Supplier evidence for Digital Product Passports

Full video transcript

What evidence should you collect for a digital product passport? Start with the information you intend to publish, then ask what supports each statement. For a clothing brand, a useful starting point is product specifications, relevant supplier declarations, and any test or certification records that actually apply. Collecting a file is only the beginning.

Here is a fictional example. Your product specification says a shirt is one hundred percent cotton. A supplier declaration says ninety five percent cotton and five percent elastane. Both files have arrived, but the answer is not ready. Before publishing a composition statement, your team needs to resolve that difference.

First, identify exactly what each document describes. Check the product reference, the material or component, and the production batch when relevant. A document for the fabric does not automatically describe every part of the finished shirt. A record for another batch may not support this one. Match the evidence to the statement you want to make.

Next, check the source and the version. Who issued the document? When was it issued or updated? What does it cover, and are there any limits or validity dates? If a certificate is involved, use the issuer's verification method where available. A familiar logo or a file named final is not enough to establish relevance.

Now make the follow up precise. Ask the supplier to confirm the composition for this shirt reference and the relevant batch, explain the conflicting figures, and provide the corrected supporting record. Name a person on your team to review the response. Keep the question, the response, and the decision connected so the next reviewer can understand what happened.

Treat review status as a decision, not a file count. Received means the record arrived. Needs clarification means a question remains open. Reviewed means someone checked it against your team's criteria. Approval for a particular use is a separate decision. These are example workflow labels, not a certification or a guarantee that a claim is true.

Then decide what your audience should see. A public passport may show the reviewed product composition. Internal reviewers may need the original documents and the history of the correction. Share only the information appropriate for each audience. In OriginSpan, product information and supporting evidence can stay connected while access is controlled.

Keep the information useful as things change. A revised specification, a different material, or a new production batch can trigger another review. Preserve the previous version and record why the information changed. This is a practical data review example; the evidence you need depends on your product, your claims, and the requirements that apply.

For your first product family, choose one statement and trace it all the way back to its supporting record. Can your team explain the source, the product match, the review, and the publication decision? To see how that workflow could fit your business, book an OriginSpan demonstration using the link below.