Model, Batch, Item: DPP Granularity Levels
Not every product passport describes the same "scope" of a product. A DPP can cover a whole model, a specific batch or a single item. This choice — called granularity — has real consequences for data and cost.
Three levels of detail
ESPR and sector acts provide for three levels of product identification:
- Model — the whole product line or variant.
- Batch — a specific production run.
- Item — a single, individually identifiable unit.
Each level corresponds to a different precision. The lower you go, the more passports and the more data you have to maintain.
The model level
At model level, one passport describes all units of a given variant. This is the simplest and cheapest approach, because the data is shared across the whole line.
It works where units are practically identical and the rule does not require tracking individual pieces. Much of the information — such as composition or technical characteristics — is then common.
The batch level
A batch is a group of products made under the same conditions, for example in one production run. A batch-level passport lets you distinguish runs that may differ in materials or origin.
It is a useful compromise: more precision than at model level, but without describing every item separately. It also makes recalls limited to a specific run easier.
The item level
At item level, each unit has its own unique identifier and its own record. This is the most detailed and most demanding approach.
It is, however, essential where the history of an individual product matters. Batteries, for example, require a passport at the level of the individual item.
What decides the level
The level is not chosen freely — it follows primarily from the sector act. It is also influenced by the regulatory goal and how the audience uses the data.
In practice, three questions matter:
- what the delegated act for the product group requires,
- what purpose the passport is meant to serve,
- who will use the data — a consumer, an authority, a repairer or a recycler.
Identifiers and levels
Different identifier types correspond to the levels. A model number describes a variant, a batch number a run, and a serial number a single unit.
This distinction later shapes the structure of addresses and data. We cover it in GS1 Digital Link and GTIN.
What this means for your data
The level of detail directly affects the workload. A model passport is one record per variant; an item-level passport is potentially thousands of records.
So it is worth deciding the required level up front, before you design how the data is collected and stored. Changing the level midway can be costly. More on the passport concept in What is a DPP.
Granularity versus data access
The level of detail is different from the scope of access. Even an item-level passport can have some data public and some reserved for authorities or authorised parties.
So it helps to separate two questions: "how finely do we identify the product" and "who sees which data". These are two independent decisions, designed separately.
Common mistakes when choosing a level
Two mistakes are the most common. The first is choosing too detailed a level where it is not required — which needlessly raises cost and workload.
The second is a level too coarse to meet the sector act's requirements. So the starting point should always be the content of the rule, not operational convenience.
How to plan it
Before you start collecting data, settle the required level for each product group. Check whether your systems can assign and store identifiers at that level.
Only then design how the data is gathered and how carriers are generated. That order helps avoid costly changes at a later stage.
Example: the same product, different levels
The same product category may be covered at different levels by different rules. A manufacturer must therefore sometimes reconcile several requirements at once.
A well-designed identifier scheme lets you handle a higher level of detail without rebuilding the whole system when the need arises.
Key takeaways
- A DPP can work at model, batch or item level.
- The model level is the simplest; the item level the most detailed.
- The level is decided by the sector act, the regulatory goal and how the data is used.
- Batteries require a passport at the level of the individual item.
- The level of detail directly drives the number of records and the workload.
See how CyfroPass lets you build and publish a Digital Product Passport without writing code. Visit cyfropass.pl and start with your first product.