Research firm Aberdeen Group has hit upon this same concept in a new report called "The Product Compliance Benchmark Report: Protecting the Environment, Protecting Profits." The report contends that many manufacturers are still at risk of noncompliance despite investing considerable time, money and staff in complying with various product content regulations worldwide, according to Aberdeen.

Call me crazy, but I'd say that's a major problem. Meeting any type of compliance is disruptive to an organization. It shouldn't be this difficult, expensive and time-consuming to do the right thing, should it? Well, according to the Aberdeen report, things are only going to get more complex. Take this passage, for instance:

…legislation such as Restrictions on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS), the EU's 7th Amendment, FDA labeling requirements, and REACH. Report findings show that most companies lack a sustainable, repeatable compliance process. Their processes are manual and will not scale as the compliance landscape continues to grow more complex.

But the "good news," according to Jim Brown, VP of Aberdeen's Product Innovation and Engineering practice and the report's author, is that "compliance performance depends less on level of effort and investment than on implementing best practices and an appropriate compliance architecture."

For example, best-in-class performers are more likely to use Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and other specialty stools such as electronic design automation (EDA), recipe/formula management, supplier collaboration, dynamic publishing, component catalogs, and business intelligence/analysis tools as key technology enablers, the Aberdeen report contends.

And those who achieve compliance for 90 percent to 100 percent of their products tend to reap rewards such as 53 percent fewer stop shipments than other companies, protecting their revenue streams and 35 percent fewer product recalls, resulting in lower costs, less customer disruption, and secure brand image.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Journal also has a few good compliance tricks up its sleeve, highlighting business practices and IT vendors that enable smoother compliance procedures. The flagship product from a firm called Axentis, for instance, helps encourage consistent workflow, reporting, security and content management. Currently 700,000 users in more than 100 countries tap Axentis for their GRC requirements for Sarbanes-Oxley, privacy, Corporate Code of Conduct, Anti-Money Laundering statutes or corporate integrity agreements.

Essentially, as necessary as it is, compliance does get in the way of creating and releasing innovative products, so the more tools that manufacturers can utilize to mitigate compliance confusion, the better. ACNielsen BASES looks to be one such tool. While not specifically tied to meeting compliance needs, it does boast an interesting slant on product innovation -- it was designed with major input from manufacturers -- which could make the process easier for manufacturers bogged down in compliance hell. The new BASES introSCAPE framework is designed with the added aim to "help clients grow through successful innovation on their brands," according to BASES President Mitch Barns.

Unilever, a manufacturer that uses the product, says the introSCAPE framework is designed "not only to help the manufacturer evaluate, but also to help it optimize new initiatives" prior to their in-market launch.

It is no secret that tools today exist that can help get products to market faster, no matter what market you play in. Firms burdened with compliance issues probably stand to benefit the most from these types of IT solutions. Yet does the world of business really need another "IT streamlining" project...and can you sell it to upper management?