Digital product passport: what role do dms and archiving systems play?

The Digital Product Passport is designed to create greater transparency around products and their lifecycle. But before companies can make product information available digitally, they need to answer a fundamental question: Where is this information stored today, and how can they demonstrate that it is up to date and reliable?

Product data is not generated in one central location. It is distributed across ERP and PLM systems, quality management systems, supplier portals and other applications. In addition, there is document-based evidence such as test reports, certificates, declarations of conformity and technical documentation.

The Digital Product Passport is therefore about more than choosing the right platform and enabling data exchange. Wherever product information is supported by documents, DMS and archiving systems can help ensure traceability and long-term availability.

Why should companies address the Digital Product Passport now?

The ESPR has established the regulatory framework for the Digital Product Passport. Specific DPP requirements are being defined gradually for individual product groups. These include certain batteries, with additional product groups expected to follow in the future.

For companies, this means that preparing for the DPP does not begin with selecting a technical platform. It is just as important to determine whether relevant product information and supporting evidence are reliably available, clearly assigned and managed in a traceable manner.

What role do DMS and archiving systems play in the Digital Product Passport?

Document management systems (DMS) and archiving systems can play an important role in the information landscape surrounding the Digital Product Passport. A considerable amount of product information is supported or supplemented by documents such as certificates, test reports, technical documentation or declarations of conformity.

However, their role needs to be clearly defined: A DMS or digital archive does not replace a DPP platform. It can, however, help ensure that the document-based information underlying the DPP is structured, traceable and available over the long term.

What data does a Digital Product Passport require?

Depending on the product group, a Digital Product Passport may contain information on technical characteristics, materials, origin, sustainability, safety and conformity, as well as repair, reuse and recycling. Which information is mandatory depends on the product-specific requirements.

The data is typically generated across different systems, such as ERP, PLM, quality management systems or supplier portals. Document-based evidence may additionally be stored in DMS and archiving systems, but also in email inboxes, network drives or decentralized file repositories.

Companies therefore need to bring together information from different sources while at the same time ensuring its quality and traceability.

Which documents can provide information for the Digital Product Passport?

Not every piece of information in a DPP is based on a document. Many details may be provided as structured data directly from ERP, PLM or other specialized business systems.

At the same time, document-based evidence can be important for substantiating certain product information or making its origin traceable.

Typical examples may include:

Document	Potential contribution to the digital product passport
Material documentation	Information on the origin and composition of materials
Test report	Evidence of quality or safety testing
Supplier certificate	Evidence from the supply chain
Sustainability documentation	Documentation of environmental and sustainability information
Maintenance documentation	Information on maintenance and product lifespan
Technical documentation	Product information and technical specifications

Which of these documents are actually relevant and what information needs to be made available in a DPP depends on the specific product group and regulatory context. Nevertheless, these examples illustrate the role structured product documentation can play as a source of information and supporting evidence.

When DPP-related evidence is distributed across systems: Typical challenges

In many companies, the required product information already exists. The real challenge is finding it reliably, classifying it and linking it to the relevant product.

Problems can arise, for example, when:

• multiple versions of the same document are in circulation,
• there is no clear link between a product and its supporting documentation,
• relevant documents are distributed across different file repositories,
• supporting evidence has to be gathered manually for audits.

Information silos like these increase the amount of time spent searching for information and make it more difficult to reliably determine whether information is current, where it originates and how it can be verified.

How can DMS and archiving systems support DPP documentation?

Document management and archiving systems do more than simply store files. They connect documents with context, metadata and processes. Important functions include:

• Structured assignment: Metadata can link documents to product or material numbers, suppliers and document types, for example.
• Version management: Different document versions can be managed in a controlled way, making it easier to identify the current version.
• Search and access: Product-related evidence can be found more quickly across large volumes of information.
• Integration with business systems: Documents can be linked to information from ERP, PLM or other applications.
• Long-term availability: Archiving can help keep relevant documents available beyond the lifecycle of individual business applications.

Workflows and defined retention and deletion rules can additionally help support document processes and compliance requirements.

DMS, ERP, PLM and DPP: Different roles, shared information foundation

A Digital Product Passport can bring together information from different systems. ERP systems, for example, can provide material and supplier information, PLM systems can provide product structures and technical data, and quality management systems can provide testing and quality information. DMS and archiving systems manage the associated document-based evidence.

A DPP solution ultimately makes the required information accessible to authorized target groups. What matters, therefore, is an information architecture in which data, documents and supporting evidence can be linked to one another.

Conclusion: The Digital Product Passport needs a reliable information foundation

With the ESPR, the Digital Product Passport is gradually becoming relevant to more product groups. Companies should not focus solely on the future DPP platform. They should also examine where product information and supporting evidence are stored today and how reliably they are managed.

DMS and archiving systems do not replace ERP, PLM or a DPP solution. Their strengths come into play wherever product information needs to be substantiated by documents in a traceable manner – through structured assignment, version management, availability and long-term preservation.

Companies that structure their product documentation and break down information silos are creating important prerequisites for future DPP initiatives. After all, a Digital Product Passport is only as trustworthy as the information and evidence it is based on.

FAQ about the Digital Product Passport