How QCA is protecting the promotional product industry

By Amanda L. Cole

A group effort: What to know about the Distributor Advocacy Council

The Quality Certification Alliance created the Distributor Advocacy Council (DAC), which currently boasts 11 members, to form a collaborative effort between QCA-accredited suppliers and distributors who commit to supporting those who have invested in the compliance assurance process. Members receive a certain amount of QCA consulting, their brand on QCA’s website and the ability to use the DAC brand, among other benefits. However, they must commit to certain responsibilities to become a member.

To give distributors a better understanding of DAC, Print+Promo spoke to Jeff Jacobs, QCA’s executive director.

Print+Promo (P+P): Can any distributor join?
Jeff Jacobs (JJ): Because QCA is a not-for-profit, all distributors who are willing to meet the expectations of membership—dues, commitment to training for their sales/marketing staff, commitment to searchability by QCA-accredited suppliers, outbound marketing efforts specific to QCA and purchase growth commitment against their individual benchmark QCA supplier purchases—are welcome.

P+P: Will it affect business for distributors also dealing with smaller companies that may be ignorant to safety and compliance standards and more concerned with price?
JJ: It is one of the expectations for both suppliers and distributors to move the conversation away from just price, and over to the value model focused on safe and compliant product. What may be the cheapest now can be very expensive later—when it comes to the costs of recalls, lawsuits, PR issues and loss of customer goodwill from a non-compliant product. Part of DAC membership is urging suppliers to start the QCA accreditation process by voting with their [purchase orders]—if a supplier is not accredited or starting the process, distributors are moving their business elsewhere, as well as beginning to make QCA accreditation part of preferred-vendor status.

P+P: What effects has this council had on the industry thus far?
JJ: The QCA Distributor Advocacy Council is still relatively new, only in its second year, so we are still working on getting the word out. It starts with the improved understanding of just what the accreditation process is by the distributors themselves. We are working on a whole curriculum we’re calling the “Knowledge Series” exclusively for the DAC members—developed in a conversational style—intended to be shared with end-user clients by the sales and marketing organizations. Larger clients are really ramping up their expectations when it comes to a transparent supply chain, and we want to make sure the distributors have something to share. It’s about establishing the market differentiation of QCA accreditation, it’s not just good business—it’s the way QCA suppliers do business.

P+P: Is there anything else distributors need to know before deciding whether or not to commit to this?
JJ: This issue is not going away. Gone are the days you toss a [purchase order] over the wall and just hope something comes back. As the mainstream media continues to report the factories collapsing or burning, the poor working conditions and the environmental impact of the manufacturing process halfway around the world, clients have no choice but to ask tougher questions and expect higher levels of protection for their brand. Distributors have to evaluate whether or not the personal and business risk is worth it—and the stakes are high.

During the summer of 2007, millions of Chinese-made toys were recalled for lead paint violations and magnet hazards. After the incident made headlines, people in the promotional products industry started to worry.

"There were a number of folks who got together and said, 'Hey, we've got an issue,'" D. Fenton, executive director of compliance for Quality Certification Alliance (QCA), said. "'Potentially our industry is at risk. What's to stop our customer from reaching for a gift card in lieu of a promotional product? So what do we need to do to ensure that our customer feels that we are taking the steps necessary to protect their brand?'"

That concern soon developed into the creation of QCA, a Chicago-based nonprofit that conducts a comprehensive manufacturing compliance accreditation program for promotional product suppliers with a focus on product safety, social accountability, environmental stewardship, product quality and supply-chain security.

The QCA is changing the way some companies do business. Several distributors have vowed to give preference to QCA-certified suppliers (see sidebar on page 24). Suppliers touting a compliant product line can validate these claims by going through QCA's formal accreditation process.

"QCA is not a club," Fenton said. "Anyone can put these policies and procedures in place. You can self-validate that you have effective products and procedures. The difference is that QCA members have subjected their policies and procedures to third-party, independent review."

The QCA accreditation process can be broken down into two main areas. The first step involves extensive self-assessment. This part of the process allows suppliers to find any policy or procedure voids and correct them. Next, one of QCA's third-party inspectors audits the headquarters and supply base. If both reach a certain score, the results are passed on to Fenton and then the board of directors for approval.

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Amanda L. Cole Author's page

Amanda L. Cole is the editor-in-chief of NonProfit PRO. She was formerly editor-in-chief of special projects for NonProfit PRO's sister publication, Promo Marketing. Contact her at acole@napco.com.

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