FDES configurator: definition, how it works and use cases
An FDES configurator is a digital tool used to industrialise the generation or dissemination of Environmental and Health Product Declarations (FDES), while ensuring compliance with INIES methodological and regulatory requirements.
Cette ressource pédagogique s’inscrit dans l’offre Ailoop de configurateurs FDES sur mesure, conçus pour générer et diffuser des FDES conformes INIES à partir des données produits.
Key use cases of an FDES configurator
An FDES configurator supports the industrial-scale production and distribution of FDES for products with multiple variants (dimensions, finishes, manufacturing sites and transport scenarios).
It helps address the challenges of scaling FDES production, reducing lead times and ensuring the reliability of environmental data, while remaining compliant with the applicable regulatory framework.
Why use an FDES configurator?
Speed up FDES creation
By automating LCA calculations, FDES configurators enable the rapid generation of FDES, including for complex product catalogues.
Empower teams
FDES configurators enable teams to produce FDES independently, without requiring advanced LCA expertise, within a defined methodological framework.
Ensure INIES compliance
FDES configurators rely on predefined rules, locked formats and controlled outputs to produce FDES that are compliant, traceable and verifiable.
FDES generator or diffusor: what’s the difference?
Depending on your organisation, your level of LCA maturity and your business use cases, an FDES configurator can address two distinct approaches: Create an FDES for a product or derive FDES variants from existing declarations.
FDES generator configurator
Create and structure FDES across an entire product catalogue
The FDES generator configurator enables the creation of product-specific FDES based on defined technical data, including cases involving variations in composition or manufacturing processes.
FDES diffusor configurator
Generate project-level variants of existing FDES
The FDES diffusror configurator derives project-specific FDES from existing declarations, adapted to the actual characteristics of the products ordered (dimensions, finishes and transport distances to the construction site).
How does an FDES configurator work?
An FDES configurator is based on a structured approach that transforms complex environmental data into usable, compliant and traceable FDES.
Its operation is based on a sequence of standardised steps, independent of the software solution used.
Product or configuration selection
The user selects the relevant product or the desired configuration from a structured catalogue.
This selection can include various variants such as dimensions, finishes, production sites or transport conditions.
Configuration of data and assumptions
The configurator automatically applies the environmental data, calculation rules and assumptions defined upstream.
The entered or selected parameters are controlled to ensure methodological consistency and the reproducibility of results.
Automated and controlled LCA calculations
Environmental calculations are executed automatically based on the data and rules embedded in the configurator.
The resulting outputs are traceable, verifiable and consistent with the defined scope.
FDES generation and export
Once the calculations have been completed, the FDES is automatically generated in the expected formats, including PDF and XML.
These formats are compatible with building LCA tools and with the requirements of regulatory databases.
Traceability and result security
Each generated FDES retains a record of the data used, the assumptions applied and the selected parameters.
The results are locked to ensure their integrity and ongoing compliance over time.
FDES configurators and regulatory compliance
An FDES configurator operates within a strict regulatory framework defined by INIES requirements and the LCA standards applicable to construction products.
While it enables the automation and reliability of FDES production, it does not replace the quality of environmental data, methodological rigour or the role of verification.
A structuring regulatory framework
The input data are strictly defined and constrained to ensure consistent and usable information for FDES generation.
Controlled calculation rules and formats
LCA rules and formulas are embedded in the calculation engine and executed automatically, without any possibility of interpretation or modification by the user.
FDES traceability and verifiability
FDES are automatically generated in standardised formats (PDF, INIES XML), with deliverables that are compliant by design.
The key role of LCA expertise and verification
Implementing an FDES configurator requires a rigorous methodological framework and, in many cases, the involvement of an independent LCA expert to secure regulatory compliance and support the verification process.
The stages of an FDES configurator project
Each FDES configurator project is based on a structured methodology that transforms an LCA approach into a reliable, automated and INIES-compliant digital tool.
The steps outlined below form a common foundation for all FDES configurator projects.
They are then adapted according to the objectives of the configurator and the intended use cases.
Who is an FDES configurator for?
An FDES configurator is intended for organisations facing challenges related to scale, product variability and regulatory compliance, in contexts where manual FDES production becomes difficult to sustain.
Organisations
Building product manufacturers
Cover the entire product catalogue with INIES-compliant FDES, despite the diversity of configurations.
Industrials with high product variability
Enable the derivation of FDES to provide an INIES-compliant FDES for each product actually ordered.
Internal teams
Product teams
Produce reliable FDES based on product data, without relying on LCA expertise or multiplying exchanges and manual rework.
LCA teams
Accélérer la production de FDES fiables en automatisant les tâches répétitives, les calculs et les exports, tout en conservant un cadre méthodologique maîtrisé.
Sales teams
Have access to FDES tailored to the products actually ordered and to specific project contexts, in order to provide reliable, comparable and non-generic environmental data.
Limitations and key considerations
An FDES configurator is not a simple software tool.
It is a structuring system positioned at the interface between product data, LCA rules, INIES requirements and business use cases.
Its reliability and long-term sustainability depend on several key considerations,, regardless of the solution chosen.
Data quality
The relevance of the generated FDES directly depends on the quality, consistency and traceability of the input data.
Without clear structuring of product data, the results can become difficult to interpret or verify.
Methodological framework
An FDES configurator must be based on a clearly defined methodological framework, including LCA assumptions, validity scopes and variation rules.
The absence of explicit methodological scoping is one of the main risks of drift over time.
Role of LCA experts
The design and ongoing evolution of an FDES configurator require in-depth LCA expertise to ensure regulatory compliance and result consistency.
A high-performance tool does not replace LCA expertise; it structures and secures it.
Role of digital experts
The robustness of an FDES configurator also depends on its software architecture and the initial technical choices made.
The ability to integrate new data, product ranges or regulatory updates directly depends on this.
Go further with FDES configurators
FAQ – FDES Configurator
Do you have questions about FDES configurators, how they work, or their compliance with INIES requirements?
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions.