Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are now firmly on the agenda for the fashion and textile sector. Yet many companies approach the topic in one of two ways.
Some treat it primarily as a technology project, immediately exploring software platforms and traceability tools. Others see it mainly as a regulatory exercise and wait for the delegated acts to be finalised before taking action. Both approaches can create uncertainty. Teams are left asking what “readiness” actually means in practice.
In reality, preparation starts much closer to daily operations. The first challenge is not compliance. It is understanding your own product information. So what could fashion companies actually do to get ready for DPP?
Map the data you already have
Most fashion organisations assume they lack the information required for a DPP. In reality, they usually already hold a large share of it. The issue is fragmentation.
Supplier information with sourcing. Certifications with sustainability or compliance. Quality documentation elsewhere. Some data lives in PLM systems, some in spreadsheets, some in emails or supplier portals.
So the first useful step is not collecting new data, but identifying what already exists. Companies can start with a simple inventory: what information is available, where it is located, and in what format. And very quickly, a clearer picture can emerge. Often the problem is lack of visibility and structure.
Clarify internal ownership
Once companies start mapping information, they should clarify ownership.
DPPs will connect departments that normally operate separately. In most organisations, departments work in parallel, each focusing on its own priorities. Sourcing manages supplier relationships, product teams manage specifications, compliance and legal teams typically manage regulatory documentation, sustainability teams often manage certifications and audit evidence, while IT teams manage systems.
The challenge is that DPP preparation requires these departments, often working in silos, to coordinate around a single shared product record.
And this is primarily an organisational challenge, not a technical one. Who validates supplier data? Who updates material composition? Who ensures information remains accurate over time? These are organisational questions that need to be answered early in the readiness journey.
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The first DPP task is therefore not data collection, but organisational alignment. Without clear ownership, even high-quality data becomes unreliable. With defined responsibilities, preparation becomes manageable.
Start with a focused pilot
Once data visibility and responsibilities are clearer, the next step is to run a pilot with a deliberately narrow scope.
Attempting to cover multiple product lines or entire collections too early often creates unnecessary complexity that becomes unmanageable before the basics are in place. A single product category is sufficient for a first pilot, ideally a carry-over product with a stable supplier chain.
The objective is learning, not coverage.
Working on one product allows teams to test documentation flows, supplier communication and internal processes. It reveals gaps early and avoids large-scale disruption. The pilot is as much an organisational exercise as it is a technical one.
Choose tools at the right moment
A pilot is a real-world test, and most organisations will eventually require tools or external support. The key is sequencing.
Selecting a platform before clarifying internal data, ownership and pilot scope often leads to misalignment. Teams risk choosing solutions before defining what they actually need, what data they can reliably provide, and how workflows will function over time.
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A better approach is to treat provider selection as the next step, guided by internal clarity. In other words, the pilot should not be driven by a platform choice but by a readiness objective: can the organisation collect, validate and maintain a coherent product record across teams and suppliers? Once that is clear, technology evaluation becomes significantly more effective.
Why Starting Early Matters
The organisations progressing fastest are those building internal clarity first. They are not attempting to predict every future regulatory detail. They are building an organisational capability that will remain relevant as the delegated acts are finalised.
Waiting for final regulatory details may feel prudent. In reality, early preparation provides a significant advantage.
The main work required by DPPs is organisational learning – how teams share information, how suppliers communicate data, and how product documentation is maintained over time. These capabilities are long to develop.
Digital Product Passports are often presented as a transparency obligation. In practice, they function as a structured way of understanding and managing product information.
Regulation will define the data fields. Software will enable transmission. But readiness ultimately depends on something more fundamental, an organisation’s ability to structure, coordinate and sustain reliable product information across teams and suppliers.
