EXA Product Environmental Footprint (EXA PEF)
EXA Product Environmental Footprint Software (EXA PEF) is designed to enable Chief Sustainability Officers to assess the environmental impact from raw material through to product manufacture up to the factory gate.
EXA Product Environmental Footprint (EXA PEF)
Corporate and Operational Benefits of EXA Product Environmental Footprint
Corporate Benetifs
- E2E insights in all value chains
- Emissions Tracking
- Emission Ledger
- Emission Analysis
- What-if-scenrios
- E2E reporting
- Data automation
- Seamless data integration
Operational Benefits
- Management dashboard and drill-down options
- Accurate methods to allocate actual emissions in the enterprise (as part of scope 1 and scope 2 emissions)
- End-to-end tracebility of all product data
- Highly detailed information on every product which can be mapped to its emissions
- Derivation of individual emission factors and values
- Transparency about transportation emission value
Intercompany Management Use Cases
Deep dive into Intercompany Management Use Cases
Features of of EXA Product Environmental Footprint Software
Compelling highlights of EXA Global Value Chain software for multinational organizations:
End-to-end Data Transparency
Full data transparency with end-to-end data integration from all ERP sources, ensuring that no context information is lost, even in complex proceses such as cross-company sales, drop shipments, tolling or stock in transit.
The value chain for carbon footprint calculated in PEF software is fully in sync with the information in underlying ERP systems.
Master data harmonization
For a consistent and harmonized view in EXA PEF software, master data from different heterogenuous systems is brought together (through EXA Global Value Chain Software). Therefore – even when facing master data challenges, such as material number breaks, unti of measure breaks or business partner breaks in IC transactions, EXA PEF software still priveds you with a consolidated view.
The EXA standard connectors read relevant finance and logistics information from source system and secures transition paths from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA.
Cradle to Inbound Gate
PEF software provides highly detailed information on every single material sourced from external suppliers, covering the footprint from the cradle to the enterprise gate – and keeps track of where, when and how much was consumed for production.
This information is then used to map its emissions. Emission values are preferably received from the vendors directly. If suppliers cannot provide emission information, PEF softwar can integrate with LCA database.
Inbound to Outbound Gate
PEF software tracks all the value additions undertaken within the enterprise and maintains it in the ERP system. Actual emissions in the enterprise (as part of scope 1 and scope 2 emissions) can be allocated to the individual materials based on the activities undertaken in the manufacturing of the products. This provides an accurate method to distribute the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions to individual products. Simple models for calculating emissions generated by transportation are provided as well.
Management Steering
The management dashboard provides easy-to-use analytics for the senior management to get a bird’s eye view on the materials, value-adding activities and transports, that are the cause of major carbon emissions and should therefore be treated with higher priority.
Uncompromised Security
EXA PEF software is an SAP add-on using the same security as your other SAP applications. The same goes for other features, such as single-sign-on and SAP roles in line with your GRC strategy.
Implementation Approach
Download the implementation approach for EXA Product Environmental Footprint.
Technical Details
Download the technical details of EXA Product Environmental Footprint.
FAQ
Find quick answers to common questions about EXA Product Environmental Footprint methods, features, implementation and deployment options.
What is Product Environmental Footprint?
EXA Product Environmental Footprint Software (EXA PEF) is designed to enable Chief Sustainability Officers to assess the environmental impact from raw material through to product manufacture up to the factory gate. The underlying bill of material data is retrieved from source ERP systems and contains highly detailed information that enables us to map carbon emissions values to each process step. This approach aligns with broader corporate strategy-making, as it helps organizations focus on what matters most to long-term value creation.
What is Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) software?
PEF software is a digital solution that calculates and analyzes the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of products. It provides end-to-end emissions visibility across materials, manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain stages.
What are the EXA PEF deployment options?
EXA PEF is available on premise.
What AI capabilities does EXA PEF have?
EXA has recently launched the Intercompany Management AI Assistant – called exa nexus. exa nexus transforms how your teams handle intercompany processes – from routine inquiries to complex compliance assessments and system configurations.
Key capabilities:
– Instant connectivity – links transfer pricing products, services, and entities with cross-reference capabilities
– Smart recommendations – delivers contextual guidance based on inquiry patterns and compliance scenarios
– Comprehensive knowledge access – provides complete answers spanning all transfer pricing domains
How does the PEF software calculate cradle-to-gate carbon emissions?
It uses life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies and integrates with ERP systems to collect data on raw materials, energy use, transport, and production processes, enabling accurate cradle-to-gate carbon footprint calculations.
What standards or methodologies does the PEF software follow?
The software maps the carbon chain of a product – the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) by mapping cO2e emissions to each step and thus provides a solid data base for GHG Protocol reporting, ISO 14040/44, and also supports CBAM and CSRD compliance.
Can the PEF software handle Scope 1, 2, 3 and 4 emissions?
Yes, it supports Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (indirect energy), Scope 3 (supply chain), and Scope 4 (avoided) emissions, including upstream and downstream activities.
Is the PEF software suitable for all industries?
