It is possible to build in the tool a project based on a carbon balance already completed by a client.
The carbon balance calculation files can take different forms. The most common are:
All collection lines are in the same spreadsheet,
There is one tab per emission source of the carbon balance.
In both cases, before getting started, it is necessary to ensure:
D'avoir accès aux FE qui ne proviennent pas de la base Empreinte pour pouvoir les créer dans l'outil,
To have clearly understood the client expectations regarding the analysis.
Here are the best practices for successfully integrating historical data:
1 - Define the structure to enter in the tool
You need to build:
The reference framework. If the file is structured with one tab per source, you just need to follow these emission sources. You must then identify sub-sources. Either a column exists in the file, it is then possible to follow it, otherwise it is necessary to find relevant emission sub-sources. In cases where all data is grouped in the same spreadsheet, similarly, if there is no column indicating sources and sub-sources, it is necessary to determine a relevant structure.
The entities. To do this, it is necessary to identify if certain data is repeated. If this is the case, it will be necessary to identify entities. If all data is unique, there is only one entity. You must always keep in mind that the entity is the smallest level of granularity, and that groupings of entities can then be made through entity tags.
The tags: there are sometimes already analytical criteria in the file. You must then transform them into tags in the tool. If there are none in the client file, you need to question your analysis needs to create them accordingly, or use the standard tags already present in the carbon balance project during initialization (scope, mode of freight and transport).
The information fields. If there is a column that resembles comments on the data, it may be relevant to report them in the information field of the tool.
In all cases, there are several ways to structure your project that could meet client expectations. The goal here is to ensure that you choose the method that will allow you to proceed the fastest afterwards. A method will be faster if it requires integrating fewer collection lines, and if it allows for easy completion of an import file.
It is important to spend enough time on this step, as it will determine the proper conduct of the rest of the project.
2 - Clean collection template file
Once the structure is determined, you need to fill in the Excel "collection template". To do this, create a copy of this file and fill it in. To facilitate the import in the course of the project, try as much as possible to keep the data names exactly as they are written in the client file.
Be careful with data that has the same name but has differences, for example, if it has different data tags or different sources, or is not in the same source. In this case, it is necessary to try to avoid keeping the same data name, as it may cause issues when filling in the import file. Attention aux données qui ont le même nom, mais qui ont des différences, par exemple si elles ont des tags de données ou des FE différents, ou ne sont pas dans le même poste. Dans ce cas, il faut essayer d'éviter de garder le même nom de donnée, car cela peut poser des problèmes lors du remplissage du fichier d'import.
If you need to change a data name, create a column in the client file with "Toovalu Impact data name" which will facilitate linking the Excel row to the import file. This can also be useful if you want to merge certain rows that have the same source, for example.
If you need to duplicate many rows because they have different tags, it is necessary to reconsider the project structure, there is likely a faster way to do it.
3 - Configure the collection lines
Once the template file is clean, it is about configuring the collection lines in the tool. Be methodical and rigorous to ensure you don't forget anything. You can consult the FAQ on the Administration part if needed.
4 - Import data into the tool
Export the empty collection reference and fill it in from the client file using an Excel function =VLOOKUP() for example, or manually if this is not possible. Read the FAQ article about this before starting.
5 - Check that the import is correct
To ensure that the import has gone well, it is crucial to perform a consistency check on the project. First, compare in the analysis section the totals obtained by the tool and by the client file. Attention, l'outil arrondi les valeurs, gardez le en tête lors de votre comparaison. Be careful, the tool rounds values, keep this in mind during your comparison.
Once the total is compared, you need to look at the total emissions by sources, or by tags depending on what is easiest to do based on the client file.
If these different values are very different, look for errors starting with the most emitting data.
To do this, you can sort in the tool's collection section by emission. Pour ce faire, vous pouvez trier dans la partie collecte de l'outil par émission.
Errors may be due to different sources or a value error during the construction of the import file. It is also possible that there is a data omission.
Notez bien : les FE de l'outil sont arrondis à trois chiffres après la virgule, ce qui peut expliquer certains écarts minimes.
Congratulations, you have integrated your carbon balance project into the Toovalu Impact tool!