This case study is based on the 2016 Annual Report by Cenergy Holdings and on the 2016 Sustainable Development Reports by Corinth Pipeworks and the Hellenic Cables Group. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Both Corinth Pipeworks and the Hellenic Cables Group strive to offer quality, first rate solutions for the fast growing energy, telecommunications and construction sectors. In order to ensure product quality and safety, Corinth Pipeworks and the Hellenic Cables Group took action to:

• apply explicit manufacturing standards
• ensure Corinth Pipeworks’ products meet the strictest quality and safety standards
• ensure Hellenic Cables’ products meet the strictest quality and safety standards

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016 Annual Report Cenergy Holdings identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, environmental law and regulations, Greece’s economic condition, waste management, higher demand for renewable energy, employee health and safety. Among these, ensuring product quality and safety stands out as a key material issue for Cenergy Holdings.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Cenergy Holdings engages with:   

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

Cenergy Holdings’ companies conduct a materiality analysis in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative’s sustainability reporting standards, to identify and prioritize their material issues. The process is as follows:

• an initial survey is conducted and issues are recorded
• issues are prioritized on the basis of in-house assessments
• material issues are communicated to stakeholders, to record their opinions
• stakeholders’ opinions are integrated and the final list of the Company’s material issues is prepared

What actions were taken by Cenergy Holdings to ensure product quality and safety?

In their 2016 Sustainable Development Reports Corinth Pipeworks and the Hellenic Cables Group – and, also, Cenergy Holdings in its 2016 Annual Report – report that they took the following actions for ensuring product quality and safety:

• Applying explicit manufacturing standards
• Both Corinth Pipeworks and the Hellenic Cables Group apply specific manufacturing standards. They do so in order to ensure proper product labeling throughout the production process. All products:
  • carry marks of conformity and trademark licenses by well-known certification bodies
  • are accompanied by a quality certificate in accordance with international standards (EN/ISO) confirming production process specifications, raw materials used and the end product
  • may be delivered to customers with a data book on product testing
  • are accompanied by instructions on transportation, storage and product usage

• Ensuring Corinth Pipeworks’ products meet the strictest quality and safety standards
• Corinth Pipeworks designs and manufactures products to meet the strictest quality and safety standards. More specifically:
  • line pipes used for oil and gas transportation are designed and manufactured to comply with specific safety standards
  • casing pipes are manufactured to comply with the requirements of international standards (API 5CT and API 5L/ ISO 11960)
  • hollow structural sections are manufactured according to the European Standard EN 10219-1
  • pipes for water transportation can be externally coated or internally lined to ensure corrosion protection and smooth water flow, complying with hygiene and drinking water requirements

• Ensuring Hellenic Cables’ products meet the strictest quality and safety standards
• Hellenic Cables designs and manufactures products to meet the strictest quality and safety standards. More specifically:
  • the Company has developed and applies a quality policy and a Quality Management System, in accordance with the ISO 9001 Standard
  • all Company facilities are certified according to the ISO 9001 Standard
  • to ensure the high quality of products, the Company carries out type tests in independent laboratories or in the Company plants, supervised by independent bodies
  • to protect the health and safety of customers, the Company continuously monitors its products, throughout their entire life cycle
  • the Company has designed and manufactures fire retardant, fire resistant and halogen-free cables to protect end users in the event of fire

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-PR1: Percentage of significant product and service categories for which health and safety impacts are assessed for improvement – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 416-1 Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories

2) G4-PR3: Type of product and service information required by the organization’s procedures for product and service information and labeling, and percentage of significant products and service categories subject to such information requirements – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 417-1 Requirements for product and service information and labeling

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Cenergy Holdings, Corinth Pipeworks and the Hellenic Cables Group, located at the links below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the published information’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following links:

http://www.cenergyholdings.com/ (June 2017)

http://www.cpw.gr/en/ (June 2017)

http://www.cablel.com/ (June 2017)

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Cenergy Holdings: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

The post Case study: How Cenergy Holdings ensures product quality and safety appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.

This case study is based on the 2016 Sustainable Development Report by the Hellenic Cables Group. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing. 

Abstract

Hellenic Cables provides international markets with an impressively wide range of high-quality products and solutions, developed in modern facilities by skilled and experienced personnel. The company strives, by expanding its product and services portfolio, to respond to ongoing market challenges, ensuring customer satisfaction, with social responsibility embedded into its vision as a core principle. In order to develop high-quality products, ensuring customer satisfaction, Hellenic Cables took action to:

• invest in research and development of new technologies by participating in European programmes
• offer high-quality products and solutions that meet customer expectations
• ensure the health and safety of end users/ customers
• focus on customer needs
• ensure responsible supply chain management

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2016 Sustainable Development Report Hellenic Cables identified a range of material issues, such as economic performance, compliance, research and innovation, providing “turnkey” solutions. Among these, developing high-quality products and ensuring customer satisfaction stands out as a key material issue for Hellenic Cables.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Hellenic Cables engages with:

To identify, assess, prioritize, effectively address and report on material issues, Hellenic Cables engages with the following stakeholder groups:  

What actions were taken by Hellenic Cables to develop high-quality products, ensuring customer satisfaction?

In its 2016 Sustainable Development Report Hellenic Cables reports that it took the following actions for developing high-quality products, ensuring customer satisfaction:

• Investing in research and development of new technologies by participating in European programmes
• Having prioritized the development of new, innovative, high-quality and environmentally-friendly products, while also providing added value services, Hellenic Cables is adequately informed on innovative research efforts. The company invests in research and development of new technologies, and participates in European programmes involving know-how transfer. Moreover, Hellenic Cables collaborates with internationally recognised academic institutions, highly reputable research centres and certified laboratories.

• Offering high-quality products and solutions that meet customer expectations
• Operating in a highly competitive environment, Hellenic Cables strives to manufacture high-quality products that correspond to customers’ needs, improving product quality standards when necessary. To this end, the company focuses on:
  • providing products and services that correspond to customers’ needs, and even exceed their expectations
  • observing customer needs
  • setting and constantly monitoring measurable quality goals

• Ensuring the health and safety of end users/ customers
• Hellenic Cables ensures the health and safety of end users and/or customers  Tweet This! throughout the product life cycle by:
  • establishing laboratories that perform quality controls during the entire production process, and providing global markets with new products on demand
  • employing adequately trained personnel
  • implementing the necessary controls to ensure compliance with standards during production, post-production and, if necessary, post-installation
  • carrying out compliance controls on materials that need to follow specific regulations (e.g. RoHS, REACH etc.)
  • performing all mandatory tests on all types of products, including aging trials to forecast a product’s behaviour over time
  • purchasing safe and environmentally friendly raw materials