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Overview of SAP® Product Compliance Applications

About SAP & Product Compliance

SAP is world leader in providing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The topic of product compliance is an essential part of business for discrete and process manufacturers and has been supported by SAP for decades. Read about the history of SAP product compliance applications.

With the increased focus on the topic of environment, sustainability and governance (ESG), the topic of product compliance becomes increasingly important. SAP continues to invest and support their customers by providing state-of-the-art sustainability and product compliance solutions.

Product compliance refers to the adherence of a product to specific regulations, standards, and requirements set forth by relevant authorities, industry associations, or market jurisdictions. These regulations and standards are put in place to ensure the safety, quality, environmental impact, and functionality of products, as well as to protect consumers, workers, and the environment. 

Here are a few examples of the various areas of focus of product compliance:

  • Product Certification: Compliance with laws and regulations specific to the product's industry and intended market. An example of this is the CE ("Conformite Europeenne") product certification that affirms the goods' conformity with European health, safety, and environmental protection standards.
  • Safety Requirements: Ensuring that products are safe for consumers, professional users, and industrial users is a primary concern. Compliance with safety standards helps prevent accidents, injuries, and potential legal liabilities. For example, REACH and the included poison center notification requires manufacturers to submit detailed information about mixtures so that this information is available to poison centres in order to give advice to the citizens or medical personnel in the event of an emergency.
  • Environmental Regulations: Many products must meet standards related to their environmental impact, such as restrictions on hazardous substances, energy efficiency, and proper disposal methods. An example of this is the Waste Framework Directive and the related SCIP Database where information about substances of very high concern (SVHC) in articles is available throughout the lifecycle of products and materials, including the waste stage.

  • Health and Medical Regulations: Products in industries like pharmaceuticals and medical devices must adhere to stringent regulations to ensure they are safe and effective for use. For example, the European Union's Medical Device Regulation (MDR) 2017/745 introduces rigorous clinical evaluation and post-market surveillance procedures, aiming to enhance patient safety and ensure the quality of medical devices placed on the EU market

  • Supplier and Supply Chain Compliance: Supply chain collaboration is vital for compliance due to the complexity of modern supply chains involving multiple parties. For example, in the textile industry, clothing manufacturers collaborate with fabric suppliers to ensure compliance with PFAS regulations.

Failure to comply with product regulations can result in legal consequences, including fines and product recalls. Therefore, manufacturers and businesses must ensure their products meet all applicable compliance requirements before bringing them to market.

At opesus, our expertise is in product compliance and [therefore] product marketability. This means adhering to product compliance regulations to ensure unhindered market access, including access to new markets which could lead to increased sales potential, broader customer reach, greater revenue opportunities, and protect brand reputation for sustained business growth.

SAP Product Compliance Applications

The list of SAP product compliance applications listed here primarily focuses on product compliance and marketability. In general, the entire area of product compliance is undergoing major transformation at SAP. This means that many solutions exist.

In general, here's a list of product compliance solutions available at SAP today:

On SAP ECC 6.0

  • SAP Product Safety
  • SAP Product and REACH Compliance

 

On SAP S/4HANA

  • SAP S/4HANA for product compliance
    • Product marketability and chemical compliance
    • Safety data sheet and label management
    • Dangerous goods management
  • In compatibility pack: Product Safety and Stewardship | Help Page

If you're interested, we've also compiled a complete history of SAP's product compliance applications.

SAP S/4HANA for Product Compliance

SAP S/4HANA for product compliance is a complete renewal of the previous solutions SAP Product Safety and SAP Product and REACH Compliance. It is a new solution for managing regulatory and sustainability requirements for process and discrete manufacturers. With the software, you can classify products, track substance volumes, and create compliance documents.

SAP S/4HANA for product compliance supports product marketability and chemical compliance, safety data sheet and label management, and dangerous goods management.

SAP Product and REACH Compliance 

SAP Product and REACH Compliance is a comprehensive solution providing the tools and features for discrete manufacturers to, manage product compliance. It helps companies manage and verify product compliance for product-related environmental regulations such as REACH, EU RoHS, and Conflict Minerals.
The software supports the automotive industry with an IMDS interface for exchanging material data sheets in the supply chain.

Availability of Solution

The solution will be supported on SAP ECC 6.0 (On-Premise) until the end of 2027 *.
On SAP S/4HANA (On-Premise and Private Cloud Edition), the solution will be supported on the SAP S/4HANA 2029 release until the end of 2036 *.
* As of August 2024.

SAP Product Safety (EH&S)

SAP Product Safety, previously known as SAP EHS Management, product safety, is a software solution that helps companies ensure the safety and compliance of their products throughout the entire product lifecycle. It helps process industry manufacturers bring their products containing hazardous substances to the market by supporting compliance management with all relevant regulations. In short, SAP EH&S is a centralized platform designed for chemical companies to manage safety data sheets (SDS), labeling, reporting, and managing regulatory compliance.

Availability of Solution

The solution will be supported on SAP ECC 6.0 (On-Premise) until the end of 2027 *.
On SAP S/4HANA (On-Premise and Private Cloud Edition), the solution will be supported on the SAP S/4HANA 2029 release until the end of 2036 *.
* As of August 2024.

Product compliance and the opesus difference!

Not sure where to start with product compliance?

Whether you are looking for consultation on how to manage your product compliance processes, introduce a product compliance software, or migrate to SAP S/4HANA for product compliance, we will support and guide you through the complex process!

opesus has a long history of being involved in product compliance solutions development at SAP and customer implementations since the very first versions in 1995. We offer best practices and know-how gathered from our extensive experience in the field.

opesus Product Compliance Essentials (PCE) provides a rapid and standard implementation of SAP Product and REACH Compliance. This includes preconfigured settings, programs and tools, templates, and documentation for a fast and standardized implementation..

Working closely with our customers and SAP, we are experts in the topic of product compliance, especially with automating product notifications using SAP solutions. We have successfully completed over 100 product compliance projects with customers.

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