In Mobius, you can export your product data and LCA results, allowing for further analysis and editing outside the platform in Excel (for example). This article answers the following questions.
What does it mean to export product data?
Why export product data in .CSV format?
How to export product data?
How to export LCA results?
How to download product footprints?
Don't feel like reading an article? Watch video tutorials on exporting product data and LCA results instead!
What does it mean to export product data?
Product data refers to the LCA model that you built in Mobius. It displays the structure you modeled and any datasets that you used in the model. Exported product data files are in CSV format and contain essential information about your Bill-of-Materials (BOM). Whereas, the other option in Mobius - Download impacts - exports an XLSX file of the results.
The .CSV file is structured according to the hierarchy of your Product inventory. Here's a breakdown of the columns in the exported CSV file:
Level (A): Indicates the layer level of your BOM in Mobius.
Name (B): Name of your product and its components (objects).
Description (C): Optional description of each respective item.
Amount (D): The modeled quantity of each item in your BOM.
Unit (E): The unit in which the amount is expressed.
Label (F): Flags whether an item is a product or an object.
LCI Dataset Name (G) and Unique ID (H): If applicable, contains the name and unique ID of linked LCI datasets.
Properties (from J onwards): Columns represent various properties assigned to the items in your BOM.
Note - CSV files: It is possible your CSV file may not be organized in the same way, containing columns with the above information, this has to do with your system settings and system operator.
Why export product data in .CSV format?
Exporting Product data in .CSV format is valuable for 2 reasons:
The format is the same for importing. You can, for example, import the .csv at a later stage in another workspace for instance
Exporting the product data in .csv format is the ‘safest’ way to make a backup, and preserve your model outside of Mobius on your laptop’s desktop (for example).
How to export product data?
To export your product data, follow these steps:
1. Select a modeled product: Navigate to the Product inventory of the product whose data you want to export. Read the articles in this collection first if you have not created a product yet.
2. Export product data: There are two ways you can do this.
Click on the Tools button in the top right corner of your Product inventory. Select 'Export structure (CSV)' from the dropdown menu (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Exporting product data using the Tools dropdown in Mobius.
Click on the Download inventory dropdown in your Product inventory and select ‘Structure (CSV)’ (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Exporting product data using the Download inventory dropdown in Mobius.
Note - Exporting with linked datasets: If your product contains linked LCI datasets, their names, and unique IDs are included in the exported file.
Caution - Exporting custom impact and life cycles: Currently, custom impact is not exportable using this method. You can only export linked datasets. Similarly, it is not possible to export/download a full life cycle’s product data. This feature is only available for products at the moment.
Video tutorial
Watch Emma explain these concepts in our tutorial:
How to export LCA results?
Exporting your LCA results is similar to exporting your product data. You can do it via the Tools or Download inventory dropdowns and select Download impacts (XLSX) instead. Figure 3 depicts this process using the Tools dropdown as an example.
Figure 3: Downloading product results in Mobius.
You will receive a notification in the top right corner of your dashboard that your product export was successful. The exported file is then sent to your user email address.
Troubleshooting - export not received: While rare, it is possible that your export doesn't arrive in your inbox. There are several reasons why this could happen.
Results exports are sent to the email address with which you're logged in to Mobius - in case you're using an alternative email address than your regular day-to-day email.
The mail is in a spam box or automatically filtered (due to your company's firewall). Search for [email protected] as the sender.
Exports can't be extracted in case you have any pending calculations in your LCA model. The export will wait until all calculations in your inventory are completed. A pending impact can be recognized on the total impact bar at the bottom of your model - which will indicate a spinning icon (see image below). Long spinning icons can occur due to mismatches betweenyour workspace settings configuration and the database version(s) you are using.
The LCA results export file contains five tabs:
Calculation setup: Provides a summary and general information about the exported results, such as the workspace, product, impact assessment method, and database used.
Inventory tree: Presents your Mobius inventory model, showcasing the hierarchy of items (rows) across every impact category (columns).
Pro tip - Inventory tree view: In this view, higher levels are the sum of the impact of the lower-level items of your model. Use filters in Excel to focus on the levels you’re interested in.
Flat table: Displays aggregated impacts of items in your model with impact attached (i.e., lowest-level objects with a dataset attached to them), allowing for a comprehensive analysis. This view corresponds with the Table view in Mobius.
Note - Flat table: The flat table presents the cumulative results for each object - so their amounts are summed up if multiple of the same object exist in the model.
EPD (Environmental Product Declaration): This view is only populated if you use the Module feature in Mobius. This tab presents results split into different modules or lifecycle phases (e.g., Module A: production phase - raw materials, Module B: use phase), enabling detailed insights into specific impact categories. This tab is useful for creating meaningful graphs.
Total: Presents the total impact results for each impact category, providing a straightforward overview of the product's environmental footprint at a glance.
Pro tip - Excel results: Use the different tabs of your exported results file to perform in-depth analyses, create custom diagrams, and conduct further research outside the platform.
Video tutorial
Watch Emma explain these concepts in our tutorial:
How to download product footprints?
Looking for a quick way to share your product footprint? Go to the Tools dropdown and select Download product footprint (PDF) (Figure 4). A simple, one-page PDF of your product footprint is downloaded to your computer (Figure 5). The pdf contains your product name, impact category (+ selected impact methods), and a donut chart that displays the environmental hotspots in your model.
Figure 4: Downloading product footprints in Mobius.
Figure 5: PDF download of Mobius’ product footprint.
Next steps
By leveraging exported files, you can gain valuable insights into your product's lifecycle and environmental impacts, contributing to informed decision-making and sustainability efforts.
For more information on utilizing exported data or assistance with Mobius features, explore our additional resources or reach out to our support team. Happy modeling and analyzing your LCAs!