4 First Steps to Begin Preparing for Digital Product Passports

Getting ready for the arrival of digital product passports (DPP) might look like a daunting task. It might be, but you won't know until you've started to investigate, will you?

Here are four simple steps for you to begin getting prepared as a company for the legislation that is due to start being implemented in just a few years:

1. Inform yourself, get engaged and create your vision for DPP

Obviously, the very first step is to inform yourself what all this is about. Congratulations! You're already there, as you've found this site and read this.

A good next step is to get engaged in DPP initiatives and try to contribute to the development of policies, recommendations, and standards. That might be easier than you first think. In most EU countries, the national standardisation organisations have work groups and committees where companies are welcome to join. A great chance to learn and, perhaps, influence.

Monitor the development of DPP regulations. Start by subscribing to this blog, but we are not alone in covering the topic. Within the EU-administration, the best source of information is probably the European commissions site for ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation).

In this process, identify which key aspects of the regulatory development are most relevant for you and your company to get involved in and which solutions to support.

Based on this insight, you should define your corporate DPP vision.

2. Check your data gaps - and start filling them

As you learn about the details of the upcoming regulation, you will gain a better understanding of which data will be required for you to provide.

You might get a first, rough, idea of what to expect by studying the Battery Regulation or the Deforestation Directive which we've written about here.

1. Start by identifying key data points that are likely to be required for DPP in your industry, the required formats and standards.

2. Map available data within your organisation against # 1

3. ...and data from your sub-suppliers and the entire supply chain

Now you know which gaps you need to fill and can start planning to take what action is required.

3. Inform and prepare your organisation

By now, your picture of where you want to go and what you need to do to get there is clearer. Now, it's time (at the latest) to start to inform all and involve relevant internal teams. Maybe all the details aren't in place yet, but your employees need to start getting information and to prepare what can be prepared. Make sure to communicate the vision and ensure cross-team collaboration. There are many interdependencies to be handled.

1. Appoint a DPP-lead, responsible for converting regulatory demands into consequences and actions.

2. Share DPP information and the company DPP vision

3. Explore how functions, processes and product designs are affected by DPP and support decisions and investments to ensure synergies

4. Take stock of your available technology's ability to support DPP

Identifying the data to be supplied is one thing. Being able to supply it easily, continuously and securely, verified and up-to-date is another. Therefore, you need to check your available systems and possibly modify, supplement or replace some.

1. Work with internal stakeholders and industry organisations to identify current compatibility and identify preferred solutions to any shortcomings.

2. Ensure that IT and Finance factor DPP support into budgets and technology decisions.

3. Map which systems contain the needed DPP data and ensure secure and easy access to that data as well as easy, preferably automatic, maintenance and verification of it. Make needed modifications.

An important aspect to keep in mind is that the introduction of DPP isn't a one-time effort followed by going back to business as usual. It's a major change to how business is done, especially production and procurement. It encompasses a shift of mindset of what constitutes a product and what it means to how business is done (especially design, production and supply-chain).

Your first step is easy and we'd be glad to help you. Simply subscribe to this blog and explore the site.

Image from Timeline Digital Product Passport | Dpp Forum