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Once digital product passports have been introduced, refusal by sub-suppliers to provide digital product passport data will be just as bad as refusing to deliver the physical product in the first place. Without a complete digital product passport, you won't be able to sell your goods, at least not in the European Union!
For background, we suggest you read our latest two blog posts:
Keeping in mind that digital product passports will be mandatory for products sold in the European Union, a product without a valid digital product passport will be as useful as a car without wheels or a smartphone without connectivity.
The first question you'll need to ask yourself is how interchangeable that supplier is for your product? Are they critical or easy to swap for another? And - THIS IS OUR POINT – it will be too late to ask yourself that question once the legislation comes into effect.
Naturally, it will be easier and faster to swap an unwilling supplier of a commodity for another, more accommodating, but it will still take time. If we're talking about a critical component, something unique, you probably can expect a lengthy process of either persuasion/negotiation or redesigning of your product.
This is a question you need to ask yourself NOW, or rather ask your sub-suppliers. Even if they are ever so willing, it is highly likely that it will take them both time and effort to extract the valid data from their processes and, probably, in turn from their sub-suppliers, and to provide it in a functional format according to standards. There's no time to sit on your hands.
It might also be interesting to dig into WHY they are unwilling or unable to provide the needed data. The reasons may be quite straightforward, but also potentially revealing or worrying. Might it offer a hint of how serious and professional they really are?
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