The idea is simple. Create a platform where one can track where all the materials and parts in a good come from. A product of a research project at MIT labs, it is in essence trying to achieve a paradigm shift in product design, manufacturing and traceability. Sourcemap introduces a new dimension in product procurement and in the supply chain of the materials that a product may compose of.
No more it is nearly simply asking what the overall costs may be in acquiring the materials of a good, it has now become a joint effort in assessing a good’s life-cycle’s sustainability, exposing the external costs and our apparent prolongation of the tragedy of the commons. Transparency and social conscious are here the ultimate aim of Sourcemap, linked with an apparent immeasurable breadth of underlying calculations and open databases; It hopes to “impart environmental literacy, foster collective simulation and build solution paths where no path currently exists.”
Supply chains (as with many other social issues) have numerous metrics for success, especially determined by when and where they are established. Some of the metrics useful to determine whether a supply chain is appropriate are local interest, environmental factors, human rights – none of which can be quantified in absolute terms. When there is no single solution, it is fundamental for designers to provide the tools to initiate discussions about the variables that matter.
We also would like to note that its marketing aspect for all types of endeavours and consumer products are also none but few.