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Synapsis Software Helps Companies Comply with European Union's REACH Regulation

January 29, 2008

New EMARS™ REACH Module helps manufacturers prepare for REACH deadlines and lower risk of supply chain disruptions.

Synapsis Technology, Inc., announced Tuesday that EMARS™, its environmental compliance software solution, now provides support for the European Union's new regulation entitled "Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals," or REACH. The REACH regulation seeks to ensure that all chemicals are fully tested by industry and used in safe ways. The EMARS REACH module is designed to help companies manage the chemical content of their products, identify REACH-related compliance and supply chain risks, and take steps to mitigate these risks.

Manufacturers of products face significant risks arising from the REACH regulation, which went into effect on June 1, 2007 and has implementation deadlines in 2008 and beyond. First, these companies will be prevented from shipping products into the EU market if their products don't comply with the requirements of REACH. Second, and more critical, companies whose supply chains intersect the EU market face the risk of costly supply chain disruptions. Under REACH, supplied parts and materials may become more costly, harder to procure, or even unavailable, as suppliers themselves take steps to become REACH compliant.

"There's been a lot of focus on how REACH will impact chemical suppliers, but REACH will also impact manufacturers of products and equipment. All products contain chemical substances, and require chemicals to manufacture. REACH will regulate more than 30,000 widely used chemicals and may restrict the use of up to 3,000 hazardous substances. So products are at risk," said Lonnie Gillihan, Synapsis' president.

Article 7 and Article 33 of the REACH regulation outline specific requirements for product, or "article," manufacturers. These requirements are further explained in the "Technical Guidance Document on requirements for substances in articles - REACH Implementation Project 3.8" which is under development. Among several key requirements, article manufacturers must limit and provide information on their use of so-called substances of very high concern, or SVHCs, which will ultimately number from 1,500 to 3,000 substances. These SVHCs are selected on the basis of their hazardous properties and include carcinogens, mutagens, endocrine disruptors, and substances which are toxic to reproduction. Further, manufacturers are required to provide information related to the SVHCs in their products within 45 days of a request.

Synapsis' new EMARS REACH Solution enables users to:

• Generate an accurate REACH report for any product in minutes, including a comprehensive chemical breakdown of the product and identification of industry SVHCs.
• Identify REACH risk factors in existing products and in products under development. Drill down and determine what component or material is at risk, setting the stage for prompt corrective action.
• Perform worst-case analysis on a product, including all multi-sourced material and component permutations of that product. Identify suppliers that present a REACH risk.
• Track and manage supplier performance against corporate data collection and compliance goals. Manage and improve supplier performance and product performance with respect to REACH product requirements.
• Automate REACH data collection. REACH virtually mandates that manufacturers understand the complete chemical breakdown of their products and by extension all the parts and materials they purchase. EMARS automates the collection, validation, and management of this supplier data.
• Keep up-to-date as the REACH regulation changes. For example, EMARS maintains a complete list of SVHCs which will be updated as official lists are issued and modified in the months ahead.
  

Andrew Wertkin, Synapsis' chief software architect, described how REACH is compelling many product manufacturers to collect, manage, and analyze their chemical and product data in a new way. "It's clear from our work in the field, that traditional EH&S systems and toxicology databases can't address the product-oriented compliance requirements of REACH. EMARS fills that gap and gives companies the ability to get an instant snapshot of what substances are in their products, how they're used, and what data is missing. They can then take decisive action - close the loop with suppliers, pursue substitute materials, or work with the European Chemicals Agency. By providing this complex product knowledge early, EMARS enables manufacturers to avoid huge costs down the road." said Wertkin.

More information on Synapsis' EMARS REACH solution is available online at www.synapsistech.com/reach-compliance

About EMARS and Synapsis Technology, Inc.

EMARS, Synapsis' Environmental Material Aggregation and Reporting System, and its Compliance Checker™ are patent-pending solutions that enable companies to comply with environmental regulations, such as EU RoHS, China RoHS, ELV, and REACH. EMARS enables manufacturers to track, manage, and report the material content and environmental compliance status of their products. EMARS reduces the cost of compliance and minimizes the risk of compliance failures.

Synapsis, the provider of Product Lifecycle Intelligence™ products and services, specializes in environmental compliance, product lifecycle management (PLM), product data management (PDM) and supply chain solutions. EMARS, Synapsis' Environmental Material Aggregation and Reporting System, and its Compliance Checker™ are patent-pending solutions that enable companies to comply with environmental regulations, such as EU RoHS, China RoHS, ELV, and REACH. Some Synapsis clients include: Abbott, American Power Conversion (APC), Beckman Coulter, Cisco Systems, Delphi Corporation, GE Healthcare, Harley-Davidson, IBM, Intel, Mack Trucks, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, Seagate, SGI, and Sony Ericsson. Founded in 1999, Synapsis is headquartered in Spring House, Pa. and has a software development center in Noida, India. For more information on Synapsis, visit www.synapsistech.com or contact 866-793-0300.