O.H. Sjögren driving new income with digital product passports

For more than 120 years, the Sjögren family has been been producing furniture of the highest craftsmanship. But they don't hang around. When it comes to digital product passports, they aren't waiting to have all their data gathered before they start. Instead, they are eyeing opportunities to create new revenue, extend the lifetime of their products and establish a direct communications channel with the people who love and use their furniture every day. "A digital product passport gives us a simple way of staying connected with our customers long after they've purchased one of our products," says Håkan Sjögren, co-owner in the fifth generation family run company. "If they need new upholstery or some other form of renovation, the DPP makes it easy for them to know how to go about it and how we can help them."

O.H. Sjögren's dedication to quality has led to them being one of only three selected producers of the iconic Carl Malmsten-designed furniture. This means they must respect certain traditions but at the same time, O.H. Sjögren has never been afraid of innovation. They were early in seeing the opportunities that digital product passports can bring. "There are business opportunities here and at the same time we can extend the lifecycle of our products and contribute to a circular economy. Everyone wins in this situation," says Håkan Sjögren. "Regardless of the EU-regulations, we think this kind of digital experience adds value to the consumer. That alone makes it a worthwhile investment."

Today, O.H. Sjögren is piloting DPP with Kolla. The advantages are clear but a fully compatible DPP also brings challenges. "We work with an almost infinite amount of textiles," says Sjögren. "Sometimes a customer can come to us with a specific textile for their furniture. Knowing the background of that material can be very difficult. I'm not sure how the EU is going to resolve that one." "Otherwise, we have a good picture of the supply chain once it comes to production since we make everything in our own factory in Sweden. And most important; our products last. We've received furniture for repair that my grandfather made and we can give it a new life. That's a very satisfying feeling." In the pilot project, Kolla even created 3D-models of the furniture together with its partner Zakeke. The 3D models in the DPP can be shown in AR (augmented reality). It means customers can scan a passport and test what an armchair will look like in their own living room. It adds yet another dimension to the user experience. "I think we're just scraping the surface of what digital product passports can offer. We look forward to seeing how this develops," says Sjögren.