Yes, it is industry-agnostic and configurable for sectors such as manufacturing, chemicals, electronics, and consumer goods.
Is the PEF software a native SAP add-on?
Yes, it is a clean core SAP add-on, fully embedded in S/4HANA, and compatible with on-premise and hybrid SAP landscapes.
Can it integrate with non-SAP systems and legacy platforms?
Yes, it is infrastructure-agnostic and supports seamless data ingestion from non-SAP systems, even with non-harmonized master data.
How does it handle inconsistent or non-harmonized master data?
It includes a master data reconciliation engine that uses mapping logic to align product, material, and supplier data within PEF. It can even provides tools to handle process steps outside the corporation (e.g. in a buyback szenario).
What types of data sources can be ingested?
It can ingest data from ERP, PLM, MES, logistics, and supplier systems and LCA databases to provide a unified emissions data platform based on the SAP add-on.
Does it support real-time or batch data processing?
No. However this is also not a requirement. Typically the opposite is requested: a long term average to average out fluctuations which would make the analysis of route causes more challenging.
Does the PEF software provide dashboards and visualizations?
Yes, it includes SAP GUI and Fiori reports and dashbaords and it can also be integrated into the existing reporting landscape.
Can it model what-if scenarios for emission reduction?
Yes, it includes what-if scenario modeling tools to simulate the impact of material changes, sourcing decisions, and process optimizations.
Does it support automated ESG and CBAM reporting?
PEF provides necessary information for ESG disclosures and CBAM submissions, however, for the time being it does not generate automated reporting packages.
How does it identify carbon hotspots?
The emissions are shown in a hierarchical view of the carbon chain where high-emission materials, process steps, and transport routes across the value chain can be identified.
Can it benchmark products or suppliers based on carbon intensity?
Yes, it supports benchmarking and emission scorecards to compare products, suppliers, and facilities.
Is the PEF software compliant with CSRD, CBAM, and other frameworks?
Yes, it can align with CSRD, CBAM, GHG Protocol, and other global sustainability regulations.
How is data security and confidentiality ensured?
Uncompromised Security:
EXA PEF software is an SAP add-on using the same security as your other SAP applications. The same goes for other features, such as single-sign-on and SAP roles in line with your GRC strategy.
Can it generate audit-ready reports?
EXA PEF generates transparently calculated hierarchical data for all carbon chains which can also be integrated in audit reports.
How long does implementation take?
Typical implementation takes 12 month depending on system complexity, with full support for onboarding and training.
How does the PEF software calculate carbon footprint at the product level?
First the cradle-to-gate carbon chain is established on the material/plant level, mapping the end-to-end supply chain along all entities involved. For each process step the corresponding CO2e is assigned. Depending on the required and avaiable level of detail this can be done down to the work place.
Can the tool model cradle-to-gate emissions dynamically?
Typically the tool runs monthly. However, depending on the use case, a longer period may be considered to smoothen the values.
Does the PEF software support what-if scenario modeling?
Absolutely. Users can simulate changes in CO2e equivalents in materials, suppliers, or logistics to assess carbon impact. Further alternative materials, suppliers and supply chains can be simulated.
Can I visualize emissions across the supply chain?
Yes, the tool includes dashboards, hierarchical tree representations of the carbon chain, and flow diagrams showing emissions by stage, material, or activity.
Is the PEF software compatible with SAP S/4HANA?
Yes, it’s a clean-core SAP add-on, fully embedded and compliant with SAP’s architecture.
Can it ingest data from non-SAP systems?
Yes, it supports seamless data ingestion from external systems, even with non-harmonized master data.
How does the PEF software handle master data inconsistencies?
It includes a reconciliation engine that maps and aligns disparate data using a rule-based approach.
Does the PEF software support automated ESG reporting?
EXA PEF can provide necessary information to feed into ESG reports aligned with CSRD, GHG Protocol, and other frameworks.
Does the PEF software support Scope 3 emissions tracking?
Yes, including upstream supplier data and downstream logistics based on LCA data and other accepted sources.
Does the PEF software support Scope 4 emissions tracking?
Yes, by comparing different periods the time dependancy and thus improvment in avoiding emissions can be tracked and documented.
Can I benchmark products or suppliers?
Yes, the tool includes benchmarking features for carbon intensity across products, suppliers, and regions.
Is there a dashboard for executive management?
Yes, it includes a management dashboard with KPIs and strategic insights.
Can the PEF software track emissions from intercompany flows?
Yes, it supports drop shipments, tolling, and stock-in-transit emissions and can also handle buybacks.
Does it support lifecycle analysis (LCA)?
Yes, LCA databases can be connected.
Can I export data for external analysis?
Yes, data can be exported in multiple formats as well as provisioning staging tables.
Can I export data for external analysis?
Yes, data can be exported in multiple formats as well as provisioning staging tables.
Can I customize the emission factors used?
Yes, users can select from standard databases or input custom emission factors. Also the level on which the emissions are entered depends on availability of data and can then be assigned to the relevant levels.
Is the PEF software scalable across global operations?
Yes, this is the core functionality. It supports multi-entity, multi-region deployments with localization features.
