All companies that distribute physical products are required to have a product recall plan. If it comes to your attention that a number of the same product is giving customers negative or unsafe results, it is important that you take action so that your company and goods can keep a positive reputation by only having safe and effective products on the market. Recalls happen as a means to send a message to affected customers that you are working to correct mistakes, and that you also do not have the chance of harming or deceiving consumers unaware of the situation.
When Do You Need A Recall?
Recalls are necessary when your company can identify a number or trend of goods having the same mis-labeling, defect, or contamination. Recalls almost never happen when there is something wrong with an individual product, so long as it can be proven that other products have been made without problems. If you know there are a number of goods that are facing the same problem, but aren’t sure which ones or how many there are, then you should undergo a product recall.
Scenarios For Starting A Recall:
Consumer Complaints
Products are not recalled after hearing about one faulty or unsafe product; recalls usually occur when multiple incidents with consumers occur around the same time.
Company Test
Companies can also test their products to check for things that are out of the ordinary. Like with consumer complaints, if a pattern of goods are tainted, a recall of the product is necessary.
Health Organization Test
Sometimes, certain companies want that approval from an organization before they put their product on the market. If said organization gives the product a failing grade, the product is worked on further so that it can possibly pass another time before being made available in stores.
Who Should Be On Your Recall Team?
Recall plans are by no means one-size-fits-all. Depending on your products and the size of your company, a recall team consists of various specialists within your business that would deal with finances, consumer relations, legal, and other areas that would be involved in a recall. Recall teams can span from hundreds of people to a group of around ten, that would all be working through the recall process for a particular product. Certain employees in recall teams also assume multiple roles when it comes to participating in product recalls.
Roles That Are Typically Involved In Recall Plans:
- Accounting
- Customer Service
- Distribution and Supply
- Information Technology
- Legal Counsel
- Maintenance
- Management
- Marketing
- Operations
- Production
- Public Relations
- Purchasing
- Quality Assurance
- Records Management
- Regulatory affairs
- Sales
- Sanitation
12 Steps To Take To Recall A Product:
There can be as many or as few steps in your process as you would like there to be, but in order to ensure that your recalls address every aspect of your business that may be affected, your company would likely need to perform many, if not all of the following tasks:
- Determine whether or not to recall a product. Conduct a review of the product with all the recent findings that would encourage it.
- Forecast company trends resulting from an imminent recall. Find out if the recall would either help or hurt your business.
- Determine risk classification of the product. For food and pharmaceutical products, recalls can be classified in one of three classes depending on the severity of the risk. Class I is known to refer to risks that can cause severe harm or death. Class II refers to minor health risks and reactions in certain individuals. Class III refers to minor risks like damaged packaging or mislabeled ingredients.
- Address the recall to your recall team. This step is typically the formal start of the recall where each member starts to do their respective job in order to recall the product successfully.
- Identify and track products you wish to recall. Find out where your recalled goods are being shipped to to prevent getting them into the consumer’s hands.
- Quarantine recalled products still within the company. There might be some products that still have not left the factory or warehouse. It is important that any goods affected by a recall that are still in your control do not leave it.
- Notify everyone in the distribution chain about the decision to recall. Shipping companies, fulfillment centers, and retail stores need to be contacted so that they can return the products in question. Higher ups in said companies will notify each branch or location on your behalf.
- Contact your nearest FDA branch. If you sell food or medicine, the FDA will have a recall branch that can work with you to help you through the recall process.
- Send out a press release if necessary. Press releases in this case are a means to let the public know your company is addressing and taking care of the problem, as well as letting consumers know who might not be aware.
- Gain possession of all recalled products. Dedicate a space to hold and review all the incoming products that have been returned to your company.
- Make a choice on how to move forward with recalled products. Evaluate the products to determine if they are acceptable for resale, or work to find and fix errors in the product-assembly phase.
- Terminate the recall. The recall process ends when all mistakes have been fixed, the necessary changes have been made, and the goods in question are replaced or deemed safe for use or consumption.
Conclusion
Product recalls are essential for whenever a company notices a problem that’s affecting a number of different shipments caused by a mistake or accident within your company. Your recall plan should consist of your own custom team that is designed to effectively address problems based on your company’s size, industry, and consumer-base. Be sure your product recall plan is capable of addressing and solving problems properly.