Practice

Where should you start with DPP preparation?

A practical starting point for DPP preparation: product groups, roles, data sources, and controlled publication.

Topic-specific editorial illustration · not a real product photo

By Mehmet Tuncay Taş, Managing director of RHEINA UG (haftungsbeschränkt), operator of DPP DirectPublished 18 October 2026Updated 26 October 20263 min read

DPP preparation does not start by filling in as many fields as possible. Start by understanding the product scope and who is responsible for each part. This helps teams avoid collecting data for an unclear purpose or exposing internal documents by mistake.

1. Identify the product group and your role

List the products and variants in scope and your organization’s role: for example, manufacturer, brand, importer, or another economic operator. Then check which EU and national rules apply to that product group. The ESPR framework and a product-category field alone do not answer that question.

2. Map data sources and owners

Create a table with the data point, current source, responsible team, evidence, review cadence, and intended visibility. A GTIN may come from master data, material details from a technical specification, and a test report from a private document archive. Mark unsupported values as missing instead of guessing.

3. Separate public and internal information

Decide for every field whether it should be shared publicly. Contact details, confidential supplier documents, and personal information need care. An internal piece of evidence is not automatically meant for a public passport.

4. Start with a limited pilot

Choose a manageable product family and test the workflow with synthetic or approved data. Create a record, upload supporting files, wait for the scan status, and review the public preview. Publish only after a subject-matter review.

5. Plan maintenance after publication

Decide who reviews changes, when a new version is needed, and how links to older versions should be handled. DPP Direct stores published versions separately; an update creates another version. This does not replace an internal change-control process.

A useful working reference

Available DPP Direct categories are data-entry aids, not a complete legal assessment. Use the DPP guide and have product-specific duties reviewed by a qualified adviser.

The DPP Direct workflow shows the practical steps. Review the software features before moving data from your source systems.