Social Responsibility Solutions

How can you ensure that your suppliers are operating according to ethical principles?

Globalization has provided companies around the world with new business opportunities. However, it has also forced them to increase productivity, narrow margins and reduce costs. This has tempted many companies to outsource operations, without considering the risks involved.

When a supplier fails to comply with labor or anti-slavery legislation, or laws and regulations regarding sustainable sourcing, the effect on the brand can be disastrous. Information travels quickly and a valuable brand can soon become the target of a media scandal. This can cause great damage to the way the brand is perceived by the public, shareholders and regulatory bodies, and consequently have severe economic consequences.

SGS offers a suite of social responsibility solutions to help you to ensure that your suppliers comply with ethical standards, allowing you to mitigate risks from outsourcing.

Codes of Conduct

We can help you to create a code of conduct for your business. This will establish the ethical principles and standards of conduct that guide your relationships with your suppliers, as well as the relationships between your suppliers and other links in your supply chain. A code of conduct also provides employees with a set of rules designed to ensure that their behavior toward suppliers does not deviate from accepted standards.

Social Responsibility Audits

A social responsibility audit from SGS ensures that your suppliers adhere to the principles established in your code of conduct. It demonstrates to customers and other stakeholders that your company meets ethical standards regarding:

Health and safety
Working time
Child labor
Slavery
The environment
Sustainable sourcing
Product traceability

Corporate Social Responsibility Programs

We can assist you with the establishment of a corporate social responsibility program, which will enable you to:

Enhance your brand’s credibility
Minimize risks to your organization’s reputation
Reduce risks of non-compliance with national and international regulations
Demonstrate transparency to stakeholders
Strengthen your brand’s position in the market, so you can attract more customers and increase profits