Wellman Implements Accolade

Sopheon PLC
15 July 2003



Immediate Release: 15th July 2003


                                       Sopheon

               Wellman Selects Sopheon Product Development System
        To Strengthen Innovation and Market Diversification Initiatives

 Fortune 1000 Manufacturer Joins Growing Number of Specialty Chemical Companies

Deploying Sopheon's Accolade to Improve Return on Product Development
Investments

MINNEAPOLIS and LONDON-July 15, 2003-Sopheon, the international software and
services company, announced today that Wellman, Inc. is implementing Sopheon's
Accolade product development system to help improve management of idea
generation and evaluation and new product development, and accelerate entry into
new markets. Wellman plans a broad deployment of Accolade following an initial
rollout at the company's Charlotte, N.C. research and development facility and
all seven of its U.S. manufacturing sites. Since going live with Accolade in
March of this year, the company reports that it has seen marked improvement in
the throughput of ideas and idea evaluation, as well as improved management of
product development and product development models.


A Fortune 1000 manufacturer of fibers, plastic packaging and engineering resins,
Wellman is among the frontrunners in the specialty fibers and plastics market
that have made product and market innovation a central pillar of their growth
strategies. Consulting firm Deloitte & Touche asserts that while many chemical
companies are reducing costs in the face of the economic slowdown and declining
revenues, such companies must strengthen their commitment to product innovation
through processes and systems that drive generation of new revenue. Industry
leaders such as Wellman are implementing Accolade because it is a proven,
structured system for reducing the time and cost associated with product
development and improving its business impact.


'True innovation requires more than technical know-how and a mind for
invention,' said Don Cartwright, Wellman's vice president of fiber strategy and
new product development. 'It demands innovative thinking and an openness to the
wholesale reengineering of the way things are done. Accolade is an integral part
of our corporate commitment to innovation and re-invention as we move to
increase our payback on product development by streamlining processes and
accelerating development cycles. It helps manage the risks inherent in bringing
new products to market and supports executive decision-making by providing the
tools needed to evaluate new product ideas and make sure that our resources are
efficiently focused on the right projects.'


Sopheon's Accolade is the industry's first product development system that
integrates human- based decision-support services and process-enabling
technology for the comprehensive management of product and technology
portfolios. Included are an idea management and screening module that captures,
tracks and enables objective evaluation of product ideas; portfolio management
tools that allow the early identification of product winners and losers; and a
knowledge network that facilitates the sharing of information and expertise
across value chains to improve the speed and effectiveness of decision making.
Another attribute that was key to Wellman's selection of Accolade was the
solution's capacity to integrate with existing business process and technology
infrastructure components, especially Microsoft Project.


'Forward-looking companies like Wellman are applying Sopheon's Accolade not only
to overcome the current economic challenges but to put in place processes that
both support a culture of innovation and help strengthen organic growth,' said
Andy Michuda, chief executive officer of Sopheon. 'Sopheon is well-positioned to
capitalize on this trend because our solution answers the critical, top-down
strategic questions that data-centric solutions simply can't address. We expect
to see continued strong interest in Accolade as companies increasingly recognize
the critical connection between sound management of product portfolios and
productivity and profitability.'


Sopheon estimates that Accolade can improve time-to-market by as much as 30
percent and cut product development spending waste in half.


About Wellman


Wellman, Inc. (NYSE: WLM) is an international Fortune 1000 corporation that
manufactures and markets high-quality polyester products, including Fortrel(R)
brand polyester fibers, and PermaClear(R) and EcoClear(R) brand PET (polyethylene
terephthalate) packaging resins. The company is also one of the world's largest
recyclers of plastics, reclaiming almost 3 billion PET bottles and containers
annually around the globe. Wellman has facilities in the US, Ireland, the
Netherlands and France. For more information, please visit www.wellmaninc.com.


About Sopheon


Sopheon (LSE: SPE) is an international provider of software tools, content and
human-based decision support that enable organizations to achieve higher, faster
returns on innovation and product development investments. The company's
products and services include the Sopheon Accolade(R) product development system
and Knowledge Network (formerly Organik(R)). Sopheon is listed on the Alternative
Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange and on the Euronext in the
Netherlands. For more information, please visit www.sopheon.com.

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