Consumerism and industrial products

While most of today's companies are striving to integrate a "quality" approach to industrial products, particularly in production, this approach must take account of design quality upstream.

Quality in design cannot be envisaged without the necessary feedback from the consumer user. User requirements are becoming more precise. They are better informed and more attentive. What's more, the opening up of European markets is accentuating this new attitude.

Having long underestimated the importance of consumer movements, professionals are now paying closer attention. Nowadays, no company, whatever its size or structure, whether marketing products or services, can afford to ignore the consumer. This is borne out by the interprofessional agreements and codes of conduct that anticipate regulations, and by the "consumer services" that many companies have set up to listen to customer grievances.

The stakes are high, as it could mean the commercial success or failure of an industrial product. In fact, the product may be recalled or withdrawn.

The way consumer organizations view consumer products has undoubtedly had a decisive influence on product quality and safety. After a brief overview of consumer organizations and the institutions set up by public authorities, this article takes stock of the impact of consumerism on industrial products.