The DPP begins before the QR code: mapping data sources, from suppliers to the ERP

Why start from the sources, and not from the platform

When we talk about Digital Product Passport (DPP) the attention almost always goes to what you see: the QR code on the label, the web page that opens, the European register. But a passport is only as reliable as the data it contains. And that data, in most companies, today lives in very different places: a management system, an Excel sheet received from a supplier, a PDF certificate stored in a shared folder, an operator's memory.

For this reason, in the DPP Designer design path, the question "Where does the data that will end up in the DPP come from?" (number 11 of 22, in the Data section) asks you to indicate all the current sources of product information, both internal and external. It is not a bureaucratic exercise: it is the basis for estimating the integration effort, the quality risks and the role that suppliers will have to play.

Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) makes the issue even more concrete: the information requirements include the traceability of substances of concern along the life cycle of the product, a piece of data which by definition does not originate at home but must go back up the supply chain.

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The seven typical sources, one by one

The sources are divided into two families: external (the suppliers, with three different levels of digital maturity) and internal (the company systems and manual entry).

1. Suppliers — Excel file or email

It is the most widespread scenario, especially in fragmented supply chains such as textiles, furniture and components. The supplier sends, for example, a spreadsheet with the composition of each item, or responds via email to a specific request.

• Strengths: zero barriers to entry, anyone can use Excel.
• Critical issues: each supplier uses its own format, the columns change over time, the versions multiply between mailboxes. There is no clear trace of who declared what and when.
• What to do: impose a single template with mandatory fields, units of measurement and lists of allowed values; record the date and sender of each shipment; automatically validate input files.

2. Suppliers — PDF documents

Datasheets, certificates, declarations of conformity: much DPP-relevant information comes in the form of documents meant to be read by a person, not a system.

• Strengths: They are often official documents, with probative value.
• Criticality: the data must be read and transcribed, with labor costs and risk of error. Certificates have expiries that must be monitored.
• What to do: distinguish between the document as evidence (to be kept and linked to the passport) and the data to be extracted (to be structured). Automatic extraction tools can help, but a random check is always needed.

3. Suppliers — API or portal

The most mature level: suppliers transmit data automatically via integration, or enter it directly into a portal made available by the company.

• Strengths: structured data at the source, timely updates, traceability of who entered what.
• Criticality: requires investments, agreements on formats and technical capabilities on the supplier side. Not all partners, especially small businesses, are ready.
• What to do: Use the portal as an intermediary route for less structured providers and reserve the APIs for those with high volumes or dynamic data.

4. ERP / management

The management system is the point of reference for item, supplier, purchasing and order records.

• What it contains that is useful for the DPP: product codes, item-supplier link, commercial and logistical data, sometimes weights and customs classifications.
• Criticality: rarely hosts detailed environmental or composition data; often the records are incomplete or historically "dirty".
• Typical role: The ERP often becomes the identifying backbone of the passport, the place from which to connect each product to other sources.

5. MES (production)

The Manufacturing Execution System governs what happens in the department: batches, machines, processing times.

• What it contains that is useful for the DPP: lot and batch data, place and date of production, process parameters, possibly energy consumption.
• Why it matters: when the DPP is required at the batch or individual specimen level, rather than at the model level, the MES becomes indispensable. It is also the natural source of dynamic data, which changes from batch to batch.

6. PLM (Product Development)

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems house bills of materials (BOMs), specifications, and design projects.

• Useful content for the DPP: material composition, components, disassembly instructions, and information regarding repairability and spare parts.
• Why it matters: Much of the information required by ecodesign standards—such as durability, repairability, and recyclability—is determined during the design phase. PLM is the environment where this data should originate in a structured format.

7. Manual Entry

Data is entered by hand into a system or file—for example, by an operator preparing product specification sheets.

• Strengths: Flexible; useful for filling gaps or handling low-volume products.
• Weaknesses: Highly prone to errors and inconsistencies; creates a dependency on specific individuals. Difficult to scale when dealing with thousands of products.
• Best practices: Limit manual entry to data that does not exist elsewhere; implement validation rules, double-check procedures, and assign clear ownership for each data field.

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Overview

Source	Type	Data Structure	Integration Effort	Quality Risk
Suppliers – Excel/Email	External	Semi-structured	Medium	High
Suppliers – PDF	External	Unstructured	High (requires extraction)	High
Suppliers – API/Portal	External	Structured	High initially, low once operational	Low
ERP	Internal	Structured	Medium	Medium
MES	Internal	Structured	Medium-High	Low-Medium
PLM	Internal	Structured	Medium	Low-Medium
Manual entry	Internal	Variable	Low	High

These assessments are indicative and depend on the digital maturity of each company and supply chain.

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The real crux: data exchange between systems and suppliers

No company will populate its Digital Product Passport (DPP) from a single source. The challenge lies in enabling communication between disparate internal systems and a diverse range of suppliers, while ensuring consistency and traceability.

This is the focus of CIRPASS-2, a project funded by the European Commission under the Digital Europe Programme, running from May 2024 to April 2027. The project develops use cases and data exchange models between corporate systems (ERP, PLM, MES) and suppliers, testing them through 13 pilot projects across four value chains: textiles, electrical and electronic equipment, tires, and construction. Monitoring its results will help identify which formats and protocols are set to become the de facto standards.

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Why act now?

The passport does not become mandatory for everyone at the same time. Under the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation), obligations are triggered on a product-group-by-product-group basis through specific delegated acts, followed by a transition period of at least 18 months. The ESPR 2025–2030 working plan prioritizes iron and steel, followed by textiles and clothing, tires and aluminum, and subsequently furniture and mattresses; however, these dates remain indicative until each respective act is formally adopted. Batteries follow a distinct path, with a "passport" mandated by the Batteries Regulation, effective from February 18, 2027.

While this may seem like a long time away, mapping data sources and engaging suppliers are the most time-consuming aspects of the entire project; they require formal agreements, shared data formats, and often a shift in operational habits throughout the entire supply chain.

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Operational Checklist

1. Identify all current data sources—both internal and external—including "unofficial" Excel spreadsheets.
2. Map each data point required by the DPP to its source and assign an internal owner.
3. Categorize data as either static or dynamic: static data can be collected once, while dynamic data must be updated periodically or by batch.
4. Segment suppliers based on their level of digital maturity and select the appropriate communication channel (e.g., templates, a dedicated portal, or APIs).
5. Progressively phase out PDFs and manual data entry, while retaining the underlying documents as evidence linked to the passport.
6. Establish validation rules that apply consistently across all sources to ensure that the same data point does not have conflicting values ​​in different systems.
7. Monitor delegated acts relevant to your sector, as well as the findings from the CIRPASS-2 pilot projects.

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Conclusion

The question "Where does the data come from?" may seem simple, but the answer dictates the costs, timelines, and reliability of the entire Digital Product Passport. Companies that currently rely primarily on Excel, PDFs, and manual data entry will require more time to structure their data flows; conversely, organizations with integrated ERP, PLM, and MES systems—and suppliers connected via portals or APIs—will have a significant head start. In both cases, mapping your sources is the first concrete step: you can do this right away by answering the questions in the Design Your DPP workflow, which provides a blueprint, a score, and recommended next steps.