The current wave of environmental awareness in the market has led to an increase of sustainability demands by the consumers. The focus of manufacturing companies has increasingly shifted from end-of-pipe solutions to the environmental performance of products and services. Companies find themselves in a situation where they must simultaneously create value for consumers and be profitable while considering environmental considerations. A case study is performed to explore this issue from the perspective of several eco-design tools. The existing product development process of a DECT communication device is investigated through the lens of eco-design. The theory looks into the apparent benefits and unforeseen difficulties, barriers and other factors in adopting an eco-design approach amongst companies, particularly SMEs. An eco-design audit comprising assessments on organisation capacity and potential for eco-design is carried out. This is followed by the creation and implementation of a comprehensive eco-design tool to generate a simple yet effective checklist for corporations with operational strategies for sustainable product design. Since changes in the product development and/or production to accommodate a higher level of sustainability cannot be easily or readily implemented, the framework functions as a guide of strategies within different time-scopes.