How standards promote business

The production of any commodity begins with the use of raw materials from its early stages to the finishing point when such raw materials are shaped into the desired products needed for the production of specific products to satisfy consumer needs.

At the raw materials stage, applicable standards guide producers to choose suitable raw materials for the production of goods. A woman who is preparing a certain type of soup in this country does not go in for just any kind of ingredients such as tomato, garden eggs, pepper, etc but rather goes in for quality ingredients that will help it come out quality and tasty soup.

QUALITY FRUIT JUICE

Similarly, if we are bent on producing quality fruit juice, we would not just go in for rotten pineapple or pawpaw but rather those types that are in very good condition and are good enough to give us tasty juice. This is what all industries do to ensure that the outcome of production is good enough to satisfy consumer needs.

Thus, the early stages of production require that we make use of raw materials that are good enough to assist in the production of quality products. It is said that “garbage in, garbage out”. What this means is that if the input in form of raw materials is of inferior quality, what will come out as a final product would also be of inferior quality.

RELEVANT STANDARDS

The implication here is that right from the beginning, we need to be guided by the relevant standards needed to make it possible for us to come out with quality product that satisfies consumer needs. In other words, appropriate standards guide us to select and process the most appropriate raw materials for the production of quality products. It is these standards that guide us to produce the most appropriate raw materials and at the same time help to produce reliable and quality-oriented finished products.

Apart from guiding us in the selection of quality raw materials, standards also help us in the processing of the products midway to the finished end. The production process may be of different types but a particular type of processing scheme may be selected all in an effort to ensure that what comes out eventually is of high and acceptable quality. This is why we say that applicable standards help us in choosing the right process for production.

RELEVANCE OF STANDARDS TO PRODUCTION PROCESS

If there is any particular production process that is unsuitable, the use of standards will help us to know that there is the need to avoid such process. Thus, when we make use of relevant applicable standards, such standards help us to avoid unsuitable production processes.

When particular production processes are unsuitable, they negate the purpose of production which is to help come out with consumer products that will satisfy the interest of all targeted consumers whether locally or in foreign countries. In other words, applicable standards provide guidance in the selection of production processes for the purpose of meeting customer needs.

STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION

The production process does not only involve selection of suitable raw materials and relevant production processes but also storage and transportation of what is produced. The style and quality of storage and the conditions under which the products are stored are all very important. If the storage is not done under an appropriate temperature, products of high quality may go bad after production. Storage is, therefore, important. In the same way, the transportation of such products must be carried out in appropriate vans or vehicles and kept under the appropriate temperature. Medicines constitute a good example here. Also, Fan products like those from FanMilk must also be transported appropriately otherwise they will go bad and disturbed the stomach of consumers who take them in.

Appropriate storage and transportation are carried out or done according to applicable standards. It is these standards that will give an indication regarding the size of the van for carrying the products and also the temperature that must go with the products. All this helps to show that the use of relevant standards help us to avoid unnecessary mistakes when transporting goods from the factory to the consuming centres.

In other words, standards guide and help producers to carry out procedures and processes that are appropriate, thereby helping us to avoid any trial and error in the storage and transportation process of goods that are intended for the consuming centres.

END RESULT

When the production process from the raw materials stage to the storage and transportation stage are all carried out appropriately in line with relevant applicable standards, the end result will be quality products that will meet the first class taste of consumers. This means that only quality and satisfactory products would emerge at the end of the entire process. When this happens, we will be able to enter local and external markets and make more profits for the company.

Thus, companies in Ghana that want to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) would have to take advantage and apply standards to what they intend producing for the large African market.

In conclusion, therefore, standards help manufacturers and producers to break into local and international markets. This is possible because such companies, through applicable standards, are able to meet the demand for quality products in line with rising customer demand.

Contact email/whatsApp address of author:

Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)

By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako