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Facility Data Manager Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • Updated

This article covers commonly asked questions for Facility Data Manager (FDM) but is not exhaustive due to each customer's unique circumstances. We update this page regularly as we receive questions, if you do not see your question answered here please browse the support articles, or reach out to Support through chat in the platform, or by submitting a ticket here.

Table of Contents

General

Data

Validation

Targets and Baselines

 

How much does Facility Data Manager cost? 

Facility Data Manager is currently included in all facility subscriptions. You can learn more about subscription options in this help article.

 

How long do I have access to Facility Data Manager after purchase? 

Once you purchase a subscription with Facility Data Manager you have 12-24 months of access depending on if you purchased a 1 year or 2 year subscription. 

 

How is Worldly's FDM related to Higg FEM?

Both FDM and Higg FEM are hosted on the Worldly platform. FDM is modeled after Higg FEM 4.0 to allow brands and facilities to gather this data in real time throughout the year. FDM covers up to 100% of level 1 quantitative data in FEM 4.0.

When FDM is validated a brand is able to see if a question/data was incorrect like in the FEM.

 

If a facility does both FEM and FDM, do they need to verify each separately?

It depends on how each facility/brand sets up its validation program; however, generally, a validation body charges for time spent so the facility/brand can negotiate to have FDM and FEM validated at the same time. FDM can be validated remotely through a desktop review, so generally, we recommend having 3 quarterly desktop audits and then the fourth quarter audit for FDM to be onsite and bundled with the FEM verification. 

Note that a validated FDM is not a substitute for a verified FEM as they do not capture all of the same information. FDM focuses on quantitative data, whereas FEM also includes a lot more qualitative data, such as programs, standard processes, etc. FDM validation may help to reduce the time to complete FEM verification, but it's highly dependent on the validator/verifier and how you implement your validation program with your brand partners.

 

Based on the subscription options this year, is the FDM free?

Facilities can purchase any of three subscription packages this year, with FDM included in all three. The Light plan which includes FDM only, is priced at $299 USD. The FDM is included in the cost of the standard and complete plans which also contain options for accessing both the FEM and FSLM along with additional support and services. 

 

Is it mandatory to purchase and complete the FDM assessment?

No, purchasing and completing the FDM is not mandatory, facilities are advised to consult with brand and industry partners concerning their reporting requirements.

 

If FDM only integrates to FEM if data has been entered for the entire year, are there any limitations to monthly reporting?

FDM enables facilities to input consumption data on a monthly basis; only after completing an entire calendar year of these submissions, can that data be integrated into the FEM for that year.

 

If suppliers have purchased and completed FDM data in 2024 can that roll up to the FEM?

Once data has been submitted for the full 12 calendar months of the year, that data can be rolled into the FEM of the same year. For example, to integrate into the FEM 2024, the facility would need to have 12 submissions in FDM from January to December 2024.

 

How often is data submitted? Is there a specific cadence for FDM similar to FEM?

FDM is submitted in monthly submissions and can be adopted at any time. When a facility completes a submission it represents a month of data and is named "month year" (e.g. May 2024) based on the reporting details they select. Facilities can also edit their monthly submissions, for example if a facility receives their water bill in the beginning of the month, but their energy bills a week later, they can edit that months submission to add the new data. 

As FDM is a monthly submission, it can be adopted at any time and you do not need to wait for a specific date to begin collecting data.

 

What is the time horizon for FDM data collection and submission, 2024 with FEM 2024 or 2025 with FEM 2024?

FDM is a monthly data capture tool which enables entry of your data in monthly cycles across a full year. FEM captures annual data at the end of a full year. If a facility collects and submits 12 months of data through 2024 in FDM, this data can feed into the facility's FEM 2024. The FEM 2024 would be completed in 2025.

 

If we start to use FDM in 2025, can we input 2024 data also?

Yes, backfilling of data is allowed. Your subscription fees where FDM includes as many submissions as you'd like to submit. For example, you may submit all 12 months of data for multiple years including: 2025, 2024, 2023, and earlier if you would like. You cannot submit submissions for a future time period.

 

Can FDM monthly data be used for MCAP-decarbonization tool?

In early Spring 2025, you will be able to leverage FDM's reduction target feature to set and track progress towards your science target-aligned, carbon reduction target. The targets you create are shared with your brand customers so that you can collaboratively track progress.

 

Is monthly data input on FDM optional?

FDM enables facilities to input consumption data on a monthly basis; only after completing an entire calendar year of these submissions, can that data be integrated into the FEM for that year. Facilities can choose to enter data monthly or quarterly but are advised to work with brand and vendor partners to align on the required frequency for entry. Facilities opting to enter data at quarterly intervals will need to separate data into 3 distinct monthly entries.

