The conceptual MAESTRI’s efficiency assessment framework, consists of four modules, depicted in the figure below, and their integration.

This integration enables an overall efficiency performance assessment from environmental (including resource and energy efficiency), value and cost perspectives. Such integration encompasses Environmental Performance Evaluation with Environmental Influence and Cost/Value assessment models through a life cycle perspective. The aim is to optimize all process elementary flows by clearly assessing resource and energy usage (valuable / wasteful), and each flow efficiency. Decision support via value-adding optimization is foreseen among the integration of the modules.
The modules of the efficiency framework will be outlined in order to ensure a scalable and flexible integration. The main goal of each module is stated as the following:

a) Eco-efficiency & Efficiency
Aiming the integration of two innovative methodologies, namely the Multi-layer Stream Mapping (MSM©) – to assess overall efficiency performance, and Eco-Efficiency Integrated Methodology for Production Systems (ecoPROSYS©) - to assess and evaluate eco-efficiency performance.

b) Standards
To identify the standards / methodologies, currently available, which can support and enhance the efficiency framework.

c) LCC Structure
To define the structure for the LCC analysis, and integrate the LCC structure within the efficiency framework, taking into account Cost and Value modelling, as well as accounting approaches.

d) Environmental Impact Assessment
Define and incorporate a structure to be used to assess and evaluate the environmental influence of production systems, as part of the efficiency framework.

The Eco-Efficiency Integrated Methodology for Production Systems (ecoPROSYS©) approach relies on the use of a systematized and organized set of indicators easy to understand/analyse, aiming to promote continuous improvement and a more efficient use of resources and energy. The goal is to assess eco-efficiency performance in order to support decision-making and enable the maximization of product / processes value creation and minimization of environmental burdens.
Eco-efficiency, the base concept of ecoPROSYS©, measures the relationship between environmental and economic development of activities as sustainability aspects that evidence more value from lower inputs of material and energy and with reduced emissions. Eco-efficiency is commonly expressed by the ratio between value and environmental influence.

According to the WBCSD (Michelsen, et al., 2006) the two most common goals of eco-efficiency assessments are: (i) measuring progress and (ii) internal and external communication of economic and environmental performance. In order to improve overall performance, the WBCSD established seven principles (Lehni, et al., 2000):
• Reduce material intensity;
• Reduce energy intensity;
• Reduce dispersion of toxic substances;
• Enhance recyclability;
• Maximize use of renewable resources;
• Extend product durability;
• Increase service intensity.

From a conceptual point of view, in ecoPROSYS© methodology the indicators are generated by a combination of three components: (1) Environmental performance evaluation (2) Life Cycle Assessment, and (3) Cost and Value Assessment.

The MSM© - Multi-layer Stream Mapping was developed between 2012 and 2013 at INEGI in order to create a method / tool able to achieve an overall efficiency assessment of production systems. It takes into account the base design elements from the VSM (value streams), in order to identify and quantify all "value adding" and "non-value adding" actions, as well as, all types of waste and inefficiencies along the production system (as in - Arbulu et al. , 2003, Kuhlang et al. , 2011). Therefore, the great similarity to the VSM tool consists in the identification and quantification, at each stage of the process system, of "what adds value"  and "what does not add value" to a product or service. The basic principle of the MSM© relates to Lean Principles (i.e. clear definition of waste and value dichotomy).

The MSM© - Multi-Layer Stream Mapping approach aims to assess the overall performance of a production system, while evaluating the productivity and efficiency of resource utilization (e.g. energy, raw materials, various consumables, etc.) as well as evaluate the costs related to missuses and inefficiencies and other process and domains variables (e.g. quality aspects, specification metrics, bottlenecks, etc.). Despite the MSM© containing an intrinsic link with the lean tool VSM, this new approach introduces disruptive innovations related with its applicability and wide assessment solutions for complex systems analysis.
The MSM© is intended to be used, not only for analytical evaluation, but also to support the decision making process, namely for greenfield design or online systems monitoring, related with:
• The identification of the most critical resource or process parameters;
• The identification and quantification of inefficiencies of a given production system and unit process;
• The quantification of resource and operational efficiency, and overall production system performance and costs;
• The implementation of improvement actions and optimization actions;
• The evaluation of efficiency progress and to incite for continuous improvement sustainability within organizations.

The MSM© approach is intended to encourage the pursuit of maximum efficiency, (i.e. 100%) and continuous improvement mind-set along teams and workforce.

The outline of the integration of ecoPROSYS© and MSM© concerns the exchange of information between efficiency and eco-efficiency assessments.

The approach followed to integrate ecoPROSYS© and MSM© is primarily through the combination of the eco-efficiency and efficiency results as opposed to a fusion of results. Such approach enables to obtain efficiency and eco-efficiency stand-alone results to support decisions, in addition to the new integrated results, namely the:
• Total Efficiency Index: It is a new metric of MAESTRI which is obtained by integrating results from ecoPROSYS© and MSM©, i.e. combine eco-efficiency KPIs with MSM© efficiency metrics and architecture;
• Environmental and value performance: These results are based on real and target figures;
• Normalized eco-efficiency: combining results from real and target eco-efficiency ratios for each process step of a production system;
• Effectiveness of accomplishment for each eco-efficiency principle: It is obtained by the interaction between ecoPROSYS© and MSM©’s efficiency assessment method;
• Environmental influence and costs of the VA and NVA activities: These are obtained by integrating results from ecoPROSYS© and MSM©.

To know more about the monitoring of performances and efficiency, the MAESTRI project made available the following materials:
>> MAESTRI D2.1 Efficiency Framework concept description
>> MAESTRI D2.2 Methods for Efficiency Framework for resource and energy efficiency description

All reports related to the development of the efficiency framework methodology and its validation ara available here: https://maestri-spire.eu/downloads/technical-materials/