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Article: Automated EPD Creation and its benefits

 

Estimated time to read: 3 minutes

5.10.2023

The creation of EPDs is complex and expensive

Many companies, that desire to showcase their environmental impact consider doing so with EPDs. Without proper resources and expertise, the process of creating an EPD is complex, time-consuming, and expensive. The reason for that is that EPDs are subject to many regulations and norms, demanding in-house expertise acquisition themselves or hiring external consultants, who will create EPDs for them.

However, the first option takes (valuable) time and resources before perfecting the EPD creation process, and the second one is expensive. The game-changing solution is EPD creation.

Automation of EPD processes saves time and money

The creation of an EPD consists of the following key steps:

  1. Coordination → deciding whether to do EPD creation in-house or outsource it
  2. Collection of relevant data
  3. Lifecycle assessment
  4. Writing the background report & EPD
  5. Verification by a third party
  6. Publication and Distribution

Automating the EPD creation involves using software to handle data collection and conduct Lifecycle Assessment, effectively reducing the need for extensive manual verification. Once the EPD software is pre-verified, one no longer needs to verify the entire EPD, but only the input used.

Automating the EPD creation means that…

  • the data collection and the Lifecycle Assessment is done by software
  • the verification step is (nearly) eliminated after pre-verifying the EPD software
  • your primary interaction is with the software itself, eliminating the need to initially engage with a consultant, wait for their response, and then repeat the process with an EPD verification service

This results in a substantial reduction in both time and cost when it comes to producing and publishing validated EPDs.

Automating the EPD creation means that the data collection and the Lifecycle Assessment are done by software. The verification step is (nearly) completely eliminated after pre-verifying the EPD software. Furthermore, with automated EPD software, your primary interaction is with the software itself, eliminating the need to initially engage with a consultant, wait for their response, and then repeat the process with an EPD verification service. This results in a substantial reduction in both time and cost when it comes to producing and publishing validated EPDs.

What is pre-verification

For an Environmental Product Declaration to be valid it has to be verified by a third party, to ensure its credibility and correctness.

Pre-verification in the context of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) tool entails a thorough testing process to ensure the tool’s data sources, methodologies, and the results it generates comply with current standards. This way the EPD software is confirmed to have output that conforms with all norms and standards EPD falls under. However, while pre-verification streamlines the process with efficiency and accuracy, it does not eliminate the verification step entirely.

Automated EPD software is the future

Looking ahead, the demand for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) is expected to continue rising. However, the current manual and costly process for creating EPDs lacks transparency and efficiency. As a result, the demand for EPD creation tools is also on the rise, as they simplify the complex process and reduce costs. Therefore, integrating automated EPD creation software solutions into your workflow rather sooner than later gives you a competitive advantage.

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