Whenever a company plans to release something overseas, they need to make sure that they have all of the required documents that allow them to sell said good in foreign markets. Safety rules are unique to each country. On top of this, the international compliance certification process also often involves dealing with supernational organizations. Representatives of the Council of Europe as well as various laboratory underwriting groups will usually check to ensure that a particular product is safe according to their own standards.
To some extent, good design principles will help to speed along the international compliance certification process. Cultural and political differences have created a situation where even what constitutes good design has become something of a question, however. Practices that might seem quite standard in one nation could be seen as potentially hazardous in another. Consumer electronics are notoriously difficult to sell around the world for this reason.
Independent firms won’t want to go it alone when it comes to international compliance certification. It’s much smarter to work with someone who has experience getting goods and services approved in various markets. Those who know that they’re going to sell things in a specific market will want to work with someone who has experience both in their home country as well as the new region.
While there’s no one authority that provides rules for every nation on the planet, there’s a strong possibility that working with a product testing specialist will help to get goods certified in a wide number of areas.
