OPSIAL success story

OPSIAL

From traceability to decarbonization: OPSIAL's journey

Traceability

Certifications

Eco-design

French Eco-score

Discover how OPSIAL, Descours & Cabaud's PPE brand, used Trace For Good to build supply chain traceability and lay the foundations for product decarbonization.

of the elements required for a future DPP already available in the database

Client

OPSIAL

From traceability to decarbonization: OPSIAL's journey

Summary

Context and challenges

Founded 25 years ago, OPSIAL is the PPE brand of the Descours & Cabaud group, one of the leading industrial distributors in Europe. Dedicated to professionals, it covers the full range of protection needs, from head to toe, with a complete offering including safety footwear, protective clothing, gloves, helmets, and glasses. Distributed through the DEXIS, PROLIANS, and HYDRALIANS networks, OPSIAL has established itself in Europe and North America as a brand recognized for its expertise and the maturity of its market offering.

Amid a constantly evolving regulatory landscape (corporate duty of vigilance, Digital Product Passport, growing transparency demands from major accounts, etc.), OPSIAL wanted to structure its traceability approach in order to better manage the environmental impact of its products.
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In 2024, the brand launched a traceability project with Trace For Good, with two objectives:

Gain a better understanding of its supply chains and products;
Collect the data needed to calculate the environmental footprint of its products, in support of eco-design and decarbonization plans.

Objectives of
OPSIAL

For the first time, structure a traceability approach across a multi-category PPE catalog (clothing, footwear, gloves, glasses, etc.) with heterogeneous supply chains.

Collect and centralize reliable supplier data in a complex international environment.

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Engage suppliers with widely varying levels of maturity to ensure structured information reporting.

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Adapt traceability chains to the specific characteristics of each product category.

Run this project with a lean CSR team, requiring strong operational support.

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Traceability is key for brands today. Trace For Good is the partner that supports us in our responsible purchasing strategy, a central theme in our CSR approach. What I find particularly valuable is this co-construction approach: we build together, and the platform evolves in step with the specifics of the PPE market.

Émilie Mandret

CSR Manager at Descours & Cabaud

The benefits of Trace for Good

A modular solution that adapts to the brand's use and evolves with its needs

An intuitive interface, making it easier for both in-house teams and suppliers to use

Centralized product data that acts as a true PLM system and reduces time-to-market for rolling out a traceability approach.

The Trace For Good solution

After reviewing the various solutions available on the market, OPSIAL chose Trace For Good for its ability to meet two essential needs: centralizing all data on a single platform, and benefiting from dedicated project support to manage data collection from suppliers.

The solution stood out for its flexibility and the quality of the partnership with the OPSIAL teams

The project relied on several key features and commitments:

Structured collection of product and supplier data to feed both traceability and environmental footprint calculations.
Value chain mapping from raw material to finished product, product by product.
Dedicated operational support with a Trace For Good project manager overseeing data collection, supplier follow-up, and the ongoing adaptation of the platform to OPSIAL's specific business needs.
Interoperability with Carbonfact, enabling the collected data to be used directly to measure the environmental footprint of products.
Custom configuration to build traceability chains tailored to each product category: textile, footwear, gloves, and eyewear.

Résultats de la solution

Solution results

of products integrated into the platform within the first year

of the data needed for the carbon footprint calculation collected (2025 campaign)

of the elements required for a future DPP already available in the database

Suppliers mobilized and ready for rollout following an initial pilot

Key success factors

Structured project support: regular check-ins every two weeks with the CSM teams, and responsive operational teams during collection campaigns.

A collaborative, iterative approach: the tool continuously adapts to OPSIAL's specific business needs, particularly the diversity of traceability chains across product categories.

Strong commitment on both sides: the quality and reliability of the data are the result of close collaboration between the OPSIAL and Trace For Good teams.

A shared long-term vision: traceability is approached as ongoing, foundational work in support of product eco-design and decarbonization.

Conclusion

With Trace For Good, OPSIAL has laid the foundations for reliable, scalable traceability across its entire PPE catalog. The brand is now able to meet the transparency demands of its major accounts and the requirements of the duty of vigilance, thanks to a structured view of its supply chains.

By centralizing its product and supplier data, the brand is now able to measure the environmental footprint of its products, meet current regulatory requirements, and prepare for upcoming obligations, notably the Digital Product Passport.

OPSIAL x Trace For Good: a partnership in support of structured traceability, more responsible purchasing, and a decarbonization strategy grounded in the reality of PPE supply chains.

What's next?

OPSIAL plans to continue developing its traceability strategy with Trace For Good, notably through:

Full integration of the textile product catalog into the platform, with a progressive scale-up of the remaining categories.
Enhanced reliability of supplier data to ensure the accuracy of environmental footprint calculations and the robustness of eco-design plans.
Supplier certificate management to ensure the completeness and up-to-date status of all compliance documents.
Integration of country-level risk management to enrich supply chain analysis and strengthen CSR risk management.