Athletic Sporting Goods Brand Protection for Winning Products BUSINESS CHALLENGE Companies selling or manufacturing athletic sporting goods in today’s marketplace face a variety of challenges. Regulations are constantly changing or do not exist for new and innovative products. Time-to-market continues to decrease while consumer expectations for quality and safety increase, and economic conditions change. In this dynamic environment, winning products need winning solutions that go beyond simple testing to help companies effectively balance cost and risk to protect their brand. SOLUTION As a global solutions partner, Bureau Veritas is ready to assist you with a comprehensive approach for brand protection and risk management for a wide range of athletic sporting goods that includes but is not limited to: apparel, footwear, sports equipment, fitness equipment, personal protective equipment, outdoor field and stream equipment, and other related sporting goods accessories. Our services are developed by dedicated technical professionals who actively participate in the quality assurance industry and understand the needs of athletic sporting companies. Whether you need to benchmark your products, verify regulatory compliance, assess the working environments where products are manufactured or address specific concerns, we can help you. With approximately 8,500 employees around the world specializing in consumer quality assurance, we offer extensive technical leadership and capabilities to help you successfully meet the challenges of doing business in today’s marketplace. What are the key benefits? J Enhanced risk management and brand protection J Compliant products J Industry benchmarked products J Convenient and turnkey quality solutions to meet your needs J Improved return on your quality assurance spend WHY CHOOSE BUREAU VERITAS? Reputation – For over 35 years, we have worked successfully with top manufacturers and retailers around the world to help them better manage risk and regulatory compliance. Worldwide Locations – With locations close to sourcing areas in over 40 countries, we offer you the convenience of global coverage with local service where needed. related services Our services work together to help you minimize the risk of recalls and returns, protecting your brand equity. J J J J J J J Testing Factory Assessments Security Assessments Social Audits Training Consulting OneSource web solutions suite Ask us how these services can benefit your company. Technical Knowledge & Leadership – Our staff participate in the development of international, industry and regulatory standards worldwide. Personalized Service – We are committed to meeting your evolving needs as you anticipate new market trends. OUR APPROACH At Bureau Veritas, we are ready to partner with you and find the best solutions to meet your objectives. Your Challenge Our Solutions Achieve desired product quality for customer satisfaction and confirm regulatory compliance to manage risk of product recalls Monitor and control product quality J Assess factories to pre-qualify suppliers or improve efficiencies J Audit manufacturing environments to identify any unacceptable working conditions in your supply chain J Test for quality, safety and regulatory compliance of products to national and international standards as well as your company’s quality standards J Inspect product quality throughout the production cycle Implement cost effective and innovative solutions Balance costs with risk and company objectives J Work with our team to identify the right mix of services to best meet your budget and brand protection needs J Select the appropriate level of testing for your product with our “Three Star Level” approach to match cost and risk objectives J Benchmark your product against other brands or within your product range to proactively maintain or improve quality Solve specific product or process challenges quickly and effectively as needed Work directly with our technical teams to address specific questions and concerns such as: J How can product defects be identified in advance of production? J What testing should be performed in the absence of existing standards? J How can a product failure be corrected? Successfully enter new markets, develop new products and better manage risks associated with non-compliance Understand how global compliance affects your products J Select from weekly updates, research reports and white papers, training and webinars, consulting services and complimentary e-updates with our Knowledge Tools and Solutions FAQ How can I meet the growing consumer demand for safety, quality and value for products where no requirements exist - in a cost effective manner? The increase in consumer product litigation is an industry-wide challenge for the sporting goods industry especially in cases where products lack specified applicable regulations or industry standards, thus driving companies to seek solutions for unregulated products. Bureau Veritas offers a variety of cost conscious product specific protocols that address a diverse range of sporting goods. Our protocols are based on existing quality performance standards, regulations, and best practices to help compensate where formal requirements are lacking. CONTACT For more information For more information regarding our Athletic Sporting Goods Services contact Bureau Veritas – Consumer Products Services Division at: info@us.bureauveritas.com www.bureauveritas.com/cps Copyright © 2011 Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SS-062011