I was recently asked this question by an industry-leading distributor. He regularly has to field compliance inquiries from his customers and is frustrated by the wide range of responses he gets from suppliers.
The best solutions to complex problems have always been found through a collaborative effort. And this is true in our industry; it truly takes a village to successfully deliver product safety and compliance.
Our industry seems to be struggling with the question of whether or not to commit time, effort and money to developing compliance programs. It's an oversimplification, but you can group our industry into five basic categories on this topic.
On the eve of SaferProducts.gov's one-year anniversary, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has released its list of the 10 most-reported product categories.
Remember back in the day when you combed your hair, brushed your teeth, put on your best pair of khakis and a new shirt—all for your classroom photo? That's what factories do on audit day.
Just for a moment, try to imagine that a promotional product you sold to your largest customer has suddenly become the subject of a government recall.
Requesting product safety testing results from the factory about the specific item it is making for you is a natural first step. Seems easy enough, right?
An architecture firm recently launched an online database of construction materials manufactured with harmful chemicals. How long until promotional products face the same scrutiny?
Like success and life, product safety and compliance programs are about the journey rather than the destination.
More information from QCA's Brent Stone about the Small Batch Manufacturer's Registry and what distributors should know when looking for a compliant supplier.
