Getting Started

PM Basics

What does the Higg Product Module cover?

The Product Module allows for a range of functionalities, allowing users to make informed choices about products, including:

• Side-by-side product comparisons, with the ability to see where impacts are coming from.
• Ability to create a Bill of Materials and see the effects of switching materials and material amounts
• Ability to add processing details and see the effects of different manufacturing decisions in product assembly
• Ability to identify retail and online distribution impacts, including inbound and outbound transportation
• Visualize environmental impacts of alternative care such as machine wash at cooler temperature or line drying
• Ability to include repairability attributes and determine the durability of a product based on performance testing data
• Access to source and methodology information
• Ability to create and download a product datasheet that summarizes the product processes and impacts for brands, retailers, and customers
• Excel data exports for product impacts

How long will it take to assess a product with the Higg Product Module?

The time required to assess a product with the Product Module will depend on the complexity of the product’s Bill of Materials, the complexity of the Finished Goods Manufacturing processes, and the amount of different packaging materials for online and retail sales. The sections Logistics, Retail, Product Care, and End of Use have defaults that facilitate the assessment.

The time required will also depend on what information you have already collected and prepared, such as customized materials in the MSI. The times given below assume that customized materials have already been made in the MSI. The time estimates for making these materials can be found in the Higg MSI How to Higg. Users who have access to the information required to assess a product will find that it takes only 10 to 30 minutes per product; however, the time to collect the needed information may take significantly longer.

Who should my team engage in using the Higg Product Module?

The information required to complete a Higg Product Module assessment may require you to work with different teams.

The first step is to fill in the Overview Info, which requires product name, type and category, as well as distribution information. To complete distribution information, brands can utilize the default values provided, or acquire data from inventory/sales reports.

The most important element is to have the right materials assessed in the Higg MSI, which will require working with internal and external resources. In order to complete the Bill of Materials, a brand will need to engage their product development team and/or sourcing and production teams to receive a full Bill of Materials with the amounts of each material that are needed to make a product. If these internal teams do not have access to the product Bill of Materials, it will be necessary to reach out to the finished goods manufacturer for assistance in gathering this information.

To complete the Finished Goods Manufacturing section, brands will likely require assistance from their finished goods manufacturers to gather the required information. For instance, when making an apparel product, it will be important to know the amount of cutting and sewing that takes place. Some of this information may also be available from internal product development teams, such as pattern makers who may be able to generate this information. Other product assembly and finishing processes may be listed in product tech packs, which the product development team can assist with.

To complete the Packaging, Logistics, and Retail sections, brands can utilize the default values provided, or work with the sales and sourcing teams.

To complete the Product Care, End of Use, and Duration of Service sections, brands can use the default values provided or work with their product development teams for more detailed information. This includes care instructions, design for repair, and product intrinsic quality. Some of this information may also be available on the product spec sheets.