Background
REACH came into force on 1 June 2007, with a phased implementation over the following decade. 1st June 2018 saw the final deadline for REACH registration – by this date, all chemicals manufactured or imported into the EU over 1 tonne must be registered. The retailer’s suppliers had provided REACH details in the past, but this was not a mandatory requirement and the data was not recorded.
The retailer reached out to Supply Pilot to understand and manage the risk to business of importing products and the use of raw materials that contained chemicals. A full overview of how much of its products and raw materials were not compliant with legislation was also required.
Solution
Supply Pilot worked closely with the retailer team to consult and implement a multi-phase solution to ensure the supplier base met the REACH requirement. Supply Pilot created and ran an online survey portal for information input and updates, employing its supplier engagement techniques to ensure its success.
In 2017, the first REACH survey went out to suppliers across the globe, followed by regular communications. As the deadline drew closer, communications were amended to ascertain how much work each supplier had left to do.
To help suppliers understand what was required, Supply Pilot delivered supporting knowledge and supplier ‘self-help’ information within the portal. A structured approach to telephone chasing was also implemented, with Supply Pilot working around the clock to ensure that the global supply base was engaged with the project.
Supply Pilot also collected the survey data to create reports, allowing the retailer to eliminate all non-compliant products and substances from their portfolio.