Skip to main content
Most teams still treat LCA as a niche expert activity. A sustainability specialist runs a model in isolation, exports a PDF, and distributes the results. But as sustainability becomes a cross-functional responsibility — influencing design, sourcing, pricing, and corporate strategy — this siloed approach no longer works. A collaborative LCA workflow helps entire organizations share assumptions, review data, and make informed decisions earlier. It also reduces the risk of duplicated work, inconsistent models, and one-off assessments with little long-term value. Sustainly is designed around this principle: sustainability becomes more powerful when many people can participate — supported by transparent AI, centralized sustainability data, and guided workflows.

​
Why Collaborative LCAs Matter

When teams work together instead of in isolation, they unlock:
  • Faster iteration and scenario testing
  • More informed design and sourcing decisions
  • Less rework from mismatched assumptions
  • Better alignment between sustainability and business goals
  • Higher trust in results across departments
Collaboration transforms LCA from a technical deliverable into a strategic conversation.

​
Best Practice 1: Create a Shared LCA Structure Everyone Understands

A common barrier is the assumption that LCA is “too technical” for non-experts. In reality, many parts of an LCA — boundaries, functional units, assumptions — are conceptual and easy to understand with clear guidelines. Build a shared structure:
  • Define functional units in plain language
  • Explain boundaries visually
  • Keep assumptions centralized and transparent
  • Use consistent terminology across the organization
In Sustainly:
Project templates and standardized components help you replicate the same structure across products or teams.

​
Best Practice 2: Centralize Sustainability Data So Teams Don’t Duplicate Work

Nothing slows down collaboration faster than scattered spreadsheets. Centralize:
  • Materials and background datasets
  • Transport profiles
  • End-of-life assumptions
  • Inventory templates
  • Uncertainty notes
This creates a single “source of truth,” ensuring design, procurement, and sustainability teams all work with aligned information.
A shared data hub reduces internal conflicts and keeps modeling decisions consistent across the organization.

​
Best Practice 3: Use AI to Support, Not Replace, Team Members

In early LCA workflows, people often get stuck matching materials, checking units, or hunting for the right dataset — not interpreting results. Transparent AI helps teams:
  • Harmonize units
  • Suggest dataset matches
  • Flag inconsistent assumptions
  • Highlight hotspots earlier
  • Generate summaries for non-experts
AI takes on the repetitive tasks so humans can focus on decision-making. In Sustainly:
The AI copilot shows its reasoning so teams can review, accept, or adjust every suggestion.

​
Best Practice 4: Make Interpretation a Team Exercise

LCA interpretation becomes richer when different roles engage:
  • Designers spot material or usability improvements
  • Procurement identifies feasible supplier changes
  • Engineers validate manufacturing assumptions
  • Sustainability leads offer methodological guidance
  • Leadership challenges the scenarios and trade-offs
Invite discussion around:
  • Hotspots
  • Trade-offs
  • Reuse and recycling strategies
  • Realistic improvement levers
  • Business implications
This shared analysis leads to better product decisions and clearer prioritization.

​
Best Practice 5: Build Repeatable Workflows for Future Products

Collaboration is easiest when teams follow the same structured process each time. Design repeatable workflows:
  • Reusable templates
  • Standardized steps from goal → inventory → results
  • Shared scenario frameworks
  • Agreed documentation conventions
Over time, this builds organizational maturity and speeds up each new LCA.

​
Best Practice 6: Keep Everything Transparent and Reviewable

Trust in LCA results grows when:
  • Assumptions are clearly visible
  • Data sources are documented
  • Team members can review and comment
  • Results can be traced back to specific inputs
Visibility builds confidence — both internally and with external verifiers. In Sustainly:
Every assumption, dataset, and process connection is fully traceable. Changes are documented automatically.

​
Example: Cross-Functional Bottle Assessment

A team analyzing a stainless-steel bottle can involve:
  • Design: exploring alternative materials or thickness
  • Procurement: checking recycled content availability
  • Operations: validating transport and assembly steps
  • Sustainability: ensuring methodological alignment
  • Leadership: choosing which scenario supports brand positioning
Shared access ensures each team member contributes expertise while staying aligned on the same data and assumptions.

​
FAQ

Do collaborative LCAs slow things down?
No — they speed things up by avoiding rework and creating better starting templates. What if some team members aren’t familiar with LCA?
Sustainly’s AI-supported interface is built for mixed teams, offering explanations and suggestions that reduce the learning curve. Can we control who edits what?
Yes — role-based permissions keep the workflow secure while still enabling collaboration.

​
Conclusion

Collaboration is one of the most overlooked best practices in sustainability work. When teams share data, assumptions, and insights, LCAs move from technical exercises to powerful, strategic tools that guide real business decisions. Sustainly makes this collaborative approach natural — offering transparent AI, centralized sustainability data, and a shared company hub that empowers experts and beginners alike. Bring more people into the process. Build shared understanding. And let collaboration unlock stronger, data-driven sustainability across your entire organization.