> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.dcycle.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# LCA Portfolio
> Build your product's life cycle on a visual canvas — create blocks, connect them, and calculate environmental impacts.
## What is an LCA Portfolio?
An **LCA Portfolio** is Dcycle's visual, canvas-based editor for modeling a product's life cycle. You place **blocks** on the canvas, add resources to them, and connect blocks to represent the flow of materials through your supply chain — from raw materials to final delivery.
```
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ Material │───→│ Process │───→│ Product │───→│ Distribution │
│ Block │ │ Block │ │ Block │ │ Block │
├──────────┤ ├──────────┤ ├──────────┤ ├──────────────┤
│ Steel │ │ Stamping │ │ Car Door │ │ Madrid → EU │
│ Paint │ │ Painting │ │ │ │ │
│ Adhesive │ │ │ │ │ │ │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│Transport │ │Transport │
│ Block │ │ Block │
├──────────┤ ├──────────┤
│ Supplier │ │ Factory │
│ → Factory│ │ → Assemb.│
└──────────┘ └──────────┘
```
Each portfolio represents **one product** being assessed. You can have multiple portfolios in your organization.
## Block Types
There are five block types available on the canvas:
### Material Block
Groups resources that represent physical inputs: raw materials, energy sources, and waste streams.
| Input Type | Description | Examples |
| ---------------- | --------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Raw Material** | Physical materials consumed | Steel, plastic, wood, chemicals |
| **Energy** | Energy carriers used | Electricity, natural gas, diesel |
| **Waste** | Waste generated | Solid waste, wastewater, scrap |
A Material block acts as a **container** for multiple resources. For example, a "Raw Materials" block might contain steel, paint, and adhesive — each with its own quantity and unit.
### Process Block
Represents a manufacturing or transformation step. Processes have **inputs** (materials, energy, waste from connected blocks) and a **reference output** (the product or intermediate result).
| Field | Description |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name** | Process name (e.g., "Injection Molding") |
| **Country** | Country where the process takes place |
| **Reference Output** | The output product — name, quantity, and unit |
| **Input Types** | Categorized inputs: raw material, energy, consumption, waste, process |
The **reference output** defines the functional unit for the process. For example, "1 kg of molded part" or "100 units of assembled component".
### Product Block
Represents the **final product** being assessed. This is typically the last block in your chain before distribution. It aggregates all upstream impacts from connected process and material blocks.
### Transport Block
Models logistics between locations. Dcycle calculates transport impacts based on distance, carrier type, and load.
**Supported carriers (TOC — Type of Carrier):**
| Carrier | Refrigerated variant |
| ------------------ | --------------------------- |
| **Aircraft** | Refrigerated Aircraft |
| **Lorry** | Refrigerated Lorry |
| **Van** | — |
| **Train** | Refrigerated Train |
| **Container Ship** | Refrigerated Container Ship |
Transport blocks connect between other blocks to represent material movement — for example, from a supplier (Material block) to a factory (Process block).
Each material in a transport block has a **route** with:
* **Origin** — address, postal code, and country (from the source resource)
* **Destination** — address, postal code, and country (the receiving block location)
* **Distance (km)** — calculated automatically by Dcycle AI or set manually
* **TOC** — the type of carrier used
* **Source** — whether the route was calculated by Dcycle AI or entered manually
**Automatic Route Calculation**
When resources have address and postal code information, Dcycle can automatically calculate transport routes and distances using AI. You can override these with custom values at any time.
### Distribution Block
Models final product delivery to customers. Distribution blocks capture where your product is shipped after manufacturing.
| Field | Description |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **Name** | Distribution scenario name |
| **Destination Address** | Customer or warehouse address |
| **Postal Code** | Destination postal code |
| **Country** | Destination country |
| **Units Sold** | Number of product units delivered |
| **Product Weight** | Weight per unit or total weight |
| **Weight Type** | Whether weight refers to `material` or `product` |
| **TOC** | Carrier type (same options as Transport block) |
| **Distance (km)** | Shipping distance |
## Creating Blocks on the Canvas
Navigate to **LCA > Portfolios** and select an existing portfolio or create a new one.
