A New Era for Fashion Transparency: How PLM Systems Could Drive Digital Product Passports, writes Andrey Golub on Linkedin.

The rising importance of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) in fashion has opened up new avenues for transparency, sustainability, and compliance, but their adoption presents challenges. A key solution may lie in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems. By leveraging PLM’s extensive data capabilities, brands can streamline the implementation of DPPs. PLM systems already house rich, product-related data across design, sourcing, and production, making them a natural foundation for integrating DPPs.

This approach could ensure that vital information—such as sustainability credentials and traceability—is efficiently captured, verified, and shared with consumers and regulators. Furthermore, PLM’s role in connecting data from across the supply chain is critical as the fashion industry faces increasing regulatory pressures, such as the European Union’s focus on digital transparency in textiles.

Adopting PLM-driven DPPs would not only enhance sustainability practices but also strengthen consumer trust and competitive positioning in a global market. As digital passports become more integral to fashion’s future, brands that fail to integrate DPPs through a robust system like PLM risk being left behind in an era where transparency is no longer optional.