Expert Recall

By Howard Aughinbaugh

I admire my friends that take the Do-It-Yourself approach to home improvement. Some of them, having done enough projects, amassed the correct tools, and developed their skills actually turn out some decent results. Unfortunately, some businesses approach recall management and recall logistics in a similar fashion, usually with less successful results. Typically with recalls there are two categories of Do-It-Yourself companies: those that are experienced and those that have no clue.

Manufacturers that produce a variety of different products, use complex manufacturing operations or processes, or purchase a large number of sub-components supplied by a variety of vendors often end up managing a large number of recalls. It’s just the nature of the business. Manufacturers in the consumer appliance, pharmaceutical and medical device industries are good examples.

Many of the companies in these industries, over time, develop the experience, expertise and infrastructure necessary to manage a recall in-house. But even for these “recall-experienced” manufacturers, the Do-It-Yourself approach to recall management may provide a false sense of economy if the estimated cost of the recall doesn’t take into account internal hours spent managing the recall and time taken away from performing core tasks and traditional job responsibilities.

Risks associated with the Do-It-Yourself approach are worse for a business that is facing a recall for the first time. Typically companies try to handle the recall in-house because it is an unexpected, unbudgeted business expense. There are three major pitfalls these businesses are likely to encounter:

1. Lack of Recall Expertise

Many a first time remodeler has naively cut the studs on a load bearing wall and ended up with ceiling on their head. Their lack of expertise compromised the integrity of the building. Similarly, companies can risk the integrity of their business when they don’t know what to report, when to report, and to whom to report, rushing into regulatory disaster. These companies simply lack expertise and fail to effectively manage the recall.

2. Lack of Proper Tools

Completing a project properly and quickly takes the right tools. When you don’t have the right tools, you often end up underestimating your time and effort and value of the appropriate tool. Best case scenario, you’re left cleaning up a big mess. Worst case you face complete destruction.

Many businesses lack the appropriate infrastructure to effectively manage the recall process. For instance, many small companies have no idea how to build an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to handle calls coming in to their 800 recall hotline. Instead the company’s existing personnel are expected to answer all the calls live. As call volume builds, phones ring busy and consumers get increasingly frustrated and look for other outlets to voice their concerns. They call the regulatory agency because they can’t get through to the company or, worse yet, they appear in a story on the evening news.

3. Lack of Experience

A first-time remodeler often fails to adequately prepare and confine the project to a specific area. This lack of experience results in dirt, dust and tools all over the house, a mess that takes weeks to clean up. The clean-up adds hours, if not days, to the task.

Businesses that rush into a recall without the proper design and preparation can produce disastrous results. Recall process and procedure changes can turn a recall that could have been completed in a few months into one that drags on for years.

The siren song of being able to Do-It-Yourself sounds beautiful and promises all sorts of false economies. Many times it is simply best to call an experienced professional first in order to get the quickest and best result. When it comes to a recall doing it yourself is usually a bad idea. Better to enlist the help of a professional.

Stericycle ExpertRECALL™ is the industry leader in recall logistics and regulatory compliance for consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical device, juvenile product, and food and beverage recalls. ExpertRECALL’s professionals are experts in recall management who can help you streamline the entire product recall process.