Component Chains

Component Chains are sub-supply chains and create an intuitive and scalable structure to manage and re-use data of complex supply chains with multiple components. It involves creating the step by step journey with locations, or in our terms activities, linking to each other. These activities can have output components that can have a responsible company assigned to them. Think of a component chain as a smaller part of a bigger supply chain. Using the component chains will help you to have better clarity and makes it easier to re-use your component chains across your different product's supply chains.

To create your first component chain, you can create an empty chain by selecting "New component chain". When you have existing component chains and want to create a similar component chain with some adjustments you can just create a copy from an existing chain (shown below).

Origin: The first step in the chain (E.g. Harvest).

Processing: Refinement of a component (E.g. Grinding).

Handling: Movement of a component without material change (E.g. Export).

Manufacturing: Manufacturing of the end product (E.g. Mixing & Moulding).

Distribution: Logistics and selling of the end product (E.g. Retail).

Return: After selling & distribution of the end product (E.g. Recycling).

These need to be used in order, but you can add multiple steps with the same type.

The optional hints provide you with next steps that will help you create your first component chains. If you are experienced with using our platform, you can also create your chain in a different order to the hints or completely ignore the hints and progress.

Adding activities

Hovering over the columns, you can click the plus icon to add new activities to the desired step. You can choose between selecting an existing activity, if you have already created activities, or adding new ones. 

Creating activities is also explained in this section here.

Sub chains
By clicking the import component chains button, you are able to reuse and import already created component chains. Importing a component chain will create the necessary steps and are added in the top below existing sub chains. You can also change the order of the sub chains or delete them. The actions are revealed by hovering over the yellow background of a sub chain.

You can hover on activities and over the Add component chain button, this enables you to see a preview of a component chain (activities with orange border) that you can create out of the existing activities and their connections. This can be useful if you have not created the activities granular enough and want to quickly create a reusable chain. But pay attention, this action is currently irreversible. 

Connections

To visualize which route the components took in their creation, you have to add the connections between all the activities. This is needed later to be able to publish your product. They can be added and edited by clicking the activity and selecting the incoming connections.

Connections are displayed as colours, imagine an arrow from left to right, if the colours match on the outgoing circle and incoming triangle.