Decision support · FDES configurators
When does an FDES configurator become worthwhile?
There is no universal number of FDES (the French EPD format, Fiche de Déclaration Environnementale et Sanitaire) beyond which a configurator becomes necessary. Whether it makes sense depends on the products to cover, how they vary, how far the LCA model can be shared and what data is available. In some cases, a product-range or single-product FDES remains the best answer.
This guide is for manufacturers wondering whether they really need a configurator, before committing a budget. It may well conclude that they do not.
- Written by
- CEO and technical architect at Ailoop
- Published
- Updated
- Reading time
- 9 min
Contents
A manufacturer discovering FDES configurators almost always asks the same question: how many FDES do you need before it is worth it? The answer is not as simple as a number, and that is good news: it is not the size of the catalogue that decides, but how your products resemble each other and vary. This guide helps you assess your situation, and it may well conclude that a product-range FDES is all you need.
Do you need a configurator as soon as you have a lot of FDES?
No. The number of FDES matters, but it is not enough on its own: a configurator becomes worthwhile when your products share the same LCA model and come in enough variants for that model to be used often. Two questions give you a first sort.
Two questions that steer the decision
Common model · few variants
A product-range FDES
Similar products and few variants: a single declaration covers the range.
Common model · many variants
An FDES configurator
A common model and many variants: the LCA work, done once, serves every FDES.
Different products · few variants
Single-product FDES
Few products, each with its own logic: one study per product remains the right answer.
Different products · many variants
Several families to group
Many products with no common logic: first group them into families, each with its own model.
In every case, reliable, structured data is the starting point.
These two questions set the direction. The level of specificity your customers expect and how regular your needs are then refine it: these are what the diagnostic further down asks you to examine.
In which situations does each answer have its place?
A product-range or single-product FDES is suitable when the catalogue is stable and declarations change little. The configurator takes over when the challenge is no longer producing an FDES, but producing enough of them to keep up with the diversity of the catalogue or of orders.
Product-range or single-product FDES
It is enough when…
- Few products, and few new products on the horizon
- Variants that a product-range FDES covers properly
- FDES produced rarely, which change little
- Products that each have their own industrial logic
- Data that still needs to be built up
FDES configurator
It really makes sense when…
- A range whose dimensions, finishes or formulations combine
- Several production sites for similar products
- Customers who ask for the FDES of the product delivered
- A catalogue that is frequently renewed
- LCA teams tied up with repetitive tasks
For a product-range or single-product FDES, our sister company WeLOOP supports manufacturers.
On the configurator side, the project Ailoop delivered for MEISER gives an order of magnitude: 678 product combinations of gratings and industrial flooring, and 200 FDES published in the INIES programme. Produced one by one, each of these declarations would have been a project in its own right.
How do you assess your own needs?
By placing your products on four scales, then specifying your main need. Score each question from 1 to 5: the diagnostic gives you an initial direction and, if a configurator emerges, the most suitable type.
Answer the four questions to see your direction.
The result is a direction, not a decision. The scoring helps you reason, with no scientific or regulatory value, and it says nothing about payback: that is calculated on your own figures.
What do these situations look like in practice?
Three industrial profiles show how the criteria combine. The answer changes depending on whether your catalogue is stable, available in variants or defined order by order.
Three typical situations
A few stable products
Around ten similar product references that change little.
A product-range FDES
A range of variants
Each product comes in many formulations or is made at several sites, with a common model.
A generator configurator
Customised orders
The product is defined; each order has its own dimensions, finish and project.
A distributor configurator
What should you check before deciding?
Look at your products before counting your FDES. Good decisions almost always start with the same checks.
Key takeaways
An FDES configurator is worthwhile when your products are similar enough to share a model, vary enough for that model to be used often, and your data allows it to be built. If that is not your case today, a product-range or single-product FDES is a legitimate answer. If it is, the next question is economic: the cost and payback guide helps you answer it.
Frequently asked questions
How many FDES do you need to produce to justify a configurator?
There is no universal threshold. The number of FDES matters, but less than how similar your products are, how much they vary, the level of specificity you need and the availability of your data. For the economics, the cost and payback guide offers a method and a simulator.
Is a configurator worthwhile for a small manufacturer?
It depends less on the size of the company than on its catalogue. A small manufacturer with many variants of the same product, or highly customised orders, may find it useful. With a few stable products, a product-range or single-product FDES is often enough.
Can it cover several factories?
Yes, if the model allows for it: the production site then becomes a parameter, with its own data (energy, processes, transport). This is a typical case for a generator configurator.
Can the same model be used for several products?
Yes, that is precisely what makes a configurator worthwhile: products from the same family, with a similar industrial logic and life cycle, share one model and its variables. Products that are too different require several models.
How do you decide between an individual FDES and a configurator?
By examining the five criteria in this guide: number of products and variants, similarity, level of specificity, variability and data. The diagnostic on this page gives you an initial direction; a scoping session with your data settles the question.
Can you start with a smaller scope?
Yes, and it is often a good idea: a first, well-modelled product family lets you validate the model, the data and the way it is used before expanding. The MEISER configurator, for example, covers three product families in a single tool.
Further reading
Does your diagnostic point to a configurator? Let’s check it against your products.
In a free, no-commitment audit, an LCA expert and a digital expert review your product range, your data and your needs with you. They may also conclude that a configurator is not necessary.