Digital Product Passport and PIM: Why fragmented product data puts furniture sales at risk

Without one consistent product data source, moving forward will be difficult. And that is a challenge to face now.

In a moment, we’ll explain:

• what the Digital Product Passport stands for,
• who it will affect,
• and why PIM can grow into the core of DPP in the furniture sector – not simply one more system.

What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?

A Digital Product Passport is a digital companion to a product, available through QR, NFC, or RFID technology. It opens access to essential product details from the moment it is made, through its use and servicing, up to its disassembly and recycling.

For an end user or a business partner, interacting with the DPP is easy: scanning a code or bringing a device close to a tag immediately reveals data such as material composition, production processes and emissions, and repair options. That simplicity, however, is supported by a large, constantly maintained and updated data foundation.

With the ESPR regulation (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation), the European Union is driving the shift toward a circular economy. The focus is on products that last longer, can be repaired, and are easier to recycle. But this vision only works if every supply-chain player, from manufacturers to service teams and recycling facilities, shares access to the same trustworthy data.

For this reason, a DPP is far more than a QR code on a product. The QR code is only an access point. The real challenges sit behind it: transparent and complete data, consistent product variants, always-current information, clear responsibility for maintaining each data field, and the ability to automatically pass data along the chain.

Why does furniture matter in the EU sustainability agenda?

ESPR is built to support durable and repairable products ready for circular use. Furniture fits perfectly due to its adaptability in materials, potential for refurbishment, component exchange, disassembly, and recycling.

Each product group will be guided by its own delegated acts and technical standards defining what data goes into the product passport. Detailed instructions are still being refined, but the foundations and logic of the system are already set. The EU is working on two tracks: creating the general ESPR framework, then issuing legal acts for individual industries.

Who in the furniture sector needs to pay attention? The changes reach far beyond production. Any company placing products on the EU market (manufacturers, importers, and distributors alike) will be covered by the new rules. If you export to the EU or supply retailers operating there, product data requirements will soon become your concern too.

Implementation timeline

The regulation will not take effect all at once. The Digital Product Passport will roll out gradually over the next few years. But distant deadlines can be deceptive. Here is the roadmap your business should already be preparing to follow:

⇲ 2024: Legal groundwork completed

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation has officially come into force. Work has begun on technical standards to define data formats and build the technological backbone of the Digital Product Passport.

⇲ February 2027: Batteries as the first major test

This deadline applies to the first group of products. Under the new Battery Regulation (a forerunner of the wider DPP), industrial batteries, batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), and batteries for light means of transport (LMTs) will need to carry a Digital Product Passport.

What does that mean beyond batteries? Even if you don’t make them, keep an eye on this initiative. It could become the market’s baseline and a reference implementation for other industries.

⇲ 2028 / 2029: Next priority groups on the list

After batteries, the European Commission is moving toward DPP coverage for sectors with the greatest environmental impact. Early plans point to coverage for:

• textiles and apparel (to reduce “fast fashion”),
• tyres,
• steel, iron, aluminium.

For fashion companies, this is a major operational change: materials and products will need to be traceable at every step, from the initial raw input to the final product on the shelf.

⇲ By 2030: DPP becomes the market benchmark

In the coming years, additional product categories will be integrated into the system. Priority groups include:

• furniture and mattresses,
• consumer electronics and ICT equipment,
• selected construction and chemical materials.

Challenge: Data complexity

The DPP concept relies on gathering knowledge from multiple departments, PDF documentation, and employees who hold crucial information.

For furniture passports, also for upholstered furniture, you will need solid data in these areas:

1) Identification and variants

• name/model/collection
• variants of fabric, color/finish, and size
• clear, unique IDs

2) Materials and components

• wood/boards, metal, plastics, textiles, foams, adhesives, varnishes/coatings
• recycled and renewable material share
• origin of the most important components

3) Durability, repairability, and parts

• instructions for use and care
• replaceable elements (e.g., legs, runners/slides, fittings, covers)
• spare parts list and compatibility information

4) Disassembly and end-of-life

• how to disassemble without damaging materials
• separation by fractions (metal, wood, textiles, foams)
• guidance for recycling and disposal

*Although sector-specific requirements will clarify detailed data fields, the lack of a coherent variant model and unified materials glossary results in necessary catch-up efforts during later project phases.

Why is everyone discussing PIM systems when talking about Digital Product Passports?

DPP sets three essential obligations that affect sales performance and internal processes in furniture firms. A Product Information Management system provides the foundation to meet them. Below, we explore each step in detail.

1️⃣ One place where product knowledge lives (critical for variant-heavy catalogs)

In furniture manufacturing, a “product” is a configuration of frames, fabrics, finishes, and sizes, producing extensive variant trees.

Data on material composition, care instructions, spare parts, certificates, and recycling moves across procurement, R&D, suppliers, and internal repositories. PIM centralizes these data streams and provides the core dataset for the DPP.

Instead of searching a network drive for raw-material certificates, the certificate is tied to the product in the system. If you change something like the veneer supplier, the PIM update automatically publishes the new passport version, and the QR code/NFC tag always routes to the same endpoint – one, current source of truth.

2️⃣ A data structure that holds up

Because DPP relies on standardized, machine-readable data, precision matters: well-defined attributes, controlled vocabularies, correct units, and versioning.

When the data model is designed well, it becomes easier to:

• map product attributes to what DPP schemas are asking for;
• separate static attributes from dynamic ones;
• collect data for individual components (e.g., screws, foams, fabrics) and automatically inherit it to the final product;
• store the history of changes (key when the passport must show since when the product has new upholstery that is free of a certain substance).

That’s how the passport remains consistent, verifiable, and ready to share between systems.

3️⃣ Data management process (roles, approvals, and publication rules)

If the process is not clearly defined, DPP quickly loses consistency with real product data. A PIM system assigns clear ownership of product attributes. It also sets quality rules by validating data completeness, correct formatting, and the presence of source documents and certificates.

Publication gates then block DPP assignment or updates for products that do not have required fields or attachments, such as repair instructions or spare parts lists.

⚠️ A note from the Tandemite team: in medium and large companies, implementing a PIM tool and structuring data architecture usually takes 6 to 18 months. Starting now gives you the space to plan and implement without deadline pressure or potential penalties. Postponing action increases operational risk.

Beyond compliance – what’s in it for your business?

In furniture manufacturing, putting data in order leads to real operational benefits.

Transparency enhances customer trust and limits errors across product content and distributor platforms. Consistent information shortens time-to-market for new collections. The company is also better prepared for future regulations, both EU-level and global. Additionally, service and claims handling become more efficient, thanks to clearly defined product variants.

PIM solution creates benefits at two levels: better operations for your business and a better experience for your customers. Explore what you gain with Pimcore, Akeneo, or Ergonode.

Before we finish: how can we help you on the road to DPP readiness?

DPP is not only a bureaucratic requirement. It can also be a practical way to put order into your operations. Are you ready for the regulations that are approaching?

Start with a free consultation. We’ll assess your processes, pinpoint gaps, and help you address them. We handle the technology and make working with data more efficient, so you can focus on expanding your company.