Capstone Project Report

Report 1 – Project Introduction

I. Project Introduction
1. Overview

1.1 Project Information

- Project name: A Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment System for Sustainable
Manufacturing
- Project code: FA24SE161
- Group name: GFA24SE53

1.2 Project Team

Full Name Role Email Mobile

Mr. Le Nguyen Son Vu Lecturer [email protected]
Tran Quang Minh Leader [email protected] 0886.751.110
Dang Minh Thang Member [email protected] 0822.818.118
Bui Quang Vinh Member [email protected] 0981.133.092
Phan Huu Hoang Son Member [email protected] 0912.870.196
Table 2 - Project Team

2. Product Background
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a systematic approach to evaluating the environmental
impacts of a product throughout its life cycle. Our company specializes in deploying
advanced LCA software to help businesses assess these impacts in detail. By integrating LCA
methodologies, such as ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, our software supports organizations
in understanding the environmental footprint of their products, enabling them to make
informed decisions for sustainability, improve production processes, and comply with
environmental regulations. Through comprehensive analysis, we empower companies to
minimize their environmental impacts while enhancing product performance and meeting
sustainability goals.

3. Existing Systems
3.1. SimaPro
Link: SimaPro
Description:
SimaPro is a leading LCA software tool used globally by professionals to analyze
environmental impacts across the entire life cycle of products and services. It offers detailed
analysis of materials and processes, helping businesses in eco-design and environmental
management.
System Actors:
- LCA Analysts
- Sustainability Consultants
 - Product Designers and Environmental Engineers
Features:
- Comprehensive LCA database integration
- Scenario analysis and impact assessment.
- Support multiple LCA method (e,g, ReCiPe, TRACI, CML)
- Customized reporting and data visualization
Pros:
- Extensive database with various global impact assessment methods
- Flexible and customizable reporting
- Strong support for design and eco-labeling initiatives
Cons:
- High learning curve for new users
- Expensive for smaller businesses

3.2. Ecochain
Link: Ecochain
Description:
Ecochain is an innovative LCA software platform designed to help businesses achieve
sustainability goals by providing tools for environmental impact measurement across the
product life cycle. It focuses on making LCA accessible and easy to integrate into business
operations, offering real-time insights into environmental data for better decision-making.

Features:
- Real-time environmental impact calculation
- Integration with supply chain data.
- Customizable reporting and dashboard for impact analysis.
- Support multiple LCA methodologies (e,g EF, ReCiPe, TRACI)
- Collaboration feature for suppliers and partners.

Pros:
- Real-time data integration enables dynamic tracking of environmental performance
- User-friendly interface aimed at simplifying complex LCA data.
- Emphasis on supply chain management to identify and reduce environmental impacts
throughout the value chain
- Offers cloud-based solutions, enabling easy access from anywhere

Cons:
- Limited flexibility in customization for very complex product systems
- May require some adjustments to integrate with existing business data structures.

4. Business Opportunity
In 2024, building LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) software presents a significant market
opportunity as sustainability becomes a top priority for businesses worldwide. The increasing
pressure from government, consumers, and regulators to address climate change and
environmental impacts has pushed organizations to seek comprehensive solutions for
evaluating and minimizing their carbon footprints. Here’s an overview of the business
opportunities:

Market Opportunity
- Growing Sustainability Focus: With the global push towards achieving net-zero
emissions by 2050, businesses are increasingly investing in environmental reporting,
transparency, and sustainable productions. LCA software provides the tools needed to
measure and report these efforts, making it indispensable for companies to stay
competitive in an eco-conscious market.
- Regulatory Compliance: New and expanding environmental regulations, such as the
European Union’s Green Deal, carbon taxes, and reporting frameworks like the EU’s
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), are making LCA a mandatory
part of doing business in many sectors. Companies need LCA software to navigate
and comply with these complex regulatory environments.
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Branding: Consumers are more
inclined to support brands with strong environmental commitments. By adopting LCA
software, businesses can showcase their sustainability efforts and improve their
marketability, enhancing brand reputation and consumer trust.
- Investment and ESG Ratings: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
ratings are becoming critical for investors. Companies that can show accurate, data-
driven environmental impact assessments through LCA are more likely to attract
green investments and improve their ESG scores, providing another strong business
incentive to adopt this software

Competitive Landscape
The market for LCA software in 2024 is growing, driven by increased environmental
awareness, government regulations, and the country's commitment to sustainable
development. However, the landscape remains underdeveloped compared to global markets,
with limited local solutions. Leading international platforms like SimaPro, GaBi, Ecochain
and Greenly are established globally, but their high cost and complexity present significant
barriers for Vietnamese companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This creates a prime opportunity for new, localized LCA software tailored to Vietnamese’s
market needs.

