1. What makes The WERCS® MSDS software so unique in the industry?

With customers on almost every continent, we are the established global leader in providing software solutions to advance global regulatory compliance. The Wercs, Ltd.'s suite of authoring software offers the most advanced global functionality to help business succeed in the international marketplace. Additionally, our worldwide support offices provide the local service needed for doing business on a global scale.

For more than 25 years, The Wercs, Ltd has provided solutions to automate the authoring of MSDSs. No other vendor approaches our real-world implementation experience and our ability to offer a comprehensive, yet flexible authoring solution to companies - regardless of size and geography. Our thousand plus, global user community serves as our strongest reference. This is why major ERP solution providers such as Oracle®, PeopleSoft®, JD Edwards®, Adonix® and CDC Software/Ross Systems® have entrusted and partnered with The Wercs, Ltd. as a preferred hazardous communication module for their customers.

2. Why does an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) solution need to be scalable?

A solution needs to be scalable to accommodate the different needs of various sized companies. The WERCS® solution isn't just software — it represents the industry's largest network of support personnel, experience and a 20 year commitment to advance global materials compliance. The culmination of The WERCS® authoring suite represents the thoughts, wants and needs of numerous industries, hundreds of companies and thousands of users, worldwide. Innovations such as industry and customer specific rule-based automated authoring, ASP and hosting capabilities, as well as outsourced authoring services, all make it easier for you to stay compliant — regardless of size and geography.

3. What data is available with The WERCS®?

• Over 9000 phrases available in over 43 languages
• Over 30 US and European country specific templates
• EU Annex I Chemical List and Regulations
• 1000s of Industry/ Region rules including a set of WHMIS, FIFRA, OSHA, HMIS, DOT classification rules and a set of ANSI rules

4. How does The WERCS® handle connectivity with other databases?

One of the most powerful features of The WERCS® is its open connectivity. Uses ODBC, Microsoft's connectivity standard, which allows connection with dozens of proprietary databases (Oracle, SQL-Server, DB2, MS Access etc.). Uses Attach Tables for its database - tables can reside virtually anywhere. The WERCS' is MAPI (Messaging Application Program Interface) compliant. This allows The WERCS® to interface with a wide variety of electronic mail systems for the purpose of sending MSDSs and mail messages to other users. These other users may be across the Internet. Additionally The WERCS® has standard interfaces with most ERP vendors.

5. How does The WERCS® determine integration requirements with a customer's other business systems?

If you are interested in integrating one or more of The WERCS® modules with your existing business system, then The Wercs Ltd.'s consultants are trained with real world experience to provide integration services for the interfaces such as formulation, inventory and order entry.

6. Does The Wercs, Ltd. do customization work for clients?

Yes. Our current rates for customization and integration services are available upon request.

7. Is The WERCS® a stand-alone, client-server or web based?

The current version runs in both the client server environment as well as web based .NET environment.

8. Does The WERCS® handle structured documents other than MSDSs?

Yes, in fact almost any document, which can be distilled down to a structure, can be managed. Some examples are Product Data Sheets, TDS (Technical Data Sheet), Regulatory Overviews and Process Safety Documents, Internal Plant Instructions, Hazard Labels, are easily implemented into any format within The WERCS®.

9. How does The Wercs, Ltd. handle training?

We offer training programs that may be conducted at your site or our site. We generally suggest initial basic training followed by a period of using our product. Advanced training is best carried out subsequent to using the product for a period of time. We additionally maintain a series of step-by-step instructions in common procedures on our web site.

10. How do you handle vendor-inbound MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) documents?

DocuWercs® is a powerful software application for scanning, annotating, indexing and publishing your inbound MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) documents to our Web Viewer Application. With DocuWercs® you can publish the image of the original MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and a customized cover sheet that can give all of your inbound MSDSs a uniform look on the web. These documents are fully integrated into the WERCS authoring solution and allow for the sharing of data for authoring MSDSs.

11. Does The Wercs, Ltd. provide implementation services/assistance?

Yes. Our 100+ implementation success stories are a testament to our project management teams. Whether it is on or offsite, we work with you to develop a comprehensive project plan to effectively transition your old system to The WERCS® application. Regardless of size, geography and/or the level of customization, our PMI®- Certified Project Methodologies help to ensure that you are taking advantage of all the features and productivity tools offered by The Wercs, Ltd.

12. Is customer service support provided after we are in full production with The WERCS®?

Yes. Our work does not stop after implementation. Our customer service teams provide ongoing support related to training, regulatory updates and functionality upgrades. We provide a dedicated Wercs Customer Service Representative (CSR) for all customers. Additionally, with offices globally, we are uniquely situated to provide global support.

