RedPrairie Recall Q&A

Tom Kozenski, VP Product Strategy, RedPrairie Corp.

These recent recalls have gotten a lot of attention. Are they just exceptions, or is this problem more wide spread than people realize?

Unfortunately, there are recalls happening every day. Those affecting the health of our children and pets rightly get more press coverage, but retailers and suppliers up and down the supply chain must deal with recall issues all the time.

What are the main challenges retailers and suppliers face in dealing with recalls?

At a high level, companies want to make sure they don't harm their customers. They want to protect their brand, retain customer loyalty, and reduce liability. But operationally, there are many challenges in handling recalls. The biggest one is just knowing where their products are and where they came from. The second challenge is how to quickly and accurately get the product back.

What is a better way for suppliers and retailers to handle these recall issues?

It all goes back to the tried and true management principals of visibility and control. First, you need visibility to raw materials and products from the manufacturers all the way to the store shelf. This requires a centralized database fed by all the touch points in the supply chain.