5 stages of the Product Lifespan

5 stages of the Product Lifespan

The IFA Protect&Sustain programme divides the fertilizer product lifecyce into five key phases for the purpose of developing good management practices for each phase.
Though some aspects of the product lifecycle managment process may lie outside of the usual activity of an individual fertilizer, the IFA programme allows companies to review business processes to identify areas where product management could be improved.
Following the Protect&Sustain model does not mean that fertilizer businesses are expected to take direct responsibility for every aspect of their products’ development, sourcing, transportation, storage and use. Rather, it sets out to implement procedures and measures to ensure that business partners both "upstream" and "downstream" adhere to the same high standards enshrined in the IFA SHE principles.


The product lifecycle begins with development and planning.
Before every new or modified product is introduced to the market, procedures should be established to ensure: the compliance with the necessary regulations and standards; the satisfactory completion of a range of product testing and risk assessment; the regular review of product development; and to ensure that a SHE and security product dossiers are established and kept readily available.


It is important to consider the source and providers of product raw materials, third-party products and services, packaging materials, and additives.
Though fertilizer manufacturers may not directly manage third-party services and products, it is their responsibility to ensure that such providers are complying with the relevant necessary SHE and security requirements and procedures.


Of course, the manufacturing phase lies at the heart of the product lifespan - and fertilizer manufacturers are fully aware that their production procedures, facilities and teams must follow strict SHE and security requirements.
The Protect&Sustain framework integrates the management of these requirements into a holistic approach to product stewardship, taking into account upstream and downstream product management needs.


After manufacturing, the fertilizer producer's responsibility extends to ensuring that the product is handled in way that continues the observance and practice of good SHE and security management.
Again, this is likely to require co-ordination and communication with third-party service providers or downstream partners to ensure that their procedures are satisfactory.

The final stage of the product lifespan considers the product's end use.
Is it being presented to the market correctly?  Is the correct storage, handling and use correctly communicated to customers?  Are farmers properly advised about its safe and secure application?  Are local market regulations considered and taken into consideration?

By managing SHE at all of these stages, fertilizer manufacturers can ensure that their products are being produced and handled safely, securely and sustainably from their initial development to their final application.