Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a must for any toy brand that wants to achieve growth and avoid the costly implications of non compliance. A company that is testament to this fact is Lego. Last year the toy giant reported its highest revenue yet in its 85 year history, their profits rising 1.7% to 12.2bn kroner. This growth showcases the heights you can achieve through organizational commitment.
Global retail brands are increasingly wanting to partner with suppliers of children’s toys who can provide them with the appropriate environmental and social compliance.
Lego has been able to achieve their CSR goals through going above and beyond what any toy quality management system requires.
How have they done this?
Renewable energy.
In 2012 the toy company began investing in wind turbines to power their operations globally. As a result, in 2016 more than 360 gigawatt hours of energy was used by the LEGO Group to produce the more than 75 billion LEGO bricks sold around the world during the year. 
They initially had committed to making this transition by 2020, but they ended up meeting their target 3 years early! This is one great commitment to the realm of renewable energy.
Apart from this they are currently investing loads of money and time into finding alternatives to plastic for their famous building blocks.
As consumers increasingly dictate how manufacturers design and make toys, the power of adopting CSR and green initiatives as a part of your competitive strategy will have global results for your brand.
What do I mean by this?
The toy quality management system you choose to adopt will provide a framework for which CSR is able to be strategically implemented for your brand. Lego is a prime example of this. Whilst they are a children’s toy brand, they have committed fully to sourcing a more environmentally friendly plastic for their iconic plastic blocks. Even though they have not yet found a suitable alternative, their commitment and investment in trying to, puts them at the forefront of an initiative consumers the world over want to see and be a part of.
So I put the question to you…
They initially had committed to making this transition by 2020, but they ended up meeting their target 3 years early! This is one great commitment to the realm of renewable energy.
Apart from this they are currently investing loads of money and time into finding alternatives to plastic for their famous building blocks.
As consumers increasingly dictate how manufacturers design and make toys, the power of adopting CSR and green initiatives as a part of your competitive strategy will have global results for your brand.
What do I mean by this?
The toy quality management system you choose to adopt will provide a framework for which CSR is able to be strategically implemented for your brand. Lego is a prime example of this. Whilst they are a children’s toy brand, they have committed fully to sourcing a more environmentally friendly plastic for their iconic plastic blocks. Even though they have not yet found a suitable alternative, their commitment and investment in trying to, puts them at the forefront of an initiative consumers the world over want to see and be a part of.
So I put the question to you…
How can your QMS leverage CSR for a globally competitive position?
Let’s take a bit of a deeper dive in… A QMS framework is just that: A framework that has been created to ensure quality in all areas from management to products, to customers, to factory processes and environmental impact. The ISO 14001:15 is the international standard used to navigate environmental impact and innovations. What are the key benefits of complying with ISO 14001:15?- It demonstrates compliance with current regulatory requirements.
- It increases leadership involvement and engagement of employees.
- It improves company reputation and the confidence of stakeholders through strategic communication.
- It achieves strategic business aims by incorporating environmental issues into its business management.
- It provides a competitive and financial advantage through improved efficiencies and reduced costs.
- It encourages better environmental performance of suppliers by integrating them into the organization’s business systems.
How can your toy brand go about implementing ISO today?
We have outlined a stepped process which will help you prepare for compliance according to the environmental ISO 14001 framework for your brand;- You will need to identify all aspects and environmental impacts of your organization’s activities
- If you have not established an environmental policy for your organization, you will need to go ahead and do this.
- You will need to formalize your environmental procedures and publish them in company manuals and company policy.
- You will need to bring the company into compliance with all legal requirements and mandatory regulations.
- You will need to get the confirmation of compliance by all stakeholders such as clients and legal authorities.
- Lastly, you will need to obtain a certification of your environmental management system by a registered third party.
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It is at this point that
A random furniture sample will be selected at this point, where they will each be checked one by one to inspect whether or not they meet the following;
nd this tool should be inclusive of all levels of employees for creative and productive inputs.
The premise of every RCA can be defined as this;
Correct the problem and confirm the effects – Based on the findings of the above steps, you will need to ensure that the cause of the problem is removed and you will then need to supervise the effects this may have on your future production process.
Prevent the problem from recurring – As the 8D technique is a continuous improvement technique, you may need to revisit and amend the management systems and/or operating systems, practices, and procedures to be sure that your root cause has been removed and the problem will not recur.
Congratulate the team – This is an important step as your team will have spent a lot of time reflecting and analysing each production step to the benefit of your brand. Acknowledge and recognise them for their efforts and thank them individually.
According to the guidelines as laid out by ISO 9001:2015, they are roughly categorized into eight sections; five of which are mandatory for the QMS of your factory;
The 
There are many concerns with regards to a situation as the above 1. The chemical usage in the toys would likely not have met international regulation. 2. Hiding violations from an auditor only aids non-compliance and illegal production processes. 3. How are these chemicals affecting factory workers? How are they stored? How are they disposed of?
Many factories struggle with resources and finances, which means their money will often go into sourcing raw materials for the next production before putting money into the servicing of their machinery and equipment. This will mean that when an auditor comes to inspect the factory and its layout that the machinery is often out of calibration or filled with too much oil, which can contaminate your product and potentially places your brand in a risky position. Not ideal.
ation. If this is discovered during your audit process, it is recommended to rather find a different supplier. There are no grounds where this is acceptable.
Hazardous working conditions – Hazardous and unsafe working conditions are not unheard of in many third world factory’s across the globe and are often the cause of factory technical audit failure. Things like faulty Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), expired fire extinguishers, no clearly marked exit signs, exits not in working order, machinery that is in need of calibration or lack of safety gear found on heavy machinery can lead to audit failure. These safety violations are easy enough for your supplier to address and solve, so bear this in mind upon receiving audit results as you will often need to factor in corrective time for your supplier.
Let’s take a look at how this could play out;
