Core Concepts: Risk Dimensions & Scoring

How TekPulse scores risk across five dimensions, how the composite score is computed, and what each severity tier means.

Every component in your BOM is scored across five independent dimensions. Each dimension scores 0–100 (higher = more risk), and TekPulse combines them into a single composite score that drives the CRITICAL / HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW severity badge.

The five risk dimensions

1. Regulatory

Compliance exposure across global regimes: RoHS (EU restricted substances), REACH SVHC (substances of very high concern), conflict minerals (3TG — tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold), and the US BIS Entity List. A component triggers regulatory risk if it contains a restricted substance, the manufacturer appears on a sanctions list, or it lacks documented declarations.

2. Market

Availability and procurement risk: live stock levels from authorized-distributor APIs; lead times; single-source exposure; and price volatility. Components with one source, long lead times, or zero stock receive high market scores.

3. Technical

Product lifecycle status: ACTIVE, NRND (not recommended for new designs), EOL (end of life), and OBSOLETE. We pull lifecycle from distributor APIs and manufacturer datasheets. Product Change Notices (PCNs) within the last 12 months also raise the technical score.

4. Geopolitical

Country-of-origin risk across the supply chain. We track four nodes: legal HQ, wafer fab (semiconductors only), assembly/OSAT, and final test/ATE. Components manufactured in countries with active trade restrictions, sanctions, or tariff exposure (e.g., US Section 301 on China-origin electronics) receive higher geopolitical scores.

5. Environmental

Embodied carbon and hazardous materials beyond RoHS scope (e.g., halogenated flame retardants). We use industry-average emission factors per component class.

How the composite score is computed

TekPulse uses a hybrid formula that combines a weighted average with a worst-dimension spike factor. The default weights are:

Regulatory

30%

Market

25%

Technical

20%

Geopolitical

15%

Environmental

10%

The formula is: composite = 0.55 × weighted_avg + 0.45 × worst_dim. This means a part with one extreme dimension (e.g., environmental score 95) cannot be diluted by good scores elsewhere. Severity floors also apply: any single dimension at 70+ forces at least HIGH; at 90+, CRITICAL.

Severity tiers

CRITICAL (≥75)

Immediate action recommended. Block the design release or qualify an alternative.

HIGH (50–74)

Investigate before locking the BOM. Often a single-source EOL part or a sanctioned manufacturer.

MEDIUM (25–49)

Acceptable for prototype but flag for next revision. Common for parts with one risk factor (e.g., long lead time only).

LOW (<25)

No action needed. Multi-source, healthy stock, lifecycle ACTIVE, no compliance exposure.