Abstract

The calculation of the life cycle cost is one of the most complete management techniques to predict an entire product life cycle, as it addresses all phases of a product from its development, production, use, support and even its ruin. As the cost is a critical factor for the competitiveness and survival of a company in the market, its calculation is one of the main factors that subsidize the decision making about the definition of a product and its constituent raw materials. However, these options are totally linked to the future sustainability of this product throughout its life cycle. Thus, this work sought to identify the state of the art, through a bibliometric analysis, of publications related to the calculation of the product's life cycle cost as a line for planning the sustainability of a product throughout its entire cycle of life. This research identified that there is an exponential growth of research on this topic, there is a lot of potential for further research and that the calculation of the life cycle cost and the sustainability of products are really associated, as currents and relevant themes for contemporary society, focused on solutions for environmental sustainability and preservation issues.