> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://tieback.io/docs/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://tieback.io/docs/_mcp/server. # tieback Knowledge Hub > The entry point to the tieback Knowledge Base: vendor-neutral education on Digital Product Passports, regulations, standards, enterprise product data and implementation, organised by pillar, learning path and role. Vendor-neutral education for Digital Product Passports, enterprise product data, regulations, standards and implementation. Nothing in this library recommends a vendor, including tieback. Every canonical article is grounded in primary sources, introduces one original framework, and ends in practical guidance. Start with the Knowledge Journey below if the subject is new, choose a learning path if you know where your gap is, or go straight to the [glossary](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/overview) to check a term. ## The Knowledge Journey The library is ordered, and the order matters. Each pillar answers a question the previous pillar raises, and depends on the understanding the previous pillar establishes. **The Digital Product Passport Knowledge Model** sets out that order. Seven pillars, in learning order Each pillar builds on the one above Read in sequence or enter at your level [01 Digital Product Passports Concept](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/overview) What a passport is, who is responsible for it, what it contains and how it resolves from a physical product. Establishes the vocabulary every later pillar uses. [02 Regulations Obligation](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/overview) The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, delegated acts, product scope and timing. Converts a concept into a dated obligation attached to named economic operators. [03 Standards & Technology Mechanism](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/overview) Identifiers, GS1 Digital Link, data carriers, event standards and the movement of product data between parties. Explains the mechanics that make a regulated claim resolvable. [04 Enterprise Systems & Data Architecture Source](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/overview) Master data, the division of responsibility between PLM, ERP, PIM and MES, governance and the maturity of the underlying data foundation. The pillar most programmes underestimate. [05 Implementation Delivery](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/overview) Preparation, sequencing, scoping and the operating model that keeps a passport estate accurate after launch. Turns architecture into a plan with owners and dates. [06 Industry Guides Context](/docs/knowledge-base/industry-guides/overview) Sector-specific application: textiles, electronics, batteries, construction products and others, where obligations, data availability and supply chain structure differ materially. 07 AI & Product Intelligence In preparation What becomes possible when product information is governed, connected and machine readable. This pillar will appear in the navigation when its first canonical article is published. Read downward to learn the subject. Read upward to diagnose a problem: an implementation failure is usually a data architecture gap, which is usually a standards misunderstanding, which is usually an unclear reading of the obligation. ## Learning Paths Each path is sequenced so that terminology introduced early is assumed later. Counts and first articles are derived from the published library. [6 articles New to Digital Product Passports](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/what-is-a-digital-product-passport) Start from the concept itself: what a passport is, who owns it, what it holds and how it is reached from a physical product. Start with: What is a Digital Product Passport? Start this path [7 articles Understand the Regulations](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/what-is-the-ecodesign-for-sustainable-products-regulation-espr) Establish what applies to your products, from when, and on whose legal authority. Start with: What is the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)? Start this path [10 articles Standards & Technology](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/the-digital-product-passport-standards-landscape) Identification, carriers, resolution and event data: the mechanics that make a regulated claim resolvable. Start with: The Digital Product Passport Standards Landscape Start this path [11 articles Enterprise Architecture](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-master-data) Where published information actually comes from, and what must be true of it before publication. Start with: What is Product Master Data? Start this path [8 articles Implementation](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/how-should-organisations-prepare-for-digital-product-passports) Preparing an organisation, sequencing the work and operating a passport estate after launch. Start with: How Should Organisations Prepare for Digital Product Passports? Start this path #### Reading a path in order Readers who sample articles out of order should keep the [glossary](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/overview) open, because definitions of record live there rather than being restated in every article. ## Browse by Role Each role links to the path that answers its first question. None are exclusive, and most readers eventually need two of them. Compliance Officer What applies, to which products, from when, and what evidence an authority can request. * [What is the ESPR?](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/what-is-the-ecodesign-for-sustainable-products-regulation-espr) * [What Are Delegated Acts?](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/what-are-delegated-acts) * [When Will Passports Become Mandatory?](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/when-will-digital-product-passports-become-mandatory) [Start the Regulations path](#learning-paths) Enterprise Architect Which system owns which attribute, where the integration layer sits, and where lineage is retained. * [ERP vs PIM vs PLM](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/erp-vs-pim-vs-plm) * [How Enterprise Systems Support Passports](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/how-enterprise-systems-support-digital-product-passports) * [What is Product Master Data?