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Markdorf, Germany — TechniData and SAP offer manufacturers integrated software solutions to help meet the new European chemicals directive that goes into effect on June 1, 2007. These new solutions are being enhanced in parallel with the progressive deadlines set by the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.
"REACH doesn't just affect manufacturers in the chemical industry," said Jurgen Schwab, CEO of TechniData, in a statement. "Companies that manufacture and import any products that contain substances regulated by REACH will also be affected. In practice, there will hardly be a single industrial enterprise based in the EU that will not have to comply with information regulations at the very least. Moreover, a large number of companies from sectors including the automotive, metallurgical, and textile industries will also need to register substances."
As of 2010, manufacturing industries will need to provide information on specific substances contained in their products. The European Union will detail which substances need to be declared in a "candidate list", said TechniData. If manufacturers and importers can ensure that a regulated substance will not escape from a product, that product will be exempt; however, if the function of this product involves the controlled release of this substance, manufacturers and dealers will be subject to both registration and information obligations, explained the company. It is primarily the use of auxiliary products such as corrosion inhibitors, lubricants, and coatings that will require companies to carry out registration.
Whether companies can continue manufacturing or importing their product range in the future will depend on whether they can successfully comply with these upcoming information and registration regulations, said TechniData, which means it will be important to establish a reliable compliance process that also incorporates suppliers, service providers, and partners.
TechniData and SAP map this process in integrated software solutions that enhance the existing SAP Environment, Health & Safety (SAP EH&S) application. The solutions developed for the manufacturing industry enable users to plan, control, and monitor registration projects end to end. This makes it easier for companies that use the SAP EH&S applications to track substance volumes, manage REACH-relevant data, and register chemicals.
To help companies understand the impact of REACH on their businesses, TechniData is offering a series of events, starting with a REACH and China RoHS web conference on May 8.
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