Global Approval Strategy

“EU and FCC take us 90% of the way to global compliance” - I have often heard the above in the RF compliance world.

If your equipment passes EU and FCC testing, then from an engineering perspective, you could say you are 90% of the way towards global compliance. To keep your global market access costs from spiraling out of control however, it is vital to consider the remaining 10% right at the start of your product compliance planning in order to ensure you have a cost-effective and efficient approval strategy.

International type approval is, with the exception of some larger countries such as China, South Korea and Brazil, are heavily based on EU and FCC test results. While the requirements for international radio type approval may not be overall as stringent as EU or USA, there are many variations in regulation and process from country to country which can cause problems and great additional costs for manufacturers, if international type approval isn’t factored in during product compliance planning.

Let’s take a couple of examples of how global approval costs can spiral out of control. As a wireless headphone manufacturer, if you designate separate model numbers to each model in a pair of wireless earbuds, you are doubling your compliance costs for a number of countries worldwide where family approvals are not permitted.

Similarly, if you assign separate regulatory model numbers to variants based upon the aesthetics of equipment or the material of equipment’s external casing, then you will also run into trouble in countries where family approvals are not permitted.

So what can be done?

One big step you can take towards reducing costs is the use of one regulatory model number and part-number defined variants.

Wherever possible, international type approval is aided when you have a regulatory model number which covers your core equipment from a radio, EMC and safety perspective. Any additional variations of the equipment, such as material, button configuration and colour, should be defined by a part-number defined variant or separate SKU. These variants should not be listed in the EU or FCC test reports as model numbers.

In a number of cases, this will mean that you can apply for one approval for the regulatory model number, while covering all your similar variants. If you assign a separate model number to each variant, then some countries will treat each model number as a unique model, multiplying your approval costs.

Now this isn’t applicable in all cases, but this will certainly help as a starting point. A strong understanding of global modular approval and family approval requirements will also serve you well when looking at your global approval strategy.

Our team at Eleos Compliance have great experience working with manufacturers to efficiently reach their markets globally. We can dictate the best approval strategy and streamline regulatory testing requirements for your international approval requirements, whether you are bringing a number of similar products to market or undertaking a large rebranding effort.

We would relish the chance to discuss your global approval strategy and streamlining your type approval requirements, so get in touch with us at enquiries@eleoscompliance.com to find out more!