Start with the decision
Define the assessment question and the service being studied. Then state which processes belong in the calculation. A boundary is part of the method, not a footnote added after a total is produced.
Build the record
List manufacture, print, finishing, packing, transport, use, maintenance, replacement and treatment where relevant. Record exclusions and why they occur. State how retained equipment or shared logistics are allocated, with the source and method for that choice. Keep any beyond-system information distinguishable from core lifecycle results.
Check before acting
Check that alternatives use consistent boundaries and provide equivalent service. Identify stages where data are missing rather than silently excluding them. Ask a qualified assessor about consequential methodological choices. The exported report should keep the boundary, assumptions and data gaps alongside its figures.
Worked example — illustrative
A fictional campaign has data for substrate manufacture and delivery but no print or finishing inputs. The team labels the available result as partial, lists missing stages and requests them. It cannot use the partial number as a complete campaign footprint or compare it directly with an option covering those additional stages.
Keep a useful handover
Close the “Record the boundary of a graphics footprint” decision with a named owner and a dated evidence version. The next working record is “Build a lifecycle record”. Record whether that step is planned or confirmed; retain the prior decision if new information changes the instruction.
- Define the assessment question.
- List included stages.
- Explain exclusions.
- Record allocation choices.
- Retain the boundary in exports.
