The motivations that drives ReX forward | Road to ReX - part 9

Discover why ReX is valuable for your organisation

Once you understand the importance of ReX for your organisation, you’ll have a stronger basis for every subsequent decision. You’ll be able to identify areas of high motivation, what actions are likely to succeed and how you can achieve sustained progress. A clear rationale strengthens internal support and helps you get employees and managers on board. A shared vision can then emerge of the future in which ReX becomes a logical and achievable step.
 

Why a clear rationale provides a powerful starting point

Many organisations feel they ‘have to do something’ about repair, refurbishment, reuse and remanufacturing. But without a good understanding of why it’s important, initiatives often remain small-scale and hard to consolidate.

Making your rationale clear leads to a better understanding of the bigger picture. You’ll be able to identify which motivations are strategic, which ones generate energy internally, and which ones create external pressure. This will show ReX where it can start today and what steps will follow later. Motivations therefore form the basis for making ReX concrete, feasible and supported.

A practical approach in four clear steps

1. Gain a wide overview of motivations

Cast the net widely to start with. Combine internal motivators what you want to achieve with external ones such as regulations or market expectations.

Internal drivers provide direction. External drivers create urgency. By identifying both, you get a sense of the entire context in which your ReX initiatives will grow.

Also consider how things will look once your ReX goals have been achieved. This brainstorming exercise will give you a precise idea of what ReX can change in practice: for employees, customers, partners and your market.

Involve colleagues from different departments and add to the list step by step. The more diverse and realistic your overview, the more accurate your compass will be for the next phases.
 

2. Find out which motivators generate energy

Not all motivations have the same impact. Some feel like an obligation, others generate enthusiasm.

This second category is crucial: it’s precisely where motivation and ownership arise.

Ask key figures which motivations inspire them the most. This will help you to discover:

• Where there is energy
• Which themes resonate within the organisation
• Where the first steps will gain the most support

Keep it simple: a short conversation or round table discussion in a team meeting is sufficient. You’re looking for insight, not consensus.
 

3. Make existing ReX activities visible

Almost every manufacturer is already consciously or unconsciously engaged in ReX. By making these efforts visible, you’ll find out where expertise and motivation already exist. For example:

• Technicians who repair, upgrade or retrofit
• Service teams that support disassembly or reuse
• Purchasing or logistics that manage return flows
• Sales teams that offer refurbished or second-hand goods

Don’t forget informal initiatives either: creative solutions, additional service or customer-focused interventions that haven’t yet been labelled ‘ReX’. These will show where ReX is already being implemented in practice.

4. Form a small, motivated core team

For lasting progress, you need a compact and enthusiastic core team. Three to five people are enough to start, test and learn from initiatives.

Select colleagues based on attitude, not just expertise. Someone who is eager to learn, push ahead and involve colleagues will create more progress than an expert who isn’t very open to change.

Specialists are still necessary, but not until you know where they will have the greatest impact. The core team will support that process by asking targeted questions and gathering insights.
 

Team composition

A solution-oriented approach describes a realist who ensures feasible and effective actions, an idealist who safeguards the direction and identifies the right actions, and a business planner who ensures progress and structure.

Team members also take on a mix of different roles. Beware of the reluctant participant!

Towards practical collaboration on ReX

Once you understand why ReX is important and identify the areas where energy is generated, you create space for collaboration. A clear overview of your motivators helps you determine expectations, set clear priorities and involve partners effectively.

You should therefore create a list of desired outcomes. Be specific: how much money are you prepared to invest in the learning process? When do you want to evaluate? What are the must-haves, nice-to-haves and no-gos? By making this clear, you will prevent misunderstandings and accelerate co-creation.
 

Further reading tips

• How senior managers view circular business models:
   

Conclusion

If you understand your rationale, you will build feasible ReX initiatives faster. You’ll discover where your motivation lies, what actions have an impact and what steps make sense. As you make your motivators visible and increase support, ReX will grow through energy, insight and collaboration.
 

Living Lab Circular Economy Remanumaat (VNS.2023.0113) with financial support from VLAIO.