Massive product recalls seem to be in the news every day. Just take a look at the FDA product recall page and you’ll see a new product being recalled nearly every day. From baby furniture to peanut butter to automobiles, the recall news can be alarming for consumers, but for the businesses on the other end of those product recalls, it can be financially disastrous. Not only are you losing money on the products being recalled, but also on the logistical nature of the recall, the public relations nightmare the recall brings, and the potential legal liabilities involved as well. The best course of action is to avoid product recalls whenever possible. These are a few steps you can take to help you do just that.
Set High Quality Control Standards
It’s not enough to create products you believe in. You must also go to great lengths to ensure that every product leaving your company headed for retail shelves meets the demands you’ve set forth, as a business. Sometimes, products come off the line that do not meet specifications. That’s why it’s so important to visually inspect each and every product before shipping.
However, it’s difficult to test every product thoroughly before shipments are made. Selecting a sample group from each batch allows you to sample select products from each batch thoroughly in order to ensure that the quality standards your company has established have been met. When products in the sample set do not meet your standards, you still have time to take care of the problem before shipments leave your facility.
Know Industry Standards Before Creating New Products
While creating products to meet today’s industry standards helps you create products that are well and good for use today, if you invest more time and energy into creating products that exceed them – by far – the odds are even better that you’ve created products that are built to last well beyond the standards of today and tomorrow.
In the U.S., the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) governs quality standards of products created and/or sold in the U.S. to ensure they meet certain health, safety, and environmentally protective standards. While all products need to meet their standards at a bare minimum, it’s better to go above and beyond.
Build Strong Relationships with all Suppliers
No business is an island. From raw materials to parts, pieces, and equipment, you depend on other people to keep you supplied so you can meet the needs of your customers. Develop strong relationships with your suppliers and only do businesses with suppliers you feel confident trusting. Remember your reputation may depend on them delivering the quality products you expect from them. Trust, but verify. Trust that they’re delivering a quality product, but take the time to verify that you’re getting what you’re paying for before you put it in your products.
