Introduction
One of the most significant indicators of a supplier’s overall performance is product recall. Any flaws in a product that impair performance, cause injury, hurt consumers, or put producers in legal hot water can result in a recall. A supplier must alter the product or how the business is structured based on the deficiencies to avoid further product recalls and legal issues.
Product Recall: An Easy-Bake Ovens Case
The case of Hasbro’s Easy-Bake Ovens is among the most well-known instances of a product recall. Around 1 million Easy-Bake Ovens were recalled in February 2007 due to entrapment and burn concerns (“10 of the most”, 2021). Numerous reports have been of children getting their hands or fingers stuck in oven openings. Young children under the age of eight should be kept away from the recalled units, as was told by the authorities.
Later that year, Hasbro issued a second recall for the same reason. At this point, there had been over 200 instances of children getting their hands or fingers stuck, with burn injuries accounting for 77 of those complaints. Customers could return the oven to Hasbro for free in exchange for a $32 voucher to use on other Hasbro products (“10 of the most”, 2021). Therefore, the product recall hit Hasbro’s revenues and reputation significantly.
The company’s subpar performance in Quality Systems was the cause of the recalls in the case discussed above. Due to design problems in the ovens, children’s hands would frequently become trapped and burned when placed within the ovens. Hasbro should have enhanced quality control at its manufacturing facilities to provide a high level of customer safety to avoid the product recalls that happened as a result. As a result, Hasbro’s product recalls happened due to Quality Systems’ poor performance, which could be addressed with better quality and safety control.
Conclusion
Product recalls can seriously harm a company’s income and reputation. The Hasbro case is a shining illustration of how weak quality systems may lead to the release of dangerous items onto the market and subsequent widespread product recalls. However, in this instance, appropriate safety controls and quality assurance will be able to compensate for this drawback and avoid further recalls.
Reference
10 of the most famous (or infamous) product recalls. (2021). Suddarth & Koor. Web.