Digital Product Passport: when data makes products transparent, trusted and competitive

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is one of the most significant shifts facing the fashion industry today. Embedded in the EU regulatory framework on sustainability and circularity, it’s often seen as a compliance requirement. In reality, its value goes far beyond ticking regulatory boxes.

The DPP marks a true paradigm shift: a product is no longer just a finished garment, but a structured set of verifiable information that follows it throughout its entire lifecycle.

It’s this shift that makes the DPP a strategic lever for brands, retailers, and consumers.

Beyond regulation: what makes a Digital Product Passport truly effective

EU legislation specifies what information must be made available, but it doesn’t define how that information should be generated, managed, and maintained over time. This is where the DPP either delivers real value—or falls short.

A DPP works only if it is built on:

• reliable data captured upstream
• continuity of information across the supply chain
• a system capable of structuring, updating, and making that data readable and usable

Without a solid foundation, the risk is ending up with a passport that is technically compliant, but not very credible – and hard to scale.

The DPP platform: where data takes shape

To be truly operational, the Digital Product Passport needs to be underpinned by a software platform that can collect, standardise, and orchestrate product information from multiple sources—suppliers, manufacturing, logistics, retail, and after-sales.

This platform plays a central role because it enables you to:

• structure data in line with regulatory requirements
• keep supply chain information and the DPP fully consistent
• update content throughout the product lifecycle
• make data usable both for compliance and for the business

The DPP is therefore not a static document, but a dynamic information system – governed by clear rules and reliable data.

Real traceability: RFID’s role in the supply chain

One of the main limitations of “theoretical” DPPs is the lack of a physical link between the product and its digital information. Without that connection, data risks remaining abstract – detached from the real item.

RFID tag identification helps overcome this gap, enabling continuous traceability across the entire supply chain. In logistics and in-store operations, RFID makes it possible to:

• uniquely identify each individual garment
• capture data automatically during handling and movements
• keep information consistently up to date and aligned

This way, the DPP isn’t built on declarations – it’s powered by data generated and refreshed by the product itself as it moves through its journey.

From warehouse to store: data becomes accessible

The value of a DPP grows when the information collected and structured is made available at the moments that matter most. In logistics and in-store operations, RFID enables real-time product lookup and instant retrieval of the information linked to its digital passport.

For end consumers, that same information can be made easily and immediately accessible through:

• QR codes
• NFC tags

The garment itself becomes the direct access point to its own DPP – no intermediaries, no ambiguity.

Transparency for the consumer: from data to experience

Consumers want transparency, but they don’t have the time – or the tools – to interpret technical information or regulatory documentation. A DPP meets this expectation only if it can translate supply chain complexity into content that is clear, trustworthy, and easy to read.

Via QR codes or NFC, a DPP can surface information such as:

• origin and materials
• certifications
• environmental impacts
• guidance on use, care, and end-of-life

In this way, transparency becomes an experience – and trust is built on verifiable data, not marketing claims.

Operational efficiency: the Digital Product Passport as process simplification

Approaching the DPP as a manual exercise – or as a standalone IT project – only increases cost and complexity. By contrast, a DPP platform integrated with traceability systems enables you to:

• automate data capture
• reduce errors and duplication
• centralise information in a single environment

The DPP becomes a tool that streamlines processes rather than burdening them, making data immediately available for compliance, operations, and strategic decision-making.

Measurable sustainability and supply chain governance

Sustainability in fashion can no longer rely on generic statements. Supported by traceability data and a structured platform, the DPP makes it possible to measure and evidence impacts, enable reuse and recycling strategies, and strengthen supply chain governance.

With reliable, comparable data, brands can:

• increase control over suppliers
• reduce opacity and risk
• support sourcing and compliance decisions

The DPP becomes a governance tool – not just a reporting layer.

Digital Product Passport: a new normal for fashion

The Digital Product Passport isn’t an obligation to endure, but an opportunity to rethink the product as a carrier of reliable, accessible, and useful information throughout its entire lifecycle.

When data, a software platform, and physical product identification work together, the DPP becomes an enabler of transparency, efficiency, and trust.

In the fashion world ahead, transparency won’t be optional. It will be the standard.