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Smart EPD Terminology

This page defines the shared terminology used across the Smart EPD platform. All role-specific guides reference these definitions as common language.

LCA Platform​

An LCA Platform is the underlying software environment used to run LCA calculations (e.g., SimaPro, GaBi, openLCA). Platforms go through a platform pre-verification process in the background, which — when successful — results in the platform being whitelisted for organizations to select when configuring Categories.

A platform is not the same as a background database (like ecoinvent). Databases are data sources consumed by platforms and tools.

EPD Tool (Model)​

An EPD Tool (sometimes called a "model") is a specific LCA model or configuration built on top of a platform. Tools are owned by tool-provider organizations and are selected at the Category level to streamline EPD production. A single platform can support many different tools across product categories.

Platform Pre-Verification​

Platform pre-verification is a background conformity review that assesses whether a platform's calculation framework, data handling rules, and reporting logic are fit to support compliant EPD development. When a platform passes pre-verification, it is whitelisted and available for organizations to select when configuring tool-based Categories. This is a one-time onboarding step.

Tool/Model Verification​

The process by which a verifier reviews and certifies that a specific tool/model produces compliant results for a specific project. While the tool is selected at the Category level, actual verification happens at the project level — tied to the LCA submission and EPD template review. The verifier reviews the LCA documentation together with a fully populated Reference EPD to confirm the model produces valid results within the verified scope. Because a template cannot be verified in the abstract, the template and its Reference EPD are verified in tandem: confirming the Reference EPD simultaneously validates the locked and inherited fields, the input bounds, and that a complete EPD comes out correct.

Specifications & EPD Templates​

A Specification is a structured definition of rules, requirements, and form configurations that govern how EPD data is collected, validated, and presented. Specifications exist at multiple levels and cascade downward, with each level inheriting from and optionally overriding the level above.

An EPD Template is the resolved output of the full specification chain for a specific project. It is not a separate concept from specifications; it is what you get when the entire chain is evaluated into a concrete form definition with locked fields, unlocked fields, and validation constraints.

Specifications attach at two levels:

EPD Templates follow semantic versioning:

  • Minor updates (1.0 → 1.1) auto-apply to all projects in the Category
  • Major updates (1.0 → 2.0) do not auto-apply; existing projects stay on their current version

Template Versioning & Tool Updates​

Template constraints are not static. As tools evolve and product ranges expand, templates are updated through revision requests. Conceptually, tool updates fall into three categories of change:

ChangeUpdate TypeTemplate VersionEffect on Existing Projects
Background database updateType 0No changeNo effect
Adjusted constraint rangeType 1Minor bump (1.0 → 1.1)Auto-applies to new EPDs
New constraint type addedType 1Minor bump (1.0 → 1.1)Auto-applies to new EPDs
Fundamental methodology changeType 2Major bump (1.x → 2.0)Does not auto-apply