Testing, testing...

The adage, "if ain't broke, don't fix it," defnitely doesn't apply in today's toy industry.

As a matter of fact, a lot of "fixing" is often done even at the moment a toy idea is born.

While testing companies in years past offered lab testing services for products ready or nearly ready to go to market, the trend in recent years has been an emphasis on proactive testing and planning, assuring the safety of toys long before manufacturers have invested time and money in the development of a product; or retailers are faced with late-in-the-game problems like recalls or lawsuits stemming from products already on the market.

Today, the industry is extremely diverse in its basic testing services and continues to broaden services in the technical consulting and training areas.

By "going in early," says a spokesman for testing company Intertek, clients can be saved "a huge amount of time and money," even if they have to cover multiple conceptual versions of a toy instead of just one.

In the past, the spokesman says, companies would test a product during manufacturing, but by that time, there had been such an investment of "time, money and emotions," that it was difficult to make conceptual or design changes.

In addition to examining for safety and reliability, testing companies are branching into sectors that touch on politically sensitive areas such as "social responsibility" at overseas factories, compliance with post-9/11 security requirements related to shipping and distribution, and "greening" issues that address the environmental impact of toys from development to being discarded.

SGS U.S. Testing Co., Fairfield, N.J., for example, offers a wide range of testing services for toys and children's products, and for similar products offered as "premiums" or promotional distributions, such as toys given away at fast-food restaurants. It also offers what it describes as "value added" services that range from customized testing to technical consultancy, as well as training services.

Mariluz Sela, the marketing manager, U.S. and North America, said training services run from the very basics to looking at the development stages of a toy and end use.

Training points can cover things like logistics or the various international requirements. For example, she said Toys R Us requires six international tests and five assessments. SGS will put together a program for suppliers. "To meet the requirements of Toys R Us, you must meet all these requirements."

The company also gets into areas like social responsibility and security assessments, checking to assure that factory conditions are acceptable. "You don't want to be the next Kathy Lee Gifford," Sela quipped.

SGS also conducts security assessments for importing product to the United States, including compliance assurance with the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, known as C-TPAT.

Testing also includes "greening" environmental checks, so that, for example, it is known what happens with a product once it is discarded and in a landfill.

Social compliance issues are at the heart of the CSCC division of testing company STR, based in Enfield, Conn. The division, which provides social compliance monitoring and corporate social responsibility consultation services, was accredited last year by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI) as an independent auditing firm for the toy industry. CSCC is accredited for use in monitoring compliance to the ICTI Code of Business Practices among toy factories worldwide.

The three keys to the philosophy at Intertek—which operates an Oak Brook, Ill.-based subsidiary, RAM (Risk Assessment and Management)—are risk assessment, risk management, and communicating the information related to safety, the company spokesman says, adding the company performs a "design hazard analysis" as design concepts change at different stages.

There are often many redesigns, the spokesman notes. "You have to get over a lot of mental hurdles to sell that," but in the end the company will not be exposed to injuries that lead to "loss of life, limb or function. We believe safety is a competitive advantage," the spokesman adds.

If you can show a client the advantage of being proactive, instead of waiting for lawsuits, "You can make a tremendous advantage for yourself."