ICT hardware is one of the fastest-growing e-waste streams, yet SME service providers best positioned to keep that hardware in circulation can’t deliver proactive circular services. They and their clients are blocked by fragmented systems, missing lifecycle visibility, knowledge gaps and the coordination tangle of getting multiple parties to act together. This research investigates these barriers and provides a context-specific explorative analysis that bridges the circular economyprinciples with the operational realities of Swiss SME ICT Service Providers.This research is justified in first characterising the barriers empirically and then designing and evaluating an artefact that potentially removes them. It proposes the unification of lifecycle intelligence and collaborative orchestration.

This research project follows a Design Science Research approach. Semi structured interviews were compared against findings in the literature and design requirements were derived. Based on these insights, an artefact was developed.

The artefact was then evaluated through a documented workshop in which its contribution to addressing identified barriers was assessed.