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-master-data) [Start the Enterprise path](#learning-paths) CIO / IT Leader Sizing the work honestly: maturity, the gap between a pilot and a capability, and standing cost. * [How to Build a Trusted Data Foundation](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/how-to-build-a-trusted-product-data-foundation) * [What is Product Data Governance?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-data-governance) * [How Should Organisations Prepare?](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/how-should-organisations-prepare-for-digital-product-passports) [Start the Enterprise path](#learning-paths) Product Manager What a passport presents to a customer, what it commits the organisation to, and what it constrains. * [What is a Digital Product Passport?](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/what-is-a-digital-product-passport) * [What Information Does It Contain?](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/what-information-does-a-digital-product-passport-contain) * [What Are the Benefits?](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/what-are-the-benefits-of-a-digital-product-passport) [Start the introductory path](#learning-paths) Manufacturer The obligations that attach to the manufacturer, and the data that must exist before publication. * [Who Needs a Digital Product Passport?](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/who-needs-a-digital-product-passport) * [Which Products Will Require One?](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/which-products-will-require-a-digital-product-passport) * [What is Product Master Data?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-master-data) [Start the introductory path](#learning-paths) Retailer What may be placed on the market, how carriers behave in store and online, and what to require of suppliers. * [How Does a Passport Work?](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/how-does-a-digital-product-passport-work) * [What is a Data Carrier?](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/what-is-a-data-carrier) * [QR Codes vs GS1 Digital Link](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/qr-codes-vs-gs1-digital-link) [Start the Standards path](#learning-paths) Sustainability Lead Connecting disclosure obligations to the attributes and evidence that make claims defensible. * [What is the ESPR?](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/what-is-the-ecodesign-for-sustainable-products-regulation-espr) * [What Information Does a Passport Contain?](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/what-information-does-a-digital-product-passport-contain) * [What is Product Data Governance?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-data-governance) [Start the Regulations path](#learning-paths) Supply Chain Leader Following identifiers and events across trading partners, and specifying supplier data. * [What is GS1?](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/what-is-gs1) * [What is EPCIS?](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/what-is-epcis) * [How Product Data Moves Through the Supply Chain](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/how-product-data-moves-through-the-supply-chain) [Start the Standards path](#learning-paths) ## Browse by Pillar Counts are derived from the published navigation. Section overviews and glossary entries are not counted. [In preparation Getting Started](/docs/knowledge-base/getting-started/overview) How the library is organised and where to begin, depending on prior knowledge. [6 articles Digital Product Passports](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/overview) Definition, responsibility, content, resolution mechanics and the benefits claimed for them. [7 articles Regulations](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/overview) ESPR, delegated acts, product scope and the timeline that turns policy into a dated obligation. [10 articles Standards & Technology](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/overview) Identification, GS1 Digital Link, carriers, event standards and data movement between partners. [11 articles Enterprise Systems & Data Architecture](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/overview) Master data, system responsibilities, integration, governance and data foundation maturity. [8 articles Implementation](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/overview) Preparing an organisation, sequencing the work and operating a passport estate after launch. [1 article Governance & Assurance](/docs/knowledge-base/compliance-frameworks/overview) Who is responsible, who decides, what evidence can be trusted and how the passport stays controlled. [6 articles Industry Guides](/docs/knowledge-base/industry-guides/overview) Sector-specific application for textiles, electronics, batteries and other regulated categories. ## Framework Library In this library, a framework is an original conceptual model created to make a subject navigable: a named set of ordered components that explains how something works, what depends on what, and where an organisation currently sits. Every canonical article introduces exactly one framework, and every framework carries a permanent identifier in the form `TBF-001`. The [tieback Framework Library](/docs/knowledge-base/frameworks/overview) is the authoritative registry of the full set, with the identifier, the model it names and the article that introduces it. The selection below links straight to those source articles. [Four Layers of a Digital Product Passport](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/what-is-a-digital-product-passport) [Digital Product Passport Responsibility Model](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/who-needs-a-digital-product-passport) [Product Information Readiness Model](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/what-information-does-a-digital-product-passport-contain) [Digital Product Passport Data Flow](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/how-does-a-digital-product-passport-work) [ESPR Implementation Journey](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/what-is-the-ecodesign-for-sustainable-products-regulation-espr) [EU