 

Is the FDM only available to use for next year's monthly data or can FDM be used for last year's monthly reporting year data?

The annual FDM subscription fee allows facilities to submit unlimited submissions during the subscription period. You may submit 12 months of data for the current calendar year as well as any monthly data from previous years (e.g., 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023). Submissions cannot be made for future time periods.

 

Does FDM record previous year data on monthly basis or current month?

FDM enables facilities to input consumption data on a monthly basis. After completing an entire calendar year of these submissions, that data can be integrated into the FEM for that year. Facilities can choose to backfill data from earlier months but are advised to work with brand and vendor partners to align on the required scope for entry.

 

In FDM, based on the information about the facility and its operations, does the system automatically configure the necessary fields for ongoing quantitative data collection?

Correct, the first FDM submission will take slightly longer for this reason, for e.g., selecting the production process, energy sources, etc.; but after that one time, only the applicable fields will need to be updated in the next submissions that follow.

 

What is the cost of Validation?

Validation costs are negotiated between the validator, the brand, and the facility. The validation feature is available as a part of the Worldly FDM subscription, but the cost of the validation itself is paid directly to the validator.

Validation costs are highly dependent on existing agreements, which validation provider you select, and the validation program you or your brand partner wishes to implement. For example, if you also participate in FEM, you may be able to negotiate cost savings with the validation provider to bundle FDM and FEM audits. Some brand partners may require quarterly desktop validation while others might require biannual on site audits. The variability in costs and program options makes it difficult for Worldly to advise on final validation cost. If you are familiar with verification for Higg FEM, the cost will likely be similar on a per manhour basis but less hours overall per audit.

Facilities are advised to contact any of the Worldly-approved validation bodies directly to discuss the frequency of remote/onsite audits, required auditor level of qualification, and pricing. The list of organizations approved by Worldly to provide Facility Data Manager validation services can be found at https://support.worldly.io/hc/en-us/articles/27262398008987-Facility-Data-Manager-Approved-Validation-Bodies.

If your organization is not on the list but also provides Higg verification and you wish to discuss getting listed, please reach out to vbsubscriptions@worldly.io. 

 

Is it mandatory to validate the FDM?

No, facilities should discuss validation requirements with their brand partners and customers.

 

How is FDM validation different from FEM verification?

FDM Validation is governed by individual agreements between brand and Worldly-approved third-party assurance providers. Brands may opt to organize and implement a validation program in a range of ways. The scheduling of onsite and remote audits should be undertaken as mutually agreed upon by the brand, facility, and assurance provider. The validation scheduling and coordination process occurs off the Worldly platform. Each organization may design validation programs cooperatively with their brand clients and customize validation program characteristics such as the frequency of remote/onsite audits, required auditor level of qualification, and pricing. Validation options exist for both onsite and offsite/remote validation. 

Onsite validation: Worldly-approved validators visit the facility premises and validate the sources, scope, and documentation reflect what the facility submits into FDM. Onsite FDM validation may be appropriate on a facility’s first month of FDM data submission and annually thereafter. Onsite validations may be scheduled at the same time as a facility’s Higg FEM verification to reduce cost.

Remote validation: The validator remotely reviews the quantitative data a facility has uploaded to FDM along with the facility’s evidentiary documentation. Offsite validation can be leveraged as a complement to onsite validation (i.e. annual onsite validation with remote validation done bimonthly, quarterly, or semi-annually).

FDM can be validated remotely through a desktop review, so generally, we recommend having 3 quarterly desktop audits and then the fourth quarter audit for FDM to be onsite and bundled with the FEM verification.

 

Is only quantitative data validated in FDM?

The scope of FDM validation should be discussed and aligned with brand/customer partners and validators. FDM questions focus on quantitative data whereas FEM also includes a lot more qualitative data such as programs, standard processes, etc. within its scope.

 

If an entire year's data of FDM has been validated, can it eliminate the need for an annual FEM verification?

A validated FDM is not a substitute for a verified FEM as they do not capture all of the same information. FDM focuses on quantitative data whereas FEM also includes a lot more qualitative data such as programs, standard processes, etc. 

FDM validation may help to reduce the time to complete FEM verification, but it's highly dependent on the validator/Verifier and how you implement your validation program with your brand partners.

 

Regarding the "validation of SGS", is there a special validation service for FDM?

SGS is Worldly's preferred partner for FDM Validation and offers a range of assurance services for various Worldly solutions including FDM, FEM, FSLM, and BRM. For contact information and the full list of approved FDM Validation Bodies, please visit: https://support.worldly.io/hc/en-us/articles/27262398008987-Facility-Data-Manager-Approved-Validation-Bodies. If your organization is not on the list but also provides Higg verification and you wish to discuss getting listed, please reach out to vbsubscriptions@worldly.io. 

