We have been working closely with our suppliers in a spirit of partnership for many years. Quality, reliability and innovative strength are at the heart of our collaboration. These relationships are an important factor in our success. As part of our sustainability efforts, we are now going one step further:
we are creating greater transparency along our supply chain and taking a more structured approach to our responsibilities.
Together with our purchasing department, we have worked intensively on how we want to further develop our supplier management in the future. This exchange has resulted in an initial shared vision, which we are implementing step by step. An important milestone on this path is the development of our Supplier Code, which represents the first concrete building block.
With the Supplier Code, we want to clearly formulate our expectations and at the same time create a common basis for long-term partnerships. It describes the values and principles that we require and actively promote in our cooperation. These include in particular:
• Respect for human rights
• Environmental protection and responsible use of resources
• Ethical and fair business conduct
• Quality and product safety
• Responsible supply chains and compliance with due diligence obligations
• Data protection and confidentiality
• Risk management and compliance
• A clearly defined procedure for dealing with potential violations
• A binding declaration of commitment
The code will form the basis of our supplier relationships in future. It creates transparency regarding our expectations and at the same time provides guidance for sustainable development, both for our partners and for ourselves.
Our future supplier management can be well represented as a pyramid, with each level building on the previous one.
1. The basis – our supplier code
It defines the shared values and basic principles of our cooperation. Without a clear foundation, a sustainable partnership is hardly possible.
2. The second level – supplier self-disclosure
Building on the code, we would like to expand our existing self-disclosure to include additional areas such as the environment and social issues. This will help us to better understand how our suppliers are positioned in the relevant areas. Where do we stand together? Where is there potential for development? Our aim is not control, but transparency and continuous development.
3. The third level – operational supplier assessment
We already assess the performance of our suppliers on a regular basis and evaluate it on a quarterly basis. Criteria such as quality, delivery reliability and service play a central role in this.
In future, we will develop this system further to create a more holistic assessment. The aim is to incorporate all three levels – the code, self-disclosure and operational performance – into an integrated assessment system. This will enable us to combine sustainability aspects, risk considerations and operational performance to create an overall picture.
Our aim is to take responsibility not only within our own company, but also along our entire value chain.
