4.1 This guide provides manufacturers a systematic approach for characterizing the environmental aspects of manufacturing processes utilizing formal representations.

Note 1: A UMP is formally represented using languages such as eXtensible Markup Language (XML), Unified Modeling Language (UML), or Systems Modeling Language (SysML) to facilitate data exchange, computability, sharing, and communication with other manufacturing and analysis applications. These capabilities support manufacturers in evaluating, documenting, and improving performance.

4.2 This guide provides the required structure and formalism to ensure consistency in characterizing manufacturing processes in a computer-interpretable way enabling effective communication, computational analytics, and exchange of performance information.

Note 2: This guide will promote new tool development that can link manufacturing information and analytics for calculating the desired environmental performance measures.

4.3 The guide supports the development of tools to improve decision support capabilities while facilitating the development and extension of standardized data and information bases such as Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) (ISO 14040 series).

Note 3: Data collected within manufacturing enterprises can be used to build enterprise-or-sector-specific databases that complement or extend LCI databases (ULE 880). This approach will improve the relevancy and completeness of the data while retaining key links to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods.

1.1 This guide provides manufacturers an approach to characterize any category of manufacturing process and to systematically capture and describe relevant environmental information.

1.2 This guide defines a Process Characterization Methodology that uses graphical and formal representations to support the construction of unit manufacturing process (UMP) information models for characterizing the environmental aspects of manufacturing processes.

1.3 This guide defines the graphical UMP information model as being comprised of four elements (input, output, product and process information, and resources) that supports manufacturers in systematically identifying, collecting, structuring, and visualizing manufacturing information.

1.4 This guide defines the formal representation of the UMP information model through the use of a modeling method and language that can effectively convey the meaning and intent of processes they characterize.

1.5 This guide provides the necessary structure and formality for identifying and capturing key information needs to assess manufacturing performance, yet provides no details about an actual assessment of the process performance.

1.6 This guide provides an approach to link individual UMP information models together to create a network or system of UMP models that extends the characterization of environmental aspects beyond an individual process to a production system or the product itself.

1.7 This guide may be used to complement other standards that address sustainability and the product life cycle. This guide most closely relates to the inventory component as discussed in the ISO 14040 series (ISO 14044) standards, and resource management as discussed in the ISO 55000 series (ISO 55001) standards.

1.8 This guide does not purport to address all of the security issues and the risks associated with manufacturing information. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to follow practices and establish appropriate information technology related security measures.

1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.