EDITOR'S NOTE: Furniture/Today asked Frank Kelly, director of sales for Elk Technologies, to offer his suggestions to bedding producers looking to select a supplier of fire-resistant materials. This article presents his thoughts on how producers should choose and work with an FR supplier. Kelly has 21 years of manufacturer-based sales and marketing managerial experience, 16 of which are directly related to fire barriers.

Develop at least a working knowledge of the current or pending flammability regulations that will affect your business.

Ignorance, in this case, is not bliss. A little education on the FR subject will likely show that a wide spectrum of knowledge is required to properly address the issue from a manufacturing standpoint. Initial research can be conducted via the Internet.

Assign an individual or a team to captain your FR compliance effort.

It is unlikely the principal of a mattress manufacturing company would have the time to spearhead the company's FR research and development effort. Therefore, an individual with strong manufacturing and research and development credentials should be selected to take the point. If a team concept works best, ensure that one person is clearly designated as team leader and, as such, is responsible for reporting findings to the business principals on a regular basis.

Become familiar with the various types of FR components available and their performance.

A supplier of FR components - whether fabric, fiber or other - should have a solid, verifiable track record of performance based on a history of successful mattress set builds and burns. The results from the testing laboratories should represent a broad and diverse range of constructions with demonstrated repeatability of performance.

Look to FR component manufacturers and suppliers to provide information and expertise that will allow for the development of a decision matrix.

You should develop a decision matrix with alternative FR suppliers on one axis and comparative facts evaluated on the other. The matrix should be continuously updated, as product variables such as test performance, availability and price are subject to abrupt change. The matrix should ultimately provide a comparison of products on as fair a basis as possible. For example, given the differences in measurements for fabrics and fibers, a common unit of measure, such as the square foot, could be used to provide accurate comparison of products. The running or lineal yard (meter) does not provide an accurate comparison due to the variability of product widths. Any presentation to you by an FR supplier should include a plan for market introduction of your FR mattress. What programs will they offer to smooth the initial transition from non-FR to FR SKUs? The answers go in the matrix.

Decide which constructions you wish to test and begin the test set building process.

Once the constructions for the twin mattress and box springs have been decided - whether promotional, premium or best sellers - they should remain constant between FR suppliers whose components are tested. This will provide a comparison benchmark. If you decide to modify the construction for future testing, modify it for all components still judged as viable. It is important to note that a compliant FR construction may consist of more than one FR component.

Begin the testing process.

Work with the FR supplier in deciding which test facility best suits your needs. Location is not as important as level of expertise. Decide what level of test performance repeatability is acceptable in your decision process. Some manufacturers will test all constructions multiple times until they are assured the component works. Others may have a higher comfort level based upon the overall performance of the FR components being tested.

Observe the level of interest and concern for your business exhibited by the FR supplier.

You should receive strong support from an FR supplier as you look for assistance with your placement of their product within the chosen constructions, build test sets, secure test lab time, test mattress sets for regulation compliance, examine successes and/or failures and decide on a path forward. Timely follow-up and follow through are excellent level-of-interest indicators of supplier support. This is the "comfort factor" portion of the decision-making process. If there is a noticeable level of disinterest at this stage, how do you imagine it will be later on in the process? This should be viewed as a long-term commitment and not a Friday night date.

Begin the process of narrowing the field of candidates.

After the initial one or two rounds of testing, the field of FR supplier candidates likely can be winnowed based upon the data within the decision matrix and the comfort factor. You should inform all FR component manufacturer candidates of your selection and the reasons for it, whether or not they are selected to continue in the qualification process.

Forge your strategic alliance.

Choosing an FR component supplier is one of the most important and potentially difficult decisions a mattress manufacturer faces today. Mutual accountability for performance must be maintained between manufacturer and supplier. Obviously, a manufacturer would not wish to switch FR component suppliers on a whim, but enough poor performance would merit a close investigation of acceptable options. Decide what level of commitment you require from the supplier: logistical plans, volume commitments, quality assurance/quality control conformance, etc. Remember that an alliance is not one-sided and you will be expected to make certain commitments and assurances as well.

Ramp up production.

The supplier should be available for initial ramp up to ensure that any processing glitches are dealt with immediately. The goal is to have as close to a transparent manufacturing process as possible. Do not leave the preparation for this step for the last minute. If training is required, do it as early as possible after your supplier selection has been made.

Introduce your FR line to the selling chain.

The supplier should offer a high level of market introduction expertise, including the ability to assist you in training your employees. Assistance also may be required in training the trainers - those employees who will be responsible for educating your customers about anything from the concept of FR in general to the specifics of your chosen solution. Further, the consumer likely will demand a competent explanation of the FR process and the capabilities of your FR mattress. Both you and your retailers should be able to answer the questions effortlessly. Introductory marketing assistance should be a part of the overall package the supplier offers.

Continue to monitor and manage the market.

As the FR mattress market matures, so will consumer demands. Ensure that your supplier of choice continues diligent research and development efforts on better-performing, lower-cost FR solutions. You should be doing your own research to make certain that what you offer continues to afford maximum protection and excellent value.

Some final thoughts.

A well-respected mattress manufacturer told me that with FR technology constantly evolving and improving, it is very likely the component one chooses today will not be the component one uses next year. That may prove to be true, but the sound business reasons for choosing your FR component supplier should remain fairly constant.

Note: Of course, your FR supplier cannot assume all effort and risk, and only you are ultimately responsible for your own FR compliance. But the depth and quality of supplier support can be critical in developing a sound FR solution.