Product Regulation Lifecycle](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/what-are-delegated-acts) [Global Product Identification Framework](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/what-is-gs1) [Connected Product Identity Model](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/what-is-gs1-digital-link) [Product Data Foundation Model](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-master-data) [Enterprise Product Data Landscape](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/erp-vs-pim-vs-plm) [Enterprise Integration Model](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/how-enterprise-systems-support-digital-product-passports) [Trusted Product Data Governance Framework](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-data-governance) [Product Data Maturity Model](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/how-to-build-a-trusted-product-data-foundation) Further frameworks are introduced across the [Standards & Technology](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/overview) pillar, including the Product Identity Stack, the Product Identity Hierarchy, the Product Information Delivery Model and the Product Event Lifecycle. [Browse the Framework Library](/docs/knowledge-base/frameworks/overview) for the complete registry, including every framework identifier and its source article. ## Glossary [47 terms, A to Z The Digital Product Passport Glossary](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/overview) The canonical terminology reference for the Knowledge Base. Each entry states what a term means, where the definition comes from and how it differs from the terms it is confused with. Canonical articles link to the glossary rather than restating definitions, so a correction is made once. Browse the glossary A to Z ## Latest Canonical Articles * [From DPP Readiness to Defensible Supplier Evidence: A Worked Manufacturer Example](/docs/knowledge-base/examples/readiness-to-evidence-manufacturer-example) * [DPP Governance: Who Owns What?](/docs/knowledge-base/compliance-frameworks/dpp-governance-who-owns-what) * [DPP Readiness Assessment](/docs/knowledge-base/templates/dpp-readiness-assessment) * [Passport Data Origin Worksheet](/docs/knowledge-base/templates/passport-data-origin-worksheet) * [Supplier Evidence Register](/docs/knowledge-base/templates/supplier-evidence-register) * [Building an Enterprise Digital Product Passport Architecture](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/building-an-enterprise-digital-product-passport-architecture) ## Featured Learning Resources [Start here Digital Product Passport Guide](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/what-is-a-digital-product-passport) What a passport is, what it is not, and the four layers that make one work. [Pillar Regulations](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/overview) ESPR, delegated acts, scope and timing, read from the Official Journal rather than from secondary summaries. [Pillar Standards & Technology](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/overview) Identifiers, carriers, resolution and event data: the mechanics behind a working passport. [Pillar Enterprise Systems & Data Architecture](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/overview) Where the information in a passport comes from, and what must be true before it is published. [Reference Glossary](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/overview) Definitions of record for the terminology used across every pillar, with sources and distinctions. ## About tieback Knowledge tieback Knowledge is a permanent reference library for practitioners who make decisions with legal and financial consequences. It exists so that a reader arriving with any level of prior knowledge can find a defensible answer, and so that the relationship between the pillars is explicit rather than implied by a menu. It avoids marketing language, avoids predicting outcomes that legislation has not fixed, and states clearly when something is not yet determined. #### Editorial Principles * **Vendor neutral.** No article recommends a product or platform, including tieback's. Where a capability is described, it is described as a capability, so the reader can evaluate any implementation of it against the same criteria. * **Primary-source grounded.** Regulatory statements are taken from the Official Journal of the European Union, standards statements from ISO, GS1 and equivalent bodies. Every article lists its sources, and secondary commentary is not treated as authority. * **Original educational frameworks.** Each canonical article introduces one framework that makes its subject navigable and reusable, rather than restating material available elsewhere. * **Practical implementation guidance.** Articles end where the reader has to act: what to do, in what order, and what commonly goes wrong. * **Continuously maintained.** Regulation, delegated acts and standards move. Every page carries a last reviewed date and a scheduled review date, and material change triggers revision rather than a new post. > **Entering in the middle** > > Readers with existing expertise should enter at the pillar that matches their gap rather than > starting at pillar one. The Knowledge Model describes dependency, not a required reading order for > specialists. ## About This Article About This Article
Last Reviewed
2026-08-08
Next Scheduled Review
2027-08-08
Article Version
1.1
tieback Knowledge is a continuously maintained reference library covering Digital Product Passports, product traceability, product compliance and related regulations. Articles are reviewed regularly as legislation, standards and implementation guidance evolve. ## Related Docs * [Getting Started](/docs/knowledge-base/getting-started/overview) * [Digital Product Passports](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/overview) * [Regulations](/docs/knowledge-base/regulations/overview) * [Standards & Technology](/docs/knowledge-base/standards-and-technology/overview) * [Enterprise Systems & Data Architecture](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/overview) * [Implementation](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/overview) * [Glossary](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/overview)