Data quality of designed processes

Question

My question relates in defining the DQI of own processes. I have created a process, which combines several input flows using the ecoinvent database. I would like to assess the quality of the input data that was used, through the Ecoinvent data quality system. Now I would like to know, if the Pedigree matrix values (1-5) are connected to the individually chosen process flows within the newly created process, or are they connected to the values that will be inputted?

For example. An ecoinvent dataset has a time span from 2005 to 2015, but my inputted value is from 2022. Looking at the Pedigree matrix on temporal correlation, do you based the score on the creation of the dataset (score: 3) or based on when the inputted value was obtained (score: 1)

Thank you for the answer.

Answer 1

Very good question, if you do this fully correct, you need to specify in goal and scope of your study targets for data (reference year especially), and for each process, a target location, and for each input product, a target technology, and then will not find 100% fitting cases, and thus you will assess the difference and express it as a data quality figure (which is then not the perfect score if the fit is not 100%).

ecoinvent has data quality already calculated, but the main indicator that changes from one study to the other is time (since the connections in the supply chain from ecoinvent remain stable), and the connections of ecoinvent processes to your own processes. And for time, unfortunately, the ecoinvent assessed data quality is typcially bad, since they struggle to update their datasets -> you can set a reference time and then assess the "deviance" from this perfect time, and location and technology etc. as well, for your datasets, and express this in a data quality score for each indicator.

Good luck!

Andreas