Episode Details

Ryan Zelhofer of Assent talks about PFAS management & evolving regulations; understanding risk; working with suppliers; & compliance as a competitive advantage.

[06.35] An overview of Assent – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

"We're a SaaS company, with a flair of personal touch!"

[07.31] The ever-changing regulatory landscape, specifically through the lens of PFAS, and the challenges it's presenting for businesses.

"You're seeing a flurry of activity in the U.S. alone, and each state has it's own twist to the regulations… Companies are having to prepare for a federal reporting requirement, but they're also having to keep a close eye on each state level."

"For a lot of people, this isn't their full-time job. They probably have a more traditional supply chain responsibility, and someone came along with a hat and said: "Wear this too!" So selecting a good partner in that journey is very important; having regulatory experts in your back pocket to help keep an eye on those timelines is huge… It's becoming extremely burdensome and complicated to keep up with."

[12.02] The other key drivers for organizations thinking about eliminating PFAS, alongside changing regulation, and how they complicate things for organizations that find themselves struggling with multiple priorities.

Ryan Zelhofer of Assent talks about PFAS management & evolving regulations; understanding risk; working with suppliers; & compliance as a competitive advantage.

[06.35] An overview of Assent – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

"We're a SaaS company, with a flair of personal touch!"

[07.31] The ever-changing regulatory landscape, specifically through the lens of PFAS, and the challenges it's presenting for businesses.

"You're seeing a flurry of activity in the U.S. alone, and each state has it's own twist to the regulations… Companies are having to prepare for a federal reporting requirement, but they're also having to keep a close eye on each state level."

"For a lot of people, this isn't their full-time job. They probably have a more traditional supply chain responsibility, and someone came along with a hat and said: "Wear this too!" So selecting a good partner in that journey is very important; having regulatory experts in your back pocket to help keep an eye on those timelines is huge… It's becoming extremely burdensome and complicated to keep up with."

[12.02] The other key drivers for organizations thinking about eliminating PFAS, alongside changing regulation, and how they complicate things for organizations that find themselves struggling with multiple priorities.

"You're always going to have a regulatory driver that gets everyone into action but, with PFAS, the number one concern from a risk standpoint is part obsolescence. Most folks are craving data to identify where they have PFAS in their supply chain but, a lot of times, they may forget they need to be looking inside the four walls of their own manufacturing facility as well."

[15.47] How organizations can cut through the complexity, start to identify real, tangible risks, and get an understanding of where to start when it comes to reducing that risk effectively.

"Every company is going to have a different risk profile and risk appetite, but it starts with data... without data you're making blind choices."

[18.45] How organizations can use a product compliance program as a profit opportunity and competitive advantage.

"Once you get to a state where you have high-quality data, you're now in a position to make