Quality assurance for value-added wood producers in British Columbia

Third-party quality assurance has long been embraced by many industrial sectors as an effective means of improving a company's quality, production, and ultimately, profitability. From a marketing point of view, quality assurance labels are an effective means of promoting high-quality products and, thus, building global demand. However, the value-added wood products industry in British Columbia has not been quick to adopt such systems, despite an urgent need to develop worldwide markets. This paper describes the process ofquality assurance and provides examples of systems that currently operate in other sectors ofthe economy. Results from a 1998 survey of British Columbia's value-added wood products industry indicate that this sector has not yet embraced the notion of third-party quality certification. Nor is it engaged in formal quality control activities of any sort, for the most part. In fact, value-added wood producers' definition of quality seems to be very different from that oftheir customers. While the results decisively show that the widespread adoption of a third-party quality assurance program may prove challenging in the value-added wood products industry, it is, nonetheless, warranted at this time. One possible solution would be the introduction of an industry-specific quality certification system devoted exclusively to improving the global competitive position of the Canadian wood industry through the adoption of sound manufacturing practices and the promotion of high quality goods.