Whole Lotta Shaking Going On: Accelrys Acquires ChemSW

The recent acquisition of ChemSW by Accelrys furthers Accelrys’ scientific innovation lifecycle management strategy by providing solutions for managing and tracking the source, use and disposal of chemicals along the entire lab-to-plant value chain.

Why is this news significant?  The ability to manage chemicals across the full product lifecycle helps organizations enhance compliance with increasingly complex global, national and local environmental health and safety regulations.  Gone are the days when a spreadsheet or manual checklists could track the lab's chemicals with any kind of accuracy, and certainly not the level of accuracy required for regulatory compliance.  Thus, many lab informatics vendors have been creating chemical tracking modules to work with their LIMS or ELNs.  Problem is, just about all of these modules fall short—either in user-friendliness or comprehensiveness—with one exception: ChemSW's CISPro® chemical inventory management system.  

CISPro bridges the gap between the lab and Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) by enabling accurate chemical tracking and management reports to a variety of local, state, federal and international regulatory agencies.  Understanding the software functions necessary to address regulatory requirements has been hard-won knowledge that ChemSW acquired over 20 years of CISPro's software development.

“Outdated modes of tracking chemicals have posed a significant challenge for companies that need to meet and document EH&S compliance requirements," states Brian Stafford, president and CEO of ChemSW.  "This acquisition and the integration of our inventory management software into Accelrys' robust platform brings significant value to existing ChemSW and Accelrys customers, offering a comprehensive set of software tools for optimizing chemical and material selection and processing throughout the scientific innovation lifecycle."

Through both on-premises and cloud-based solutions, ChemSW's CISPro system makes current, real-time chemical safety and inventory data available on-demand through:
• Support of customer-specific processes and workflows,
• Complete digitalization through barcode labeling and remote inventory control,
• Integrated Safety Data Sheets (SDS) management,
• Comparison of chemicals and chemical inventory with defined hazard and regulatory criteria to meet the most demanding EH&S standards,
• On-demand communication and reporting of hazard and regulatory compliance, and
• Country-specific safety and compliance inspection planning, management and reporting

Add this powerhouse system to Accelrys' scientific software suite and you get an end-to-end solution for the lab that improves operational efficiency, delivers innovation and meets compliance requirements.  

ChemSW's CISPro solution is a unique EH&S compliance system that eliminates the inconsistencies and errors associated with the disconnected paper-based methods of managing chemical inventory often used today.  Errors and lack of accurate information on the location, quantity and usage of chemicals from lab to plant slows innovation, impacts operational efficiency, can threaten health and safety and puts organizations at risk of non-compliance with environmental health and safety regulations.

Technology Networks reported earlier this year that Accelrys' aggressive acquisition program is adding depth and breadth to their software solutions.  This latest acquisition follows the introductions of the new Accelrys Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and a new release of the Accelrys Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) earlier this year.  As reported, Accelrys takes a process-centric approach rather than a sample-centric one.  This means that their focus is on workflow optimization that will deliver greater operational efficiencies, hence greater operational effectiveness.  The ChemSW acquisition adds another star to their innovative software firmament.

According to Accelrys President and CEO Max Carnecchia. “Environmental health and safety is critical for companies across industries that rely on science to innovate—from specialty chemicals to consumer packaged goods to food and beverage, agro-science, biopharmaceuticals, and oil and gas. By adding this solution to our portfolio, we continue to set ourselves apart, providing scientific innovation lifecycle management solutions that close the productivity gap, reduce costs and ultimately speed innovation while ensuring sustainability measures are intensified.”

By making current, real-time chemical safety and inventory data available on demand, the ChemSW system meets a vital and evolving business need to manage EH&S requirements as a synergistic whole along the entire lab-to-plant value chain.  EH&S compliance complements Accelrys’ robust laboratory informatics solution portfolio, including Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELN) and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), and will be integrated with the Accelrys Enterprise Platform for managing the end-to-end scientific innovation lifecycle.

What does the acquisition mean for Accelrys and ChemSW customers?  Some very significant advantages can be expected in the near future when ChemSW's software is integrated with Accelrys' platform, providing users with a seamless experience.  The days of misplaced chemicals will be a thing of the past.  Lab managers can be assured that the materials needed for the research bench are available.  Regulatory reports will be accurate, and because quantities are known in real-time all the time, labs can be assured that Maximum Allowable Quantities (MAQs) are never exceeded.  Removing these insidious worries can take a big load off the laboratory manager's mind!