The National Centre for Research and Development

  Project title

Use of information technology to improve the effectiveness of the Environmental Management System (EMS)

Working title: Development of the ecorank platform prototype

  Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries

Poznań University of Economics and Business

  Name of programme

Domestic programmes

  Competition

TANGO V

  Project value

PLN 243,581.53

  Funding value

PLN 243,581.53

  Project delivery period

from 3 January 2022 to 31 March 2023

Meet our team

Dr inż. Beata Paliwoda – Institute of Management, Department of Quality Management, acted as Project Manager, responsible for managing tasks in the project, managing the budget, supervising the implementation of pilot activities, substantively responsible for conducting the market analysis, developing the ecorank platform concept and indicators, developing and documenting the ecorank platform specification.

 

Prof. dr hab. inż. Alina Matuszak-Flejszman – Institute of Management, Department of Quality Management, responsible for attracting partners, supporting the project with expertise, developing the concept and indicators of the ecorank platform, coordinating in-depth interviews, participating in the development of the ecorank platform specification.

 

Dr hab. inż. Magdalena Ankiel – Institute of Marketing, Department of Product Marketing, Marketing Research Expert, responsible for the development of the scaling strategy and statistical analysis related to market analysis.

 

Dr inż. Sergiusz Strykowski –  Department of Information Technology, IT Projects Expert, responsible for developing the ecorank platform project, designing the architecture and data model, as well as the implementation, testing, and pilot deployment of the ecorank platform.

 

Mgr Adam Gałązkiewicz – Department of Information Technology, served as front-end developer and mobile developer, responsible for implementing the management console and the mobile application.

 

Mgr Monika Kalina-Nowaczyk – Department of Law, Intellectual Property Protection Expert, responsible for developing the intellectual property protection strategy and preparing the registration of the ecorank word mark at the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland.

See the results of our work

As part of the ecorank project, we have created an innovative online platform that connects organisations with consumers, enabling transparent tracking and comparison of the effectiveness of pro-environmental actions. Our platform provides reliable data about the environmental impact of organisations, supporting informed purchasing decisions and promoting better environmental management practices. With ecorank, organisations can effectively monitor their performance, and individual users have access to comparable information, which supports sustainable development and ecological responsibility. The ecorank platform has reached the fifth level of technological readiness, which means that its solutions have been tested in a real operational environment and are ready for further development and wider implementation.

What problem does our project solve?

Nowadays, many organisations are engaged in pro-environmental activities, but access to clear and comparable information about their environmental impact is limited. Most environmental reports are complicated and difficult to understand, which makes it harder for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. In addition, organisations often struggle with effectively monitoring and reporting their pro-environmental actions.

The ecorank platform addresses these challenges. It connects organisations with consumers in a transparent way. It enables organisations to easily report and compare data on their environmental impact. As a result, organisations can better monitor their actions and adjust their pro-environmental strategies. Consumers, on the other hand, gain access to clear and comparable information, which makes it easier for them to choose products and services that have a smaller environmental footprint. ecorank promotes greater transparency, ecological responsibility, and helps build a sustainable future.

Who will benefit from the project's results?

Both organisations and consumers will benefit from the results. Organisations will be able to effectively monitor and report their pro-environmental activities, improving their environmental performance and adjusting management strategies. Consumers will gain access to transparent and comparable information about the environmental impact of different organisations, enabling them to make informed purchasing decisions. In the prototype version of the platform, we focused on six industries: the food sector – beverage and food producers; the cosmetics and household chemicals production sector; the RTV, home appliances, and IT production sector; the clothing and footwear production sector; the vehicle production sector; and the retail sector.

What was the biggest challenge for us in implementing the project?

The biggest challenge was creating a cohesive system that integrates various environmental data sources and allows for their comparison. In the ranking module, we had to develop universal indicators and proprietary algorithms that were both precise and understandable, so they could be used by different organisations operating in various industries. Additionally, integrating advanced algorithms with an intuitive interface required coordinated effort, which posed a significant challenge both technically and organisationally.

Our advice to other Applicants

Our advice to other applicants is to focus on understanding the needs of the target audience. It is crucial to design solutions that are both innovative and practical, considering the real challenges faced by users. It is also worth investing in testing prototypes in real-world settings to identify potential problems and adapt solutions before implementation on a wider scale.