Accessed through a sustainability-specific Web UI, the Sustainability Data Management solution is data model-agnostic, meaning the structure of the STEP sustainability data powering the solution fits easily with other data models and does not require a pre-existing data model to provide value. Integration with an established Product Information Management (PIM) solution (to include handling of suppliers, and locations) is possible with the Sustainability Data Management solution but does require additional configuration to fully implement.
If setting up the reporting frameworks is step one in configuring the Sustainability Data Management solution (refer to the ESG Frameworks topic for information on reporting frameworks), this topic describes step two: creating and configuring assessors, assessments, criteria, and Sustainability data cards.
The Sustainability Data Management solution operates primarily through sustainability-specific objects called data cards, assessors, assessments, and criteria.
Sustainability Data Cards – A Sustainability data card is an object that can be linked to:
-
Products
-
Suppliers
-
Locations
-
Multiples of products, suppliers, or locations
-
Multiples of products, suppliers, and locations
Assessors – As an object, an assessor is a collection of one or more assessments. Functionally, assessors often represent an organization supplying external assessments.
Assessments – A collection of criteria; the object that the data card-linked object is to be measured against.
Criteria – Quantifiable data points that, when grouped together, comprise an assessment.
It should be noted that data cards, assessors, assessments, and criteria must be created and maintained by the customer based on the customer’s sustainability requirements.