 

How do I set baselines and when do I need to change my baseline year?

A “baseline” is a starting point or benchmark that a facility can use to compare changes over time and quantify any reduction efforts. 

Baselines can be absolute or normalized. For example:
Absolute: The total amount of energy consumption for a period of time. (e.g., 1,500,000 kWh per year or purchased electricity in the reporting year)
Normalized: The amount of energy used while making a unit of product (for example, 0.15 kWh per pair of shoes produced).

It is recommended to use the ‘Normalized’ method to account for operational fluctuations.
Normalized baselines provide more accurate and useful comparisons over time.

If your factory has undergone major structural or operational changes such as acquisition or changes in product type, in general, you should establish or reset a baseline after those changes have been completed.

 

What do I need to know about data normalization?

Why? Your use of energy, water, or other manufacturing inputs can fluctuate due to various factors such as an increase or decline in business. To account for fluctuations we recommend dividing consumption data by a common parameter, such as production units. This provides for better year-over-year comparison of data and therefore more useful, and actionable analytics.What? Normalization removes variation in the data set. Consumption of energy for example is typically tracked in the unit kWh (Kilowatt-hour). However, for data normalization, a standard parameter, such as square meters of material or unit of production, is used to divide the absolute value of energy kWh.

How? Calculate using data captured from an absolute scale (for example, kWh for electricity) and dividing it by a common and constant (standard) parameter such as units of production, number of employees, or revenue. Repeat for all data sets.
In the Higg Index: if you select a normalized baseline, target, or reduction in the Higg Index, it will be normalized against the production units entered into the Site Information section for annual production. For example, if you selected annual production in “meters”, your normalized baseline will be normalized against meters.
Example: The electricity meter on production line A reads: 1,000 kWh it produced 100 pairs in one hour. The normalized energy usage is 10 kWh/pair [1000kWh/100pairs= 10 kWh/pair]. The meter on production line B reads 1,225 kWh it produced 140 pairs in one hour. The normalized energy usage is 1225/140= 8.75kWh/pair. Therefore, when comparing production lines A and B, production line B used more energy in an hour, however, when looking at the normalized data you can conclude that production line B was 12.5% more energy efficient.

 

What is a baseline?

To demonstrate improvements or reductions in environmental impact, it’s important to know what your starting point is. A “baseline” is a starting point or benchmark that you can use to compare yourself against over time. For example, if your factory used 80 m3 of water per 10,000 fabric meters in 2016, you will be able to compare your performance against this amount in years to come. In this example, “80 m3 of water per 10,000 fabric meters in 2016” is an example of a normalized baseline.
Data validation is a critical first step. The data needs to be stable and reliable before setting the baseline.

What is required:

  • Using stable data: if your factory has undergone major structural changes such as acquisition or changes in product type, you should select a baseline after those changes have been completed.
  • Normalization: if you select a normalized baseline, it will be normalized against the production units entered into the Site Information section for annual production. For example, if you selected annual production in “meters”, your baseline will be normalized against meters.
    Verified data: baseline data should be accurate and verifiable. Verified energy data from Higg FEM is an acceptable source of baseline data. Baseline data verified by the internal audit process is also acceptable.
  • The baseline year and the baseline performance level (e.g. annual energy use, emissions per unit, etc.), should remain unchanged if you plan to set targets for improving your performance.

 

Considering the new 5-year baseline requirement for the 2023 FEM, should we change/update the baseline every year?

It is recommended to reset your baseline every five years, so you can continue to monitor, and make improvements and new action plans that remain relevant to ongoing changes within your facility as well. It is not recommended to adjust your baseline as often as annually.

 

Can we use other units like "SMV" for target setting if we report our production volume in "pieces"?

Internal target setting can be done by the facility using SMV, but automated evaluation of the target improvement, and baseline and baseline improvement will be done against the mandatory unit of measure, which would be pcs or kg as per facility type, so facilities are encouraged to use the mandatory unit of measure in their target setting.

 

Why has the baseline now been limited to just five years?

Any performance based on a baseline of more than 5 years, does not contribute to the continuous improvement of the facility and in return the industry initiative to reduce environmental impact.

 

Would we have a problem if our SBTi targets are set as absolute while our Higg FEM targets are set as normalized?

No, this would not be a problem for FEM, but they should be re-aligned once back-calculated to either normalized or absolute.

 

Should the target year be more than 3 years forward from the reporting year?

The target year should be at least one year forward from the current reporting year.

 

Is normalization compulsory for establishing target baselines?

While it is recommended, facilities can choose to set baselines based on absolute or normalized values.

 

Can we use the evaluating year as the baseline?

It is not recommended to set your baseline year as the reporting year. We recommend selecting a baseline year 1 to 5 years prior.