Business Management

• What is the CE mark?

  The CE mark shows that a product meets EU safety, health or environmental standards
• What does the CE mark prove?

  The CE mark proves that the product meets the requirements needed to sell within the European market
• What is the Kitemark?

  The Kitemark shows a product has met the minimum standards of safety and quality according to British Standards Institution
• What does the Kitemark indicate?

  The Kitemark indicates that BSI has checked and tested the product to ensure it meets minimum standards of safety and quality
• What does the Fairtrade logo show?

  The Fairtrade logo shows that an organisation has met the Fairtrade standards of a fairer deal for workers in developing countries
• What is a trade logo?

  A trade logo is an identifiable sign which shows that a product or service conforms to certain standards or identifies them in a specific category
• Why can achieving a quality standard be expensive and time-consuming?

  Achieving a quality standard can be expensive and time-consuming because there are strict sets of criteria that need to be adhered to
• What happens if a business does not maintain their quality standard?

  If a business does not maintain their quality standard, the quality standard will be removed from the business, which may generate bad publicity
• How can achieving a recognised quality standard benefit a business?

  Businesses that achieve recognised quality standards often gain a competitive advantage over other businesses, as customers perceive their products as superior, leading to customer loyalty and the ability to charge higher prices
• What are the main reasons a business would want to achieve a recognised quality standard?

  The main reasons a business would want to achieve a recognised quality standard are to gain a competitive advantage, increase customer perception of their products as superior, and charge higher prices
• What are the potential downsides of a business achieving a recognised quality standard?


  The potential downsides of a business achieving a recognised quality standard are that it can be expensive and time-consuming to adhere to the strict criteria, and if the standard is not maintained, it can generate bad publicity for the business
• What are the key quality standards and symbols discussed in the material?

  • CE Marking
  • BSI Kitemark
  • Fairtrade logo
  • Recycling logo
  • Keep Britain Tidy logo
• What do these quality standards and symbols indicate?

  • CE mark: Product meets EU safety, health or environmental standards
  • Kitemark: Product meets minimum standards of safety and quality according to BSI
  • Fairtrade logo: Organisation has met Fairtrade standards for fair deal for workers
  • Trade logos: Identify that a product/service conforms to certain standards
• What are the benefits and drawbacks for a business in achieving recognised quality standards?

  Benefits:

  • Gain competitive advantage
  • Increase customer perception of product quality
  • Ability to charge higher prices
  • Customer loyalty

  
  

  Drawbacks:

  • Expensive and time-consuming to adhere to criteria
  • Risk of bad publicity if standard is not maintained