LCA Software for consumer goods
High-quality and cost-efficient life cycle assessments (LCA) for your reporting, sustainability strategy or product optimization. We develop your software to connect all participants and obtain meaningful evaluations.
"I would definitely recommend makandra. The collaboration is characterized by a highly professional calm and highly professional work, very innovative, very agile, but always on schedule, always one step ahead and visually and technically inspiring for me."
Advantages of a software for life cycle assessments/ LCA
- Overview of ingredients and environmental impact
A platform provides a clear overview of your products, ingredients and their environmental impact. Through a clear presentation and detailed analysis, you can quickly and easily understand which ingredients are the main drivers of environmental impact. - Integration of various stakeholders and environmental databases
A platform integrates various stakeholders and environmental databases to ensure a comprehensive and networked life cycle assessment. This ensures seamless data collection along the entire value chain and enables access to up-to-date environmental data, which increases the precision of the life cycle assessments. - Intuitive and user-friendly handling
A user-friendly interface allows products to be easily added and comprehensively analyzed. This enables a quick and efficient assessment of environmental impacts and supports targeted improvement measures. - Transparent evaluations for stakeholders and customers
Thanks to clearly understandable reports and visualizations, you can easily understand the life cycle assessments, report to stakeholders and present them to customers as proof of your sustainability. - Maximum data security
On request, we can run your LCA application on our servers located in Germany. We also develop and customize your application in accordance with the latest security standards. - Availability and support
We offer fast and personal support for support cases and feature requests. On request, we can also take care of the strategic development of your platform.
The process Next steps
- First exchange (1 h)
In an initial meeting, we clarify your requirements and goals in the field of life cycle assessments and give you direct feedback on our suitability as a partner and the expected costs.
- Workshop and offer (2-3 days)
In a workshop, we work with you to develop the specific requirements and possible uses of the platform for your company and bundle these into a detailed offer.
- Development of the software (2-3 months)
We develop your software tailored to your processes and requirements. We also integrate the software into all necessary third-party systems and set up dashboards and reports according to your requirements.
- Close monitoring and support
In the first few months after the go-live of your new platform for life cycle assessments, we provide you with intensive support. We evaluate whether there are any stumbling blocks that need to be resolved and offer support wherever it is needed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LCA FAQ
A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a systematic analysis of the environmental impact of a product over its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. The term "product" refers not only to the respective core product, but also to all packaging, wear parts, energy and services that are generated during the product's journey.
The definition of the term and the procedure are regulated in DIN EN ISO 14040/44. Accordingly, every preparation of a life cycle assessment follows a minimum 4-step process, which starts with the definition of the objective and scope of the analysis, followed by the collection of all key data, impact assessment and final evaluation.
There are various reasons and motivations for preparing a life cycle assessment. A life cycle assessment helps companies to understand and quantify the environmental impact of their products and processes in more detail. This may be necessary due to legal requirements or environmental standards. In addition, identifying and analyzing the environmental impact at each stage of the product life cycle also makes it possible to take targeted measures to reduce the environmental footprint. Sustainability measures and transparent life cycle assessments are now also demanded by many customers and stakeholders and offer competitive advantages on the market.
In a life cycle assessment, the objective and scope of the study are first defined, including the system boundaries and the environmental impacts to be examined. In the subsequent phases, the entire value chain of a product is considered and evaluated with regard to various environmental impacts, including CO2 emissions, soil acidification, summer smog, ozone depletion and land and water consumption. The results can then be interpreted in the evaluation phase, for example to identify measures to reduce the environmental impact and improve the sustainability of the product.
There are various software solutions for life cycle assessment, such as SimaPro, Sphera, Ecochain Mobius or Umberto. Each of these solutions has a different industry and product focus. Since LCA is difficult to standardize and varies greatly depending on the type of product or service and the scope of the analysis, there is no universal solution.
A key challenge in preparing a life cycle assessment is the collection and availability of accurate and comprehensive data along the entire supply chain. The integration of data from different suppliers and sub-suppliers as well as the harmonization of different data formats and sources can be complex and time-consuming. Early integration of all parties into a central platform can help here. Defined role and rights concepts make it easy to regulate which data can be viewed by which actor. Other challenges include analyzing and interpreting the results and dealing with uncertainties in the data. A good software solution should address and solve all of these challenges.
The time it takes to prepare a life cycle assessment depends on various factors, including the complexity of the product, the availability of the required data and the chosen scope of the study. For simple products with well-documented processes, a life cycle assessment can be completed in a few days. More complex products, especially those with extensive supply chains or variable use phases, can take longer. In particular, the balancing of the first products will take more time than similar subsequent products.
The cost of a life cycle assessment varies depending on the scope and depth of the analysis. For a simple LCA of a single product with easily accessible data, the costs can be relatively low. For more complex products that require extensive data collection and detailed analysis, the costs can be significantly higher. This is where the use of specialized software solutions such as our platform can be worthwhile, as processes are standardized and automated, drastically reducing personnel costs.