13. What other services does The Wercs, Ltd. provide to ensure compliance consistency?

The Wercs Professional Services bridges the gap between your business needs challenges in materials compliance. Whether you are in the acquisition stage, reallocating resources, or adding new product lines, we are uniquely positioned to serve as an extension of your EH&S department. Our integrated services provide Outsourced Authoring, MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) Management, Translation Services, and Web Distribution services, to name a few.

14. What are the benefits of The Wercs, Ltd. hosting our software?

Our established performance goals for system availability ensure uninterrupted service at all times. The WERCS® Hosted Solution gives you the flexibility to use our robust software without committing to major capital expenditures, such as hardware and ancillary software. You also avoid the installation process, which is typically required for purchased software applications. As a result, you gain operational freedom from having your IT department support, upgrade, and troubleshoot applications. The Hosted Solution can also support remote employees or remote operations. And, our project management team ensures a quick and thorough installation and provides ongoing support to meet any challenge.

15. Why do I need the WERCSmart retailer supply chain chemical management solution when I am already provided with MSDS’s from my suppliers / manufacturers?

The best prepared MSDS’s do not communicate all data required by retailers. These requirements may go beyond worker safety, the traditional role of the MSDS and include environmental sustainability data, compliance data, transportation / shipping data, hazard waste disposal data, and product restriction data. The MSDS is typically a static document and therefore cannot respond to the dynamic changing regulatory and sustainability climate.

16. Why are national leading retailers adopting the WERCSmart program?

The WERCSmart solution is becoming the accepted industry standard for obtaining critical information to support the accurate management of chemical containing products. With the escalating enforcement activities from states and the federal government, retailers need more data than ever on the products they merchandise. Today retailers are benefiting from a solution that is easily implemented, quickly adopted, and assures that all critical data is obtained about a chemical containing product prior to the product hitting the store shelf. Retailers also appreciate that the WERCSmart solution provides the least burden to the supply chain by giving suppliers one place to provide product information in a 3rd party secured environment that can be directed to and satisfy multiple retailers. This eliminates the burden on suppliers being forced to satisfy multiple retailer requests in a variety of reporting formats.

17. Which Types of products go through the WERCSmart program?

Chemical containing products, battery containing products, as well as OTC products are examples of products that should go through the WERCSmart program. These product categories are all regulated in various areas (such as Hazardous Waste) that impact retailers.

• Chemical - a product that contains a powder, gel, paste or liquid that is not intended for human consumption.
• Pesticide Chemical - is the product a chemical or does it contain a chemical that is advertised or labeled to kill, repel, or prevent the growth of any living organism.
• Aerosol - an item that contains a compressed gas or propellent.

18. What type of information will my supplier's be required to provide for the WERCSmart program?

Generally suppliers are required to provide complete chemical composition information, product level physical information, UPC data, as well as MSDS document. In many cases your supplier will already be in the program for other retailers, and some of the products on your shelf may have already gone through the assessment process.

19. How long does it take for a product to get assessed in the WERCSmart program?

After all information is accurately completed, correct, the review will be completed within two business days. Incomplete or inaccurate information may delay the start of the review for your supplier's product.

20. What is the definition of "Green"?

Numerous definitions exist for describing what is "Green". A good definition of green refers to the impact on living things in regards to the use of chemicals.

21. What is Green Washing?

A term merging the concepts of "green" (environmentally sound) and "whitewashing" (to conceal or gloss over wrongdoing). Greenwashing is any form of marketing or public relations that links a corporate, political, religious or nonprofit organization to a positive association with environmental issues for an unsustainable product, service, or practice.

In some cases, an organization may truly offer a "green" product, service or practice. However, through marketing and public relations, one is wrongly led to believe this "green" value system is ubiquitous throughout the entire organization.

22. How does GreenWERCS prevent Green Washing?

GreenWERCS supports a transparent, measureable and defendable approach toward the ranking and scoring of products. The GreenWERCS tool uses credible scientific research to determine the potential hazards of chemical containing products

23. What factors are used to determine a "Green Score" within the GreenWERCS tool?

The GreenWERCS tool allows the user to configure multiple scoring methodologies. The scoring approach takes into consideration the ingredients of a chemical product (i.e. CAS# and exact percentages). These are then evaluated against known areas of concern such as PBT, CMR, Endocrine disruption and other chemicals of concern. The tool supports tremendous configurability as well as multiple scoring approaches

24. In what ways can a company utilize a "Green Score" on a product?

Companies benefit from the GreenWERCS tool providing immediate transparency on either raw material, or supply chain based chemicals. Companies may also self evaluate, and promote "greener" formulations or product lines with a defendable mechanism to substantiate green claims, and avoid "greenwashing" accusations.

25. Is the GreenWERCS tool a credible tool that can be trusted for determining how green a product is?

As of today, there is no "official" green standard. What the GreenWERCS tool can do however is give companies accurate information on overall impact to human health and the environment pertaining to the chemicals in product formulations.