Pilot 003 - Hardware Bill of Materials
Sponsor: RMI | Phase: 1 | Date: July 2025
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1. Overview
Phase 1 of Pilot 003 demonstrated a 2-tier supply chain with multiple components being assembled to make a laptop.
Key Question:
How can RBTP help organize and understand components that make up an assembly (HBOM) and provide traceability for products that are assembled and/or aggregated?
Answer:
A Digital Traceability Event (Assemble/Association) connects 4 Product Passports (battery, a screen, a keyboard and a case) to a single DPP of a laptop.
2. Objectives
- Demonstrate core Reference Implementation functions via Interactive Value-Chain Map exercises—e.g. linking several component DPP’s to an assembled product by way of Digital Traceability Events.
- Create foundation for deeper development to align with the HBOM framework (https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/hardware-bill-materials-hbom-framework-supply-chain-risk-management)
3. Deliverables
Interactive Value Chain Map
Credential Catalog
| Credential Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Product Passports (DPP) | - Core UNTP DPP: Laptop Screen, Laptop Keyboard, Laptop Case - DBP Extension: Digital Battery Passport for Laptop Battery |
| Traceability Events (DTE) | - Transformation (Core UNTP – Assemble, Manufacture, Recycle) |
| Facility Records (DFR) | - DEFR Extension: Digital Electronic Facility Record (OEM Laptop Manufacturer) |
Demonstration Exercises
HBOM Exercise - Creating an Assembly through a DTE that links many Input DPP’s to a single Output DPP - How a DTE Tracks HBOM
4. Scope & Supply-Chain Actors
For this Phase 1 pilot, we defined a representative chain of several actor types and generated synthetic credentials for each:
- Battery manufacturer (Battery assembly; Synthetic Facility)
- Laptop screen manufacturer (Component assembly; Synthetic Facility)
- Laptop keyboard manufacturer (Component assembly; Synthetic Facility)
- Laptop case manufacturer (Component assembly; Synthetic Facility)
- OEM (Electronic-goods assembly; Synthetic Facility)
- Recycler (End-of-life goods → refinery feed; Synthetic Facility)
5. Phase 2 and Beyond
- Phase 2: Demonstrate conformance with the HBOM framework (https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/hardware-bill-materials-hbom-framework-supply-chain-risk-management)