Today we’ll be visiting Ferplast’s Quality Control Department, which is actually the most transversal section of the entire company. We’ll meet the manager, Mr. Andrea Berizzi, who will be explaining to us this delicate “mission” that he and others are in charge of.
When did you join the Ferplast “family”?
I’ve been working for the company since 2000, and I brought with me my own experience in other sectors, although always in the field of quality control and quality management. It’s important to tap into ideas and technologies from other sectors as well, with the purpose of finding the best solutions for our customers. The term “our customers” includes not only the humans who buy our products, but also the animals that use them.
This is a great responsibility, as Ferplast is based on two solid premises: creating new products for pet comfort and maintaining high quality standards.
Yes, it is, but together with my team we’re doing an excellent job. We’re involved in several of the company’s departments, from product office, where we analyse new products, to the purchase department, where we’re in charge of assessing the raw materials that will be used to make Ferplast products. Of course, our control continues during the production phase, up until the finished product. But our job isn’t over yet, as it includes constant market analysis, data control and any claims that may arise. As we’re present in the various steps involved in the manufacturing of a new product, we can reduce problems to a minimum. My team consists of about twenty people, spread among Ferplast’s various production plants.
Are Ferplast products tested by animals?
Of course. We have a handful of trustful testers who receive our products or who are invited to come over to the company. Sometimes we spend an entire afternoon with them and their owners, for instance, to perform “wearability” tests with chest harnesses or pet clothes. As for tests involving materials, sturdiness, resistance to wear, duration, toxicity etc, current technologies make the participation of pets unnecessary. We have so many modern instruments that we can analyse materials or finished products in our own laboratories, without the need to test anything on animals. We carry out physical, chemical and product conformity tests, taking into consideration the regulations in force and therefore the level of toxicity and safety of each single material.
Still in the subject of test laboratory, it’s surprising to realize how much work there is behind the choice of a certain material instead of another. Why all this concern?
Because, first of all, we want to provide our customers with the certainty that Ferplast’s clients are purchasing a product that is safe for themselves as well as for their pets. Products that look similar but cost less may be toxic to our pets, or even to ourselves, as we come into contact with them as well. We want absolutely the best materials, perfect for our clients and their pets, without any compromise. For us, a product can only be Ferplast if it’s high quality.
