There is no fixed timeline that applies to every company. The lead time to make a software system suitable for the furniture passport mainly depends on how your product data is already organized. Companies that already systematically maintain material data, sourcing and composition in an ERP or PIM system are often ready within several weeks to have that data released towards a passport. Companies where the same information is still scattered across spreadsheets, e-mails and a purchasing manager's memory typically need several months, not because the technology is complicated, but because the data first needs to be brought together.
The regulation itself does not prescribe a lead time for your internal preparation; those deadlines concern the implementation date of the obligation, not how quickly your software must be adapted. When the delegated act for furniture will be published exactly is not yet certain at this moment. What is certain is that the time you need is largely determined by the state of your own data, not by the legislation.
What determines the processing time
Three factors play the biggest role in practice. First, the number of product lines and variants: a manufacturer with twenty chair models in five colours has more to structure than an importer with a limited, stable assortment. Second, the question of whether data is already recorded digitally and unambiguously, or whether it arrives from each supplier in a different format. Third, the extent to which your current software supplier already works with a system that can export data in a form suitable for a digital passport. If you have not yet had this conversation, it is wise to schedule it in time. researched per subject what the regulation says about it gives a first picture of what you should take into account within your sector.
Where most delays occur
In practice, the lead time rarely gets stuck on the technology. It usually stalls when gathering data that lies elsewhere in the chain: a supplier who does not have material certificates at hand, a wood species whose sourcing is not unambiguously recorded, or a component that is purchased from a third party that itself does not yet have visibility into what will be asked of it later. That kind of delay cannot be solved by working harder on the software, but by starting in time to request data from the parties that hold it. Companies that underestimate this often only discover too late that the technology is ready, but the data is not.
A second source of delay is internal: who within the company is responsible for providing and keeping the data current is not always immediately clear. Without a designated responsible person, every step takes longer than necessary, simply because no one has the overview.
The conversation with your software supplier
The lead time is also determined by how your software supplier handles this change. Some suppliers are already working on connections that automatically make data available for a digital passport; others still need to develop that. For you it is mainly relevant to know which route your supplier is taking and what data your current system can already export without modification. The sooner that conversation takes place, the fewer surprises will arise later. If you want to know what such a data flow looks like in practice, then an overview of where the information in the passport comes from gives a good picture of the steps involved.
What you can already do
Even without knowing the exact implementation date, you can start now by mapping where your product data is located and who in your organization or supply chain is the point of contact for this. This work is not wasted if the date changes; structured data is also useful now, for your own administration, for customers and for any product safety checks. If you are uncertain where your company currently stands, then a brief scan with an initial indication provides a concrete starting point, without needing an account right away.
Those who want a more compact overview of frequently asked questions about timing and planning can find them in the collection of questions companies often ask us. For your own company's situation, with your specific suppliers and systems, it remains advisable to consult your software supplier and, where necessary, a lawyer, in addition to this general information.
If you want to see without obligation where your company currently stands and which questions are relevant to you, do the free quick-scan or browse through the knowledge base for the topic that fits your situation.