Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

LCA is a highly specific methodology which conforms to European and International standards for the assessment of products and services (most notably EN 15804:2012+A2:2019). Manufacturing data, supply chain data, transport, energy, and other factors are combined and applied to the various stages in the life cycle of a product (or service).

I have previously focused on construction materials, for which there are several “Product Category Rules” documents – which define how to do the analysis. The output from this methodology is an LCA report, and when verified by a third-party programme operator, an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) document or certificate.

I have 12 years previous experience performing LCA, creating EPD, and verifying EPD to the BRE Global Environmental Profiles scheme.

Proprietary Analysis Software

Often, specific types of calculation require specific software packages. An example is the LCA work (described previously) for which I have used the SimaPro software, and GaBi.

Whatever software package is required to complete a task, I can learn and apply these tools in a very short space of time.

Quantitative and Qualitative Data

Throughout my career and in both my undergraduate postgraduate degrees I have analysed data in many forms. My undergraduate degree was lab-based scientific quantitative data, from cell cultures and biochemical analyses.

My postgraduate MBA (Master of Business Administration) required analysis of more qualitative data; of interviews, cultural and political theory, through the lens of current affairs and human behaviour.

Bespoke Analysis Tools

I am an experienced and advanced user of MS Excel and MS Access. I have previously created entire systems to perform LCA calculations, and other proprietary calculations used in-house for specific organisations. Or simple calculators to do, for example, value conversions.

Graphs and Charts

Spreadsheet data can be displayed in many ways from simple bar charts, scatter graphs with trend lines, error bars and equations, to multiple data types on the same graph using secondary axes.

In Excel, PivotCharts and PivotTables can provide dynamic features to static information.

Training and Instruction

If you want to learn about creating more sophisticated graphs from your data, I can explain how to select and manipulate data in PivotCharts, and enable you to create more for yourself.

Infographics

For marketing materials, or for publishing data on the web, an image based approach may be more appropriate to get information across to different audiences.

Comparisons of size and scale can be easily presented using images. Processes, methods, or user instructions, can be broken down into steps with fewer words.

Imagery is easier to understand if you have people who speak multiple languages, and need to display the same information for all.