423: Flipping Product Compliance From Cost Center to Profit Engine, with Assent
Ryan Zolhofer is a product compliance and sustainability expert at Assent, where he leads a team helping manufacturers navigate complex regulatory landscapes. He argues that the biggest compliance risks, such as with PFAS, often extend beyond regulations to include business threats like part obsolescence from suppliers discontinuing components. Zolhofer strongly advocates for a shift from reactive compliance to a proactive strategy, using high-quality data to gain a competitive advantage. He stresses the importance of building collaborative, forward-thinking partnerships with suppliers to create win-win relationships that ensure a more resilient and sustainable supply chain.
Today I’m joined by the global software brand, Assent.
Assent is the leader in supply chain sustainability management solutions. Blending a SaaS technology platform with managed services and a world-class regulatory team of subject matter experts, Assent is keeping customers ahead of compliance and regulatory changes across the globe. On a mission to make the supply chains of complex manufacturers deeply and durably good, Assent are helping customers to see deeper into their supply chains, be smarter with powerful data, and grow better to seize market opportunities.
Today Ryan Zelhofer, Sustainability Manager at Assent, joins me to talk all about Assent and what they do; the complexities of PFAS management and the ever-evolving regulatory landscape; understanding and tackling risk; the best ways to work with suppliers; and leveraging product compliance as a competitive advantage.
Guest bio:
Ryan has a long history of supporting manufacturers on their supply chain sustainability programs. As Manager of Sustainability on Assent’s Regulatory team, he leads a group of subject matter experts in product compliance. He initially joined Assent in 2022 as a solutions consultant, working to solve problems and develop solutions for customers. In his previous role, where he spent 16 years, he provided corporate leadership for the company’s product compliance program and supported its ESG efforts.
An overview of Assent – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.
The ever-changing regulatory landscape, specifically through the lens of PFAS, and the challenges it’s presenting for businesses.
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.
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.
How organizations can use a product compliance program as a profit opportunity and competitive advantage.
The importance of suppliers in your sustainability and compliance efforts; and how organizations should be treating suppliers, and nurturing partnerships, in order to get the best results.
How a range of factors, from technology and flexibility to setting clear expectations and working with a sense of fairness, can help organizations create transparent, collaborative win-win relationships for all stakeholders.
How, with budgets top of mind, organizations can motivate suppliers, without demanding more while paying less.
A case study showing how Assent worked with a customer’s chemical compliance team to provide improved data, allowing them to uncover hidden risks and work collaboratively across their business to improve product design intelligence, and ultimately leverage their improved sustainability and compliance to win business.
Assent’s upcoming Evolve Conference: what you can expect and how to find out more – PLUS a unique LTSC discount.
Resources & Links Mentioned
- Head over to Assent’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Assent and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, or X (Twitter), or you can connect with Ryan on LinkedIn.
- If you enjoyed the show and want to hear more about compliance, listen to 369: From Chaos To Clarity: Simplifying Global Customs Compliance or read What Your Freight Broker Isn’t telling you about Quality and Compliance.
- Check out our other podcasts HERE.