Current Gaps
- High Costs: Many existing LCA platforms are too expensive for Vietnamese
business, especially SMEs, which make up a significant portion of the market. The
cost of licensing and maintaining global LCA software can be prohibitive for local
companies.
- Complexity: The steep learning curve of platforms like SimaPro and GaBi makes it
difficult for smaller businesses in Vietnam to adopt them without extensive training
 and consultancy. This slows the integration of LCA into business practices and
sustainability reporting.
- Lack of Localized Data: Current international LCA software often lacks regional
data specific to Vietnam. Without accurate environmental impact data tailored to the
local context, businesses struggle to get precise assessments of their environmental
footprint.
- Limited Supply Chain Collaboration: Many Vietnamese industries, particularly in
manufacturing and agriculture, have complex supply chains. However, existing LCA
tools do not effectively integrate real-time data from these supply chains, limiting
their ability to measure environmental impacts across the entire production network.

Attractive Feature for the Vietnamese Market.

- Affordability: There is a strong demand for cost-effective LCA software that can
provide essential environmental analysis without the high price tag associated with
global platforms. A more affordable solution would be highly attractive to
Vietnamese SMEs that want to enhance sustainability practices without excessive
overhead.
- Simplified User Interface: A user-friendly interface is critical for Vietnamese
businesses that may not have in-house environmental expertise
- Localization and Regional Data: Integrating localized data specific to Vietnam’s
environmental and economic conditions is a major opportunity. Providing businesses
with more accurate insights into their local environmental impacts would significantly
increase the effectiveness of LCA assessments and drive adoption.
- Regulatory Alignment: With Vietnam’s increasing alignment with global
environmental agreements and regulations, LCA software that helps businesses
comply with local and international sustainability standards, such as the EU’s carbon
border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), would be highly valuable.

Unsolved Problems

- Data Management: Managing complex LCA data from multiple suppliers and
partners can be difficult with existing tools. A new LCA software solution that
streamlines supply chain collaboration and integrates diverse data sources more
effectively would be highly attractive.
- Customization and Flexibility: Many industries need customized LCA assessments
specific to their processes or regions. A flexible system that allows users to define
their impact categories, assessment boundaries, and sustainability goals could attract
businesses that are underserved by current solutions.
- Accessibility for SMEs: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often struggle
with the cost and complexity of existing LCA tools. A more affordable, easy-to-use
LCA tool for SMEs could open a new market segment, enabling these businesses to
contribute to global sustainability efforts.
5. Software Product Vision
Our LCA software aims to empower businesses and organizations to make data-driven
decisions for a more sustainable future. By simplifying complex environmental impact
assessments and offering real-time insights, we enable users to reduce their ecological
footprint, meet regulatory requirements, and contribute to a circular economy. This software
will bridge the gap between sustainability goals and operational reality, making life cycle
assessments accessible and actionable for all, regardless of size or industry. As the world
increasingly prioritizes sustainability, our tool will play a key role in helping businesses build
greener, more responsible practices while aligning with global decarbonization efforts.

6. Project Scope & Limitations

6.1 Major Features

FE-001: Register
FE-002: Log In
FE-003: Sign Out
FE-004: Forgot Password
FE-005: Verify email
FE-006: View user profile
FE-007: Update user profile
FE-008: Create user
FE-009: View user
FE-010: Update user
FE-011: Create impact category
FE-012: View impact category
FE-013: Update impact category
FE-014: Delete impact category
FE-015: Create emission factor
FE-016: View emission factor
FE-017: Update emission factor
FE-018: Delete emission factor
FE-019: Create emission impact
FE-020: View emission impact
FE-021: Update emission impact
FE-022: Delete emission impact
FE-023: Create life stage template
FE-024: View life stage template
FE-025: Update life stage template
FE-026: Delete life stage template
FE-027: Create organization
FE-028: View organization
FE-029: Update organization
FE-030: Delete organization
FE-031: Import contract by PDF file
FE-032: View contract
FE-033: Import proof of transaction
 FE-034: Create team
FE-035: View team
FE-036: Update team
FE-037: Delete team
FE-038: Add member to team
FE-039: Remove member to team
FE-040: Conduct LCA analysis
FE-041: Import environment data
FE-042: Update environment data
FE-043: Create project
FE-044: View project
FE-045: Update project
FE-046: Delete project
FE-047: Import project
FE-048: Export project
FE-049: Create object library
FE-050: View object library
FE-051: Update object library
FE-052: Delete object library
FE-053: Import object library
FE-054: Export object library
FE-055: Create node
FE-056: View node
FE-057: Update node
FE-058: Delete node
FE-059: Import node
FE-060: Export node
FE-061: Create report
FE-062: Export report

6.2 Limitations & Exclusions

LI-1: The system only supports the impact category as a RECIPE.