8.1
Francesca Toolkit
Circular Assessment Tool
The Circular Assessment Tool enables companies in the furniture sector to evaluate their circular readiness across eight capability dimensions. It provides a structured, evidence-based self-assessment that produces a scored maturity profile, visual spider-chart, and a prioritised set of recommendations linking directly to the FRANCESCA toolkit. The result is a clear picture of where the organisation stands today, where the most critical gaps lie, and which tools to use next. The tool is designed for use in facilitated workshop settings or by sustainability, strategy, and innovation teams working independently. It can be applied as a standalone diagnostic or used in combination of other tools from the Francesca toolkit.
8
Phase
Format
Expertise
Objective
The Circular Assessment Tool enables companies in the furniture sector to evaluate their circular readiness across eight capability dimensions. It provides a structured, evidence-based self-assessment that produces a scored maturity profile, visual spider-chart, and a prioritised set of recommendations linking directly to the FRANCESCA toolkit. The result is a clear picture of where the organisation stands today, where the most critical gaps lie, and which tools to use next.
The tool is designed for use in facilitated workshop settings or by sustainability, strategy, and innovation teams working independently. It can be applied as a standalone diagnostic or used in combination of other tools from the Francesca toolkit.
What the Tool Is
The Circular Assessment Tool is an Excel-based self-assessment and diagnostic instrument. It is structured as a set of interconnected worksheets that guide users from scoring 56 indicators across eight dimensions through to a visual maturity profile, toolkit recommendations, and an action planning template.
The eight capability dimensions assessed are:
- Value Proposition & Market Readiness
- Product & Design Readiness
- Service & Operational Capability
- Revenue Model & Financial Readiness
- Circularity & Lifecycle Management
- Digital & Data Readiness
- Organisational & Cultural Readiness
- Ecosystem & Partnerships
Each dimension contains seven indicators rated on a 0–4 maturity scale. Scores feed automatically into the Results, Radar Chart, and Recommendations sheets.
The tool contains six worksheets:
- Cover – FRANCESCA branding, tool overview, and step-by-step instructions.
- Scale – Scoring reference table with maturity level descriptions and overall maturity bands.
- Assessment – The core input sheet: 56 indicators across 8 dimensions, each with a Score dropdown (0–4), Maturity Level label, Evidence field, and Comments column.
- Results – Automated summary showing average score and maturity level per dimension, plus an overall circular assessment score.
- Radar Chart – A spider diagram displaying the organisation’s circular capability profile across all eight dimensions.
- Recommendations – Dimensions scoring below 2.0 are flagged as priority areas, each linked to specific FRANCESCA tools to address the gap.
- Action Plan – A planning template for logging priority actions, responsible owners, target dates, and tool links per dimension.
When to Use the Tool
The Circular Assessment Tool is particularly useful when organisations are:
- Preparing a business case or management presentation that requires evidence of where the company stands on circularity.
- Benchmarking progress over time by completing the assessment at regular intervals (e.g. annually) and comparing radar profiles.
- Identifying priority dimensions for circular improvement and linking those priorities to specific FRANCESCA tools.
- Integrating circular readiness evidence into sustainability reporting, supplier assessments, or investor communications.
Expected Output
Completing the tool produces:
- A scored maturity profile across eight capability dimensions, each rated from 0 (Not Implemented) to 4 (Advanced) on a seven-indicator basis.
- An overall circular assessment score and maturity band classification (Very Early Stage / Emerging / Developing / Operational / Advanced).
- A radar chart visualisation of the organisation’s circular capability profile, suitable for presentations and workshop use.
- A prioritised list of capability dimensions scoring below 2.0, flagged as immediate development priorities.
- A matched set of FRANCESCA toolkit recommendations for each priority dimension, enabling direct progression into the next phase of the toolkit journey.
- A populated Action Plan template with owners, timelines, and tool links for priority circular improvement actions.
- A reusable baseline assessment that can be repeated over time to track circular transition progress.
The tool is designed to be completed in sequence, starting from the Assessment sheet and progressing through Results, Radar Chart, Recommendations, and Action Plan. Each step below corresponds to a distinct worksheet and a distinct activity.
Read the Scale sheet
Open the Scale sheet first. It explains the five maturity levels (0 = Not Implemented through 4 = Advanced), the interpretation of each level, and the overall maturity bands used to classify the organisation’s composite score. Familiarise yourself with the scoring logic before entering any data so that assessments are consistent across the team.
Complete the Assessment sheet
Open the Assessment sheet. Enter the company or case name in the header field. For each of the 56 indicators, select a score from the dropdown (0–4). The Maturity Level column will populate automatically based on the score entered. Use the Evidence and Comments columns to record supporting observations, data sources, or caveats. Aim to score all 56 indicators — partial completion reduces the reliability of the radar chart and recommendations.
Score each indicator based on the actual current state of the organisation, not aspirations or plans. Where evidence is unclear, use a lower score and note the uncertainty in the Comments column. If completing the assessment as a team, discuss each indicator together and agree a consensus score before entering it.
Review the Results sheet
Open the Results sheet. It shows the average score per dimension, the corresponding maturity level label, and an overall circular assessment score. Review the profile to identify which dimensions are strongest and which are most underdeveloped. Dimensions with an average score below 2.0 represent significant gaps and will be flagged as priority areas in the Recommendations sheet.
Interpret the Radar Chart
Open the Radar Chart sheet. The spider diagram displays the organisation’s circular capability profile across all eight dimensions simultaneously. A balanced, outward-reaching polygon indicates broad circular maturity. Narrow spikes indicate isolated strengths. Flat sections indicate underdeveloped areas. Use the chart to communicate the overall pattern visually in presentations or workshop discussions.
Consult the Recommendations sheet
Open the Recommendations sheet. Each dimension is listed with its score, a priority flag (triggered automatically for dimensions below 2.0), and a set of recommended FRANCESCA tools matched to the specific gap. Begin with the highest-priority dimensions and the tools recommended for those areas. Use this sheet to plan which FRANCESCA tools to apply next in your toolkit journey.
Complete the Action Plan sheet
Open the Action Plan sheet. For each priority dimension, log at least one concrete priority action, the relevant FRANCESCA tool to support it, the responsible owner, a target date, and a status. The Action Plan is the bridge between the diagnostic output and the organisation’s circular transition activities. Review and update it at regular intervals as actions are completed and new priorities emerge.
Monitor and repeat
The Circular Assessment Tool is most valuable when used iteratively. Re-run the assessment at regular intervals — typically annually — to track progress across dimensions and update the radar chart profile. Compare successive profiles to measure the impact of circular initiatives and identify where new gaps have emerged. The Action Plan sheet should be updated in parallel to reflect completed actions and revised priorities.
Furniture-as-a-service operator: A furniture-as-a-service operator builds a monitoring dashboard tracking product reuse rates, redeployment cycles, material recovery and the residual value retained across its furniture fleet.
Resources
