The most common mistake in your conversation with your software supplier about the furniture passport is that companies assume their existing system will automatically include the passport, without explicitly checking. An ERP package or inventory system typically records product data, but not automatically in the form, with the connections and with the retention period that a digital product passport will require.
This mistake does not arise from carelessness but from a logical assumption: if the supplier already works with your product data, it seems obvious that a new obligation would fit in easily. In practice, this only turns out to be correct if you specifically ask for it, and not every supplier has an answer ready on that subject.
Why this assumption is so persistent
Software suppliers talk in their own language about connections, exports and APIs. For a director or office manager without an IT background, "we can export that" sounds reassuring, whereas the question really was whether the system can provide the data in the format that a passport provider needs, including the connection to a QR code and including updates when a product changes. Those are two different questions, and the difference is rarely made explicit in a sales conversation.
It also plays a role that the regulation itself is still in development. As long as the delegated act for furniture has not been published, no supplier can say with certainty that a system is ready for it. Some suppliers make that clear, others give the impression that the problem has already been solved. checking the status of the regulation by subject helps you recognize that difference before you sign a contract.
What goes wrong in practice
The consequences of this mistake usually only become visible at the moment when the passport actually has to be delivered. Then it turns out that data is scattered across multiple systems, that there is no fixed connection with a provider that hosts the passport, or that the software does record data but not for the ten years that will be needed after delivery. By that time, the delay has already occurred and correcting course is more expensive than establishing something in advance.
A second, less visible consequence is that responsibilities remain unclear. Who ensures that data is correct if a product changes? Who manages the QR code if a platform supplier changes? If this has not been discussed, responsibility in practice often lies with the company itself, even if the software did part of the work.
How to prevent this
The core is simple: do not ask whether the software "supports the passport", but ask how. What data does the system already record, in what format can that data be exported, and is there a connection planned with a party that actually hosts the passport and provides a QR data carrier. Also ask what happens if a product data item changes after the passport is already online, and who updates it.
It helps to have this conversation before a contract is extended or renewed, so that any adjustments can be included without additional notice periods. A short inventory in advance, for example via a few questions that show where your company currently stands, makes the conversation with the supplier more concrete because you know which data you already have and which are still missing.
Put in writing what has been agreed
Verbal promises from an account manager are difficult to retrieve once something goes wrong. Record agreements about export, connection and retention period in writing, even if that initially feels overly cautious. That prevents discussion at the moment when the passport actually has to be delivered.
Not a substitute for legal advice
This explanation describes a common pattern, not an assessment of a specific situation. Whether your current software and contract are sufficient for the obligations applicable to your company depends on your products and working methods. For that assessment, you can consult a lawyer or the supervisory authority responsible for this regulation in the Netherlands.
Would you like to get a picture of where your company stands first before having this conversation? Take the free quick-scan or read through the topics in frequently asked questions about the furniture passport so that you sit down at the table with the right questions.