Preparing employees to work with the furniture passport usually does not require a separate training budget, but it does require time: time to explain what changes in the supply of product data, time to practice with a new system, and time from the person who coordinates this within your company. The amount that results from this varies considerably from company to company and depends mainly on how many people are involved in compiling product information and how far your current way of working already is from what will be needed.
The largest cost item is almost never an external course, but the time that employees do not spend on their regular work. At a small company where one person manages product data, this amounts to a few hours of explanation and instruction. At larger organizations with multiple departments supplying data, such as procurement, production and sales, this increases because everyone needs to know which data goes where and why.
Where the amount comes from
The costs of preparation typically fall into three parts. First, the time it takes to explain what is expected of employees: who supplies which data, and at what point in the process. Second, the time needed to get used to a new system or adapted work process, which often coincides with the conversation you are already having with your software supplier. Third, any external support, such as a consultant or course, which is not mandatory but is purchased by some companies to speed up the process.
Because the regulation itself prescribes nothing about staff training or education, there is no set amount or minimum number of hours by which you can measure yourself. What there is, however, are the data that must ultimately end up in the passport, and the question of who within your organization collects and checks that data. This question determines the largest part of the costs in practice.
What determines the height of the amount
A number of factors play a role here. The number of employees who work directly with product data is the first: the more people involved, the more time the preparation takes. The second factor is how structured your data is already documented. Companies that already work with a central system for materials, components and origin typically need less explanation than companies where this information is still scattered across folders, emails and the memory of one colleague.
A third factor is the role your company plays in the chain. A manufacturer who compiles the data itself has different preparation needs than an importer who mainly has to check and pass on data from a supplier. More on this distinction, and what it could mean for your organization, can be found in the knowledge base with explanations for each situation.
The timing also matters. Companies that start early can spread the preparation comfortably over the time that is still available. The exact mandatory date is not yet fixed; this is a delegated act that is expected in the European Commission's work programme, with an expected entry into force around 2030. Anyone who wants to know more about this will find the latest status on the page where we explain where our information comes from.
How to get a first estimate
Because each company has a different starting position, a fixed amount for staff preparation cannot be given. However, you can get an indication in a few minutes of how much work is involved in your specific situation by going through the questions in the free product scan to complete. This does not provide legal advice, but it does give a concrete picture of where you roughly stand and which steps should be taken first.
For questions about your own situation, for example whether certain functions within your company play a larger role than others, a lawyer or the competent supervisory authority is the appropriate party. If you would like to read further yourself first, then check the most frequently asked questions about the furniture passport or take the quick-scan to see which topics are relevant for your company.