Supply Chain Traceability Integration for Accurate Carbon Footprints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems face challenges in accurately tracking and calculating the carbon footprint of products across a supply chain, particularly when products are manufactured using raw materials and parts over different time intervals, leading to potential inaccuracies in greenhouse gas emissions calculations.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device and method that acquire traceability information by integrating first traceability information with traceability-related information, using conversion factors and weighted averages based on usage ratios, to accurately track the carbon footprint from raw materials to final products across multiple sections of a supply chain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traceability information is integrated from multiple sections without unit conversion, then the integration process is simpler, but the accuracy of carbon footprint calculation deteriorates due to inconsistent units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing unit conversion factors to transform traceability information from different sections into a unified measurement system. The control unit multiplies traceability information by appropriate conversion factors based on the relationship between sections, ensuring that carbon footprint calculations maintain accuracy despite originating from different measurement units and time intervals.
2Measurement precision
If traceability information is aggregated without considering usage ratios, then the calculation process is faster, but the accuracy of environmental impact assessment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing usage ratios as weighting parameters in the aggregation process. The control unit multiplies traceability information from upstream sections by their respective usage ratios before aggregation, ensuring that the final carbon footprint calculation accurately reflects the actual proportion of each upstream product's contribution to the downstream product.
3Reliability
If traceability information from different time intervals is integrated without adjustment, then the data collection process is simpler, but the reliability of carbon footprint tracking deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing time-based conversion factors that adjust traceability information to account for different production time intervals. The control unit uses these conversion factors to normalize data from different time periods, ensuring that carbon footprint calculations reliably reflect actual environmental impacts regardless of when the upstream products were manufactured.
Data Source
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AI summary
The server device (1) executes first, second, and third processing. In the first processing, an association between identification information of a first lot of a first product and identification information of a second lot of a second product manufactured using the first product of the first lot is acquired. In the second processing, an association between identification information of the second lot of the second product and identification information of traceability-related information measured in manufacturing processing of the second product of the second lot is acquired. In the third processing, second traceability information obtained by tracing a process to the second product of the second lot is acquired by integrating first traceability information obtained by tracing a process to the first product of the first lot and traceability-related information on the second product of the second lot.