Click the **Add Block** button on the canvas toolbar. Select the block type: Material, Process, Product, Transport, or Distribution.
The block appears on the canvas. Drag it to the desired position. Blocks are placed on a coordinate grid.
Click on the block to open its configuration panel. Set the name, country, and other type-specific fields.
## Bulk Upload via Excel
For complex LCAs, you can upload the entire portfolio structure from an Excel file.
Navigate to your LCA portfolio.
Select the **Bulk Upload** option to start the import.
Download the Excel template. It contains sheets for each block type: materials, processes, transport, energy, waste, and output.
Populate each sheet with your LCA structure. The template includes column headers matching the required fields for each block type.
Upload the file. Dcycle creates all blocks, assigns resources, and sets up connections based on the spreadsheet structure. Review the canvas to verify.
**When to use bulk upload**
Bulk upload is ideal when you already have your LCA data structured (e.g., from a previous tool or a Bill of Materials). For simpler products, manual creation on the canvas may be faster.
## Adding Resources to Blocks
Once blocks are created, you need to assign resources (from the [Resource Manager](/guides/lca/resource-manager)) to them.
Select the Material or Process block you want to populate.
Click **Add Resource** in the block panel. Search for a resource from your Resource Manager.
Specify the **quantity** used and select the appropriate **unit** from the available options. The unit list depends on the resource's emission factor.
**Quantity must be greater than zero.** Double-check units — using the wrong unit (e.g., kg vs. tonnes) will scale your results incorrectly.
Add all relevant resources to each block. A Material block can hold multiple resources of different types (raw materials, energy, waste).
## Connecting Blocks
Connections define the **flow of materials** between blocks. A connection goes from a **source** block to a **target** block.
Click on the block where materials originate (e.g., a Material block).
Drag from the block's output handle to the target block's input handle. A connection line appears on the canvas.
The connected blocks now show the link. Materials flow from source to target during calculation.
**Common connection patterns:**
```
Material ───→ Process ───→ Product ───→ Distribution
│ │
▼ ▼
Transport Transport
```
* **Material → Process**: Raw materials flow into a manufacturing step
* **Material → Transport → Process**: Materials are transported to the factory
* **Process → Product**: The process output becomes the final product
* **Product → Distribution**: The product is delivered to customers
**Connection rules**
* A block can have multiple sources (e.g., a Process with several Material inputs).
* A block can connect to multiple targets (e.g., a Material block supplying two Processes).
* Transport blocks sit between other blocks to model logistics legs.
## Calculating Impacts
Once your portfolio is fully configured — blocks created, resources assigned, connections drawn — you can calculate environmental impacts.
Ensure all blocks have resources assigned and are properly connected. Missing resources or broken connections will affect results.
Click the **Calculate** button. Dcycle processes the entire portfolio, tracing material flows through all connections and applying emission factors at each stage.
Results are displayed showing environmental impacts across all categories (climate change, acidification, eutrophication, water scarcity, etc.). You can view totals and per-block breakdowns.
**Ensure resources are mapped before calculating**
All resources must have emission factors assigned (status: **Mapped** in the Resource Manager). Unmapped resources will not contribute to the calculation, leading to incomplete results.
## Downloading Results
After calculation, you can download a full report of the environmental impacts.
After a successful calculation, click the **Download Results** button.
Choose the download format. Results include impact values across all environmental categories, broken down by block and life cycle stage.
The downloaded report contains:
* **Total impacts** per environmental category
* **Per-block breakdown** showing each block's contribution
* **Per-resource detail** for tracing impacts to specific materials
**Iterate and refine**
LCA is an iterative process. After reviewing results:
* Identify **hotspots** — blocks or resources with the highest impact.
* Explore **alternatives** — swap materials, change suppliers, or optimize transport routes.
* **Recalculate** to see the effect of changes.
## Next Steps
Create and manage your resources
Back to LCA overview