CSR in the Supply Chain.

Corporate Social Responsibility, is for SME factories also. It is not only for big companies or corporate houses.

The majority of global procurement managers or importers often feel concerned about corporate social responsibility (CSR) when their supply chain includes small and medium-sized factories in India.

We present you 20 quick-check points which we think all your suppliers should follow. Let’s check each one-by-one.

These (CSR guidelines) are the way we (all) work, even Small & Medium Enterprises.

1.     No Child Labor

A Big No to child labour.

It’s a cognizable criminal offence in India to employ a child for any work (Industrial or even household).

This applies not only to the floor but to the office area also.

2.     No Undeclared Employment

Undeclared employment is akin to illegal activity.

Daily wage employees don’t fall into this.

The supplier must respect & comply the rules of the applicable law.

3.     Equal Treatment to all

No Discrimination based on age, gender, cast, sexual orientation, religion, political belief, location, ethnicity, nationality, family name, looks, appearance, dress style, eating style, physical capability etc.

4.     No Harassment

No verbal, physical, sexual, emotional or psychological harassment at the workplace.

Everyone deserves and must get respect.

The situation of disagreement can be resolved through dialogue.

5.     No Black Money

No payment to suppliers in cash (except in special circumstances).

We prefer bank transfers for all our payments.

6.     No Conflict of Interest

It is a situation when a supplier’s employee has multiple interests.

For example: an employee has a job and side business with conflicting interests. We immediately bring this information to the notice of the supplier’s top management for action.

7.     No Corruption

Fraud, bribing etc are a Big-No for APOGEE.

All our transactions are recorded and our books are audited every year.

8.     Preserving Information or Data Protection

Personal data/ contact information of our customer and/ or supplier is termed as un-ethical by APOGEE.

We respect privacy of our customer, suppliers, employees and other partner’s information and personal data.

The contact information’s are not used for any purpose other than business.

9.     Responsible Consumption

Raw Material, Electricity, Energy, Water, Paper, air & food are to be consumed responsibly, even if there is plenty available (in abundance).

We give equal importance to projects of Rejection Reduction and Consumption Reduction.

10.  Waste Management

Reduce consumption as the first step.

Treat the effluent before handing it over to Mother Earth.

This applies to all types of effluent and wastes.

If a treatment facility is not available in-house, handover the waste to the responsible agency for proper handling (but don’t throw waste unattended).

11.  Preserve Natural Resources

Preserve natural resources for one single reason: its important for our future generations.

12.  Reduce Carbon Footprint

For your in-house processing, in-bound and out-bound logistics, choose the best alternative to reduce your carbon footprint.

13.  Pay Taxes/ Dues on-time

Tax collected by government is used for our benefit only.

So it’s important & Our duty to pay due taxes on-time to the relevant government department like GST, Income Tax etc.

14.  Compliance

Complying with applicable law is simple and for easy of doing business only.

15.  Non-Compete

During normal business, our supplier (or customer) may get to know about our customers (or suppliers).

Communicating or trying to forge direct relationship (by-passing us) is unethical. We consider this as strong action against us.

This applies to poaching employees also.

16.  NDA

Every customer’s (or Supplier’s) business information is proprietary to himself.

It must be protected and preserved carefully as it is ours only.

17.  Safety on workplace

Safety on shop-floor percolates from top to down.

We understand that management can make PPE* available, impart training etc but the use of PPE depends on the worker.

But if PPE is not available, it simply shows lack of management’s focus on the safety of employees.

*PPE: Personal Protective Equipment

18.  5S

5S is not for decoration but for our ease of working.

A cluttered workplace depicts a lack of clarity and focus.

Please give utmost importance to 5S on the shop floor and work area (even on your computer’s hard disk).

19.  Bad News First

I haven’t met any supplier who has zero defects, complaints or delays. Problems are part of the practical world.

However, we respect those suppliers who come forward and admit.

The first stage of improvement is realizing.

The suppliers who inform delay on last moment are rated very low by us.

20.  Traceability

The factory is different from the workshop because the factory has defined systems & processes.

And the system has traceability, measurement & checkpoints.

We rate those factory owners high, who have established check points in every stage of their manufacturing processes. This is for their help, not for impressing customers.

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Disclaimer: This document (on CSR) is for general guidance & education purposes only and does not replace professional or legal advice, in any case. Readers are strictly advised to seek professional help before applying in their specific case. The use of the above information by readers is solely at their own risk