Konges Sløjd is a leading premium kids’ design brand, known globally for its high-quality, durable products. As the brand has matured from a young startup to a recognized name, ensuring consistent quality across its product lines has become essential, particularly as their items have a growing second-hand market.
Konges Sløjd have a clear vision about quality as they recognized the importance of integrating a robust quality control system as the brand scaled rapidly.
Thomas, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Konges Sløjd, has been instrumental in redefining the company's sourcing and quality control approach.
"When you have a recognized kids' brand like Konges Sløjd, you realize that our products live longer in the market," Thomas explains. "Customers expect quality and durability, especially in a brand with a second-hand market, which is why maintaining high-quality standards is critical."
Scaling quality amidst growth
As Konges Sløjd’s brand recognition grew, so did the complexity of their sourcing and supplier networks. The demands for compliance and quality control also increased, as their customers began associating their premium status with uncompromising standards.
"Staying ahead and on top of our supplier base was key" says Thomas. "As new legislation around supply chains and supplier relations came into force, we wanted to proactively adapt. We needed to ensure full traceability and transparency, not just for ourselves but for our customers as well."
Sellling products worldwide creates the need for a tool to manage quality and documentation that meet different standards and requirements. This is where Qarma entered the picture.
Qarma for quality and data collection
Konges Sløjd implemented Qarma’s quality and inspection tool to build a more structured and systematic approach to supplier management. With Qarma, they introduced a three-step framework that transformed their quality control processes. Also as part of moving from not only building a premium design to building a premium brand, quality is focal.
- Set standards and baselines
“Quality is for all. We established clear quality standards across all products, regardless of where they are manufactured.” He elaborates “There is no good or bad quality – there is only the standard” so set the standard so that it is scalable and hold each other accountable of it.
- Turn standards into actions
Qarma enabled Konges Sløjd to empower its suppliers by equipping them with the necessary tools to execute quality standards. “Qarma has been critical in ensuring that we stay in control while empowering our suppliers to take ownership of quality,” Thomas notes.
- Drive continuous improvements
Using Qarma’s quick feedback loops, the team at Konges Sløjd was able to close gaps in quality faster than ever before. “We’ve significantly reduced defect rates and claims over time, thanks to the actionable insights from Qarma.”
Quality that matches brand reputation
With Qarma, Konges Sløjd achieved:
- Full supply chain visibility: From GPS tracking to inspection report validation, Qarma helped Konges Sløjd track every aspect of production, ensuring transparency and due diligence.
- One approach, global and local: Qarma provided a unified approach across all markets, allowing Konges Sløjd to implement a systematic quality control framework across different regions.
- Shift to risk-based inspections: Moving away from random inspections, Konges Sløjd now uses a risk-based approach where all products follow standardized procedures tailored to product type. This ensures a consistent quality experience while allowing for flexibility based on product complexity.
"Defects will happen; no one is perfect," Thomas acknowledges."But with Qarma, we've been able to significantly lower defect rates and improve our over all claim management."
Future-proofing with Qarma
As sourcing and supply chains continue to evolve, so do the demands for compliance documentation, especially for a premium brand like Konges Sløjd. By partnering with Qarma, they’ve added a new layer of visibility and ensured that their quality processes are not only scalable but future-proof. "With Qarma, we’ve been able to focus on whatmatters most—delivering quality products that our customers trust," Thomas concludes.