New regulatory drivers require manufacturers to gather, distill, and disseminate detailed product information – down to the substance level – to multiple constituents across the enterprise and to both suppliers and customers.  As such, manufacturers are experiencing a growing convergence between Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), global supply chain network, and procurement functions within their enterprise.  Actio solutions improve the bottom line through leaner processes, globalizing products, faster approval times in the procurement phase, and avoiding brand damage and compliance fines.

Whether your company is under pressure from regulatory bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to adhere to new policies, or if you are scrambling to keep up with rapidly changing international product compliance regulations such as REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), Actio has the domain expertise, successful track record with more than 250 customers, and proven software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform to help design eco-friendly products, optimize lean manufacturing, and execute green, sustainable business practices.

Built from inception with a unique relational database integrated into a SaaS architecture, Actio provides the only product materials information management solution that combines international product regulatory content, product substance information, and component and parts content in a single platform:  the Actio Supply Chain Materials Information Management Platform.  Actio fills a critical void for manufacturers through its automated SaaS supply chain materials information management platform because most enterprises do not have a centralized repository for chemical data, material composition and regulatory content – and ERP and PLM systems do not maintain raw material and finished goods data at the substance level.

In daily operation in more than 35 countries and offered in multiple languages, the Actio SaaS platform consists of:

Enterprise-Wide Materials Information Management Modules Managing complex global, national and/or local regulatory requirements that are location specific, the Actio Materials Information Management Modules automate the tracking, analysis and reporting of substance-level product material data that is used in the manufacturing of products or in the maintenance of facilities, often dispersed around the world. These modules include: Gatekeeper – a process work flow platform for requesting, screening, authorizing, and purchasing materials (M)SDS Vault – a web-based material safety data sheet management module for storing and distributing (M)SDS Regulator – a material tracking and reporting system that provides substance-level inventory tracking of raw material and finished goods, automatically generating regulatory reports, tracking waste streams and emissions for compliance with global regulations (utilizing substance data from (M)SDS Vault and Gatekeeper). Regulator integrates with ERP systems for inventory purchasing history. (M)SDS Author – an efficient authoring tool that produces (M)SDS sheets in a variety of languages and formats based upon substance information contained in (M)SDS Vault and Material Disclosure. ChemQuik – ChemQuik is an enormous centralized database providing on-demand access to continually updated, mission-critical (M)SDS. Business Benefits: Prevent hazardous, banned or incompatible materials from being used in products (during the development phase) Prescreening of materials down to the substance level before purchase to support lean manufacturing Manage the approval and track the usage of product materials used in facilities globally to leverage existing inventories and prevent unnecessary purchases Substances are evaluated against Actio’s extensive global regulatory content to support corporate sustainability initiatives Extensive location hierarchy of substance data that is consistent and can be “rolled up” according to business unit, division, legal entity or geography All regulatory issues can be pin-pointed, whether global, national, or local, and acted upon instantly for best practices in material management

Supply Chain Management and Data Collection Modules Besides supporting “internal” customers across the enterprise, Actio’s Supply Chain Materials Information Management Platform also provides a nimble framework for manufacturers to efficiently collaborate with their suppliers and customers. Actio’s Supply Chain Management and Data Collection Modules automate and track the request for and collection of supplier product regulatory and substance data. With suppliers, internal stakeholders and customers each having access to a centralized repository with accurate, up-to-date data, all parties benefit from clear communication and efficient processes to quickly adapt and react to current global market conditions. REACHtracker – supply chain collaboration for determining supplier REACH intentions, acquiring exposure scenarios and registering substances in IUCLID 5 and REACH IT. This module also gathers information from the customer to determine how the finished product will be used. BOMtracker – supply chain management for acquiring material information for managing, producing and distributing material declarations for compliance with RoHS, REACH and WEEE utilizing IPC and JIG standards. MaterialDisclosure – supply chain management for warehousing and distributing confidential full disclosure information gathered through customized questionnaires covering any regulation across industry. This comprehensive disclosure data is used by manufacturers to verify there are no substances present that would impact globalizing products to new markets. Business Benefits: Collaborative communication infrastructure between manufacturers and suppliers ensures quick, accurate information dissemination Automates the management of data requested and expedites response rates from suppliers Substance or component data is automatically pushed into the Actio Supply Chain Materials database for quick analysis Data is immediately available in Actio’s Materials Information Management Modules enabling informed decision-making across the enterprise Expedites material evaluation and approval time, and in turn, globalizing products Integrates external and internal regulatory data in one consistent platform