Design of Market Positioning Model for Resource Efficient Tools Considering the Entire Lifecycle

The motivation for the European research project ConTOOL (Controlling of resource efficiency throughout the life-cycle of tools) was the development of guidelines for the tool and die making industry on how to design and advertise resource efficient tools. One major obstacle is the acquisition costs of a resource efficient tool or die, which can be higher than the costs of an ordinary tool. Although, when looking at the total cost of ownership, the investment will be profitable due to the savings of energy and material, it will act as a deterrent for tool and die making companies. To overcome this burden a market positioning model was developed within ConTOOL. A market analysis of manufactures for tools and dies has been conducted in order to establish a basis for finding suitable market positioning strategies for resource efficient tools based on the particular competitive environment.