Mattel and the Toy Recalls Case Study

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This was because during this period the company had used a yellow pigment paint which contained high levels of lead. Another product that was discovered to contain high levels of lead was the Sarge cars paint. The product was manufactured by Early Light Industrial Company for Mattel. The company was based in Hong Kong, but the products were manufactured in China. Initially it was estimated the company had manufactured around 250,000 Sarge cars.

Solutions to the problems

To ensure that the magnets used on the Polly Pocket play sets did not come loose, Mattel had to reinforce the magnets instead of gluing them. The reinforcement involved locking the magnets in the toys. By locking the magnets in the toys, Mattel ensured that the magnets will not come loose when the children are playing with the toys. To ensure this rule is enforced always Mattel will have to come up with strict manufacturing processes, which will test all the products manufactured by it vendors before the products are released for sale. Recall of the play sets might have sorted out the initial problem, but there have been other reports of loose magnets on products sold before the recall dates. These shows there were major failures in the manufacturing process from the start. Correcting this manufacturing process by laying down strict guidelines will ensure products manufactured for the U.S. market meet the necessary standards of the market.

The lead paint that was used by Lee Der had been sourced from a company that was not approved by Mattel, which required Lee Der to test each batch of paint before it was used on the products.

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Lee Der failed to perform this test, and this resulted in its use though it had high levels of lead. The long supply chain that Mattel had of its vendors was mainly the cause of this recall. Allowing its principal vendors to use small companies for the manufacture of its products made it difficult for Mattel to directly manage the supply chain. The solution to the lead problem is breaking down the complex supply chain of China. Ensuring that the principal vendors do not contract smaller companies for the production of its toys would allow Mattel to manage better its products quality and safety standards.

Conclusion

The recall of the products should be used for both problems to ensure that the children are not affected by any of the manufacturing defects. For the lead paint, Mattel should conduct regular audits of its approved paint suppliers. This will ensure that all the paint used on the toys contains the permissible amount of lead. Having strict guidelines for manufacturing will guarantee Mattel that the products manufactured off-shore meet the company's standard of quality and safety. This solution is applicable to both loose magnets and excessive amounts of lead. Mattel should also increase the amount of test it conducts on its products. Testing everything and not just specific products ensures the company products will not have to be recalled again.

Communicating regularly with its manufacturing plants in China will make sure that the plants adhere to the set regulations and the products meet the company's mission statement.….....

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