Circular IQ: Data-Driven Circularity
Facilitating circular strategies
A recurring topic of the circular economy is the importance of multilateral cooperation. Circular projects rely on collaborative networks, with entrepreneurs entrusting their partners to have social and environmental concerns at the core of their business strategies. Companies also very often struggle to assess their direct impact, not only based on procurement or partnership decisions but also based on their own operations. Circular IQ addresses these issues, with tailored data-based services allowing companies to assess and report on the impact of their activities and choose the business strategies and partnerships that will accelerate their circular transition.
Facilitating circular strategies
A recurring topic of the circular economy is the importance of multilateral cooperation. Circular projects rely on collaborative networks, with entrepreneurs entrusting their partners to have social and environmental concerns at the core of their business strategies. Companies also very often struggle to assess their direct impact, not only based on procurement or partnership decisions but also based on their own operations. Circular IQ addresses these issues, with tailored data-based services allowing companies to assess and report on the impact of their activities and choose the business strategies and partnerships that will accelerate their circular transition.
Facilitating circular strategies
A recurring topic of the circular economy is the importance of multilateral cooperation. Circular projects rely on collaborative networks, with entrepreneurs entrusting their partners to have social and environmental concerns at the core of their business strategies. Companies also very often struggle to assess their direct impact, not only based on procurement or partnership decisions but also based on their own operations. Circular IQ addresses these issues, with tailored data-based services allowing companies to assess and report on the impact of their activities and choose the business strategies and partnerships that will accelerate their circular transition.
Business Creation.
Quantifying circular progress
While some business owners create their company after a Eureka moment, Roy Vercoulen founded Circular IQ and its team based on frustration. Having worked for a sustainable certification organization, he was disillusioned by certain workings in the industry, realizing that the sustainable achievements of businesses were not always based on the right data. The companies receiving certifications might be doing good, but would not necessarily know which parts of their business served as the backbone of their sustainable efforts and which parts were lacking behind.
Certifications are not just thought of as a marketing tool to help identify companies that do good, they are also a way to help companies identify opportunities for improvement. With this in mind, Roy Vercoulen joined forces with Niels van der Linden who was also seeing the great potential of circular data. Together they built a team of data experts dedicated to delivering the right data to companies and helping them achieve their sustainable objectives.
Roy and Niels have built a team of data and purpose-driven experts committed to moving circularity forward.
Roy and Niels have built a team of data and purpose-driven experts committed to moving circularity forward.
Roy and Niels have built a team of data and purpose-driven experts committed to moving circularity forward.
Circular Value Proposition.
Source: hbr.org
Source: hbr.org
Source: hbr.org
Providing Circular Data Clarity
The main objective of Circular IQ is to provide businesses with data clarity. An astonishing $3 trillion is lost each year by US companies alone because of noisy or false data. This problem is especially relevant to circular projects, considering the number of actors and resources being utilized, making data clarity an absolute must. From resource procurement to manufacturing and even marketing & sales, there are a lot of measurable sustainable consequences to developing and growing a business. The key is to know what to measure and how to measure it. Circular IQ allows businesses to access the data they really need to evaluate their impact on the environment and how to steer away from natural and virgin resources. Not only that, the analysis takes into account the impact of close partners, in order to get a full picture of the company’s progress.
Providing Circular Data Clarity
The main objective of Circular IQ is to provide businesses with data clarity. An astonishing $3 trillion is lost each year by US companies alone because of noisy or false data. This problem is especially relevant to circular projects, considering the number of actors and resources being utilized, making data clarity an absolute must. From resource procurement to manufacturing and even marketing & sales, there are a lot of measurable sustainable consequences to developing and growing a business. The key is to know what to measure and how to measure it. Circular IQ allows businesses to access the data they really need to evaluate their impact on the environment. Not only that, the analysis takes into account the impact of close partners, in order to get a full picture of the company’s progress.
“You can’t manage and improve what you don’t measure”
Roy Vercoulen, founder and CEO of Circular IQ
Circular Collaboration.
The circular vision of Circular IQ does not stop at a local level. By partnering with global actors, they are able to deliver circular data insights to companies based in more than 90 countries. Together with WBCSD and KPMG and as the developing partner of the CTI tool, which supports the circular transition indicator framework, Circular IQ can provide companies with data showing where they stand in terms of their circular transition. One of the key features of the CTI tool is the ability to visualize the circular and linear flows of a business. In this way, companies get to compare current efforts to their target on specific results, not only considering broader metrics like carbon footprint but also identifying circular bottlenecks within their value chain.
Circular IQ’s CTI tool translates data into clear and concise circular achievements.
Circular IQ’s CTI tool translates data into clear and concise circular achievements.
Circular IQ’s CTI tool translates data into clear and concise circular achievements.
From Business to Product Data Analytics
With the help of KPMG, Circular IQ also offers data analytics tools that look specifically at the eco-impact of specific products and the individual impact of suppliers through third-party verifiable data. Consider a mobile phone manufacturer. There are more than 70 different materials used in the production of a single smartphone. This makes it particularly challenging to decipher which parts are circular and which ones are not. One of Circular IQ’s software, the PCIP, was built to solve this exact problem. Thanks to this digital tool, companies can verify that they are on track with their circular ambitions, while pinpointing at a product level where improvements are still needed. Such products helped companies like the Dutch train company NS to become leaders in sustainable mobility. Through these partnerships as well as other projects, Circular IQ aims to help their clients anchor circularity at every level of their activities, from individual product design to their global business sustainable impact.
Our Insights.
Reaching out to new audiences
Partnering with WBCSD and KPMG allowed Circular IQ to present their solutions to companies already in need of circular data insights. However, Circular IQ also wanted to reach out directly to circular actors struggling with circular performance assessment. Through a series of workshops and feedback sessions, Circular Stories helped them develop a communication strategy which would target this wider audience of business owners. First, Circular IQ needed potential customers to understand the problem with bad data and how it was affecting their business. They also needed to introduce their solutions in a simple manner, ensuring that even the least tech-savvy customers would see the huge benefits of the Circular IQ software. Taking these key factors into account, Circular Stories produced a sharp communication video introducing Circular IQ as frontrunners of digital solutions for circularity.
Circular Ambitions.
While being incredibly useful to circular businesses at an operational level, Circular IQ developed their products with a broader goal in mind: they serve as conversation starters and storytelling tools. By measuring their circular performance on clear and clean metrics, companies can prove to customers and partners that their circular efforts match the ambitions they advertise. This can lead to more trust in circular projects from the consumers’ and the entrepreneurial perspectives.
The future of business will increasingly rely on data-driven insights and the circular economy will be no exception. Companies like Circular IQ could and already are the backbone of multiple circular projects, helping circular actors have a long-lasting impact on the economy.
Circular Ambitions.
While being incredibly useful to circular businesses at an operational level, Circular IQ developed their products with a broader goal in mind: they serve as conversation starters and storytelling tools. By measuring their circular performance on clear and clean metrics, companies can prove to customers and partners that their circular efforts match the ambitions they advertise. This can lead to more trust in circular projects from the consumers’ and the entrepreneurs’ perspectives.
The future of business will increasingly rely on data-driven insights and the circular economy will be no exception. Companies like Circular IQ could and already are the backbone of multiple circular projects, helping circular actors have a long-lasting impact on the economy.
Meet the Circular Stories Team!
Whether you want to raise awareness about your products or find creative ideas to communicate your circular ambitions, Circular Stories can help you out.
Marielle, Ellekari and the Circular Stories team have set themselves the mission to help tell the story of your sustainable business and advise your company to become among the leaders of the circular economy.
Interested in learning more about our work and what we can do for your brand? Get in touch at hello@circularstories.org
Whether you want to raise awareness about your products or find creative ideas to communicate your circular ambitions, Circular Stories can help you out!
Marielle, Ellekari, and the Circular Stories team have set themselves the mission to help tell the story of your sustainable business and advise your company to become among the leaders of the circular economy!
Interested in learning more about our work and what we can do for your brand? Get in touch at hello@circularstories.org!
Whether you want to raise awareness about your products or find creative ideas to communicate your circular ambitions, Circular Stories can help you out!
Marielle, Ellekari, and the Circular Stories team have set themselves the mission to help tell the story of your sustainable business and advise your company to become among the leaders of the circular economy!
Interested in learning more about our work and what we can do for your brand? Get in touch at hello@circularstories.org!
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