building blocks when working with canvas.  

Another tool to assess where your business stands from the point of sustainable development is SWOT.

analysis (or SWOT matrix) is a tool used to help an organization identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related to business competition or project planning. The goal is to maximise strengths and opportunities while reducing the impact of internal or external threats and weaknesses

In addition to the current business model analysis, there is a need to analyse the current resource/and side streams.

Resource and side stream analysis includes mapping inputs to the process and outputs, i.e. amount, periodicity and quality of side waste streams. The suggestion is to analyse both, materials (in any form: solid, liquid and gas) and energy. Also, cost analysis of side stream handling should be performed to be able to prioritise side streams for potential improvement.

Business Model Canvas

SWOT Analysis

General template for analysis

Example templates for analysis of side and waste streams

Template for analysis of waste streams in brewery

Template for analysis of waste streams in potato peeling

Template for analysis of waste streams in fish processing plant

General template for analysis of side and waste streams

Fish, potato and Beer and distilling waste streams in remote regions from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Ireland

Circular economy business development and consulting
Click on the icons below to see each phase.

Phase 0

Initiation or trigger circular BM development

Phase 1

Analysis of current business model and resource streams

Phase 2

Circular Business model and ecosystem design

Phase 3

Technology and ecosystem integration

Phase 4

Scale-up the circular business model