How to mitigate product safety risks proactively? Process, challenges and opportunities

摘要

As the total number of product recalls hit an all-time high in 2007, Gallup Poll reported that public confidence in the ability of the US companies and the federal government to ensure product safety has declined from 85% in 2004 to 71% in 2007. What are the underlying reasons for this trend? How should companies and the government restore consumer confidence? What can companies do to proactively mitigate product safety risks? In this paper, we propose a framework that can help companies to develop a process for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from product safety issues. We also highlight various challenges that companies must overcome and suggest some new opportunities for improving product safety.