Define what every node and link means
Choose whether a node represents a company, a physical site or a processing stage. Mixing them without labels makes the map hard to interpret. A link should state whether it represents ownership, a commercial agreement or a physical material route. These are related facts, but they do not justify the same conclusions about a disruption.
The IEA describes a chain extending from extraction through processing to magnet production. Use that structure as a process reference, then require separate evidence for the named operations on your map.
Build outwards from the decision
Start with the supplier or material in scope and work upstream to the relevant feed, then downstream to the product required. Attach a source and date to each supported connection. If an agreement names two companies without naming the receiving site, retain the company-level relationship rather than inventing a factory-to-factory edge.
Show missing steps. A blank is useful when it tells the team what to investigate next. It is harmful only when the visual design hides it and the reader assumes that the apparent route is complete. Distinguish current routes from planned or historical ones.
Illustrative map review
A mine and a magnet factory have the same parent, but the disclosures do not establish the separation and alloy route between them. An ownership link is supported; a continuous physical route is not. Keep the corporate connection, then create research questions for the missing transformations. That produces a usable diligence map instead of a persuasive but unsupported diagram.
Use explicit edge meanings
| Link type | What it supports |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Corporate relationship |
| Agreement | Disclosed commercial scope and conditions |
| Physical route | Reported material movement between operations |
Your review checklist
- Define the map's material and time boundary.
- Keep company and facility identities distinct.
- Cite the evidence for every asserted route.
- Make unknown, planned and historical connections visible.
Investigate with Oreline
Oreline connects researched companies, facilities and disclosed relationships for this investigation. Follow the network and inspect its sources rather than treating a visual connection as stronger evidence than the underlying disclosure.
Follow the evidence through the supply chain.
Explore Oreline’s guided investigations. No account required.
Explore the sandbox →Frequently asked questions
Can I connect sites just because they share an owner?
You can record common ownership. A material-flow connection needs separate evidence of the route.
Does a complete-looking graph prove complete coverage?
No. Inspect the source basis and missing stages. Visual continuity can conceal uncertainty if edge meanings are unclear.