Mattel - Unsafe for Children: Mattel’s Toy Recalls and Supply Chain Management

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Appropriate governance structure should be in place for product recalls. Designer should ensure that toys intended for very young children did not have loose small parts, and that any small parts attached to toys (such as noses and eyes on stuffed animals, or buttons) could not be detached.

RECOMMENDATION/CONCLUSION:

They need to develop capabilities and systems to engage more directly and closely with China and other countries where they manufacture their products. They need to develop robust systems for quality control and testing of the toys manufactured at their suppliers’ factories. Unless they learn to manage these complexities, it is difficult to ensure product quality and safety. I think the difference between the country standards was one of the source of the problem. The U.S government must push to Chinese authorities (using international lobbies and public opinion if needed) to meet global standards on their products; they must work together with Chinese people in developing new policies and laws that avoid similar problems in future. They must also encourage Chinese authorities to stop companies do not meet the needed levels to keep on exporting their products. They must be forced to watch that the Chinese authorities fulfill the stipulated points. The Chinese government and related industry groups need to keep on working in order to ensure that Chinese exporters can meet the American standards. The difference in standards is a main issue. They must be forced to watch that the Chinese companies fulfill the stipulated points. These measures will improve the commercial trade between both countries and will benefit the global consumer.

We must internalize the supply chain concept as a continuous and unique unit with many links, overall in global business. Only one weak link means a weak chain. Outsourcing is a manufacture strategy, a key point for new and mature companies but we must avoid considering it only as a short-term transaction business, so it is very important to evaluate and choose the right partner to outsource. Adhering to importing country standards and developing global standards is a task which the governments, corporations, industry associations, and consumers need to address. It is important to understand that, as the result of differences in the standards of exporting and importing countries, we can find unsuspected problems in our products if we relax our quality control systems. All the participants must be jointly accountable, and the relationship between all the companies involved must be planned as strategic, thinking as mentioned, for the long-term run.

Therefore, all those involved in the supply chain must make extra effort to ensure product quality and safety, but Mattel has to leader it.