Once your primary data is added, the next step is to map it to secondary data. Secondary data is data that is not directly measured by you or your suppliers, but comes from a database such as IDEMAT. In Pickler, you map your primary data to IDEMAT's secondary data.
Why secondary data is needed
To calculate a footprint, Pickler also needs to know the impact behind each material and processes: how a raw material is produced, how much energy a manufacturing step consumes, what transport type represents your supply chain, and what happens at end of life.
This additional information doesn’t come from your ERP or supplier — it comes from secondary data from IDEMAT.
IDEMAT Database
IDEMAT is an ISO-compliant database containing environmental data for thousands of materials, manufacturing processes, country and regional energy mixes, and transport types.
It's also the most transparent, complete, and regularly updated database available. Read here why we prefer IDEMAT over other databases, such as Ecoinvent.
Completing your footprint calculations by mapping
To complete your calculations, you map your primary data (materials, processing locations and end of life regions) to the most appropriate records in IDEMAT.
You do this in the product form directly, or from the mapping page.
Mapping example
Your bill of materials contains 600 g kraftliner and 400 g testliner, you simply map these to material data sources in IDEMAT that represents your material.
Once your primary data is mapped to the right IDEMAT records, Pickler has everything it needs to calculate a complete, ISO-aligned footprint. You can always return to the mapping page later to refine or update your mappings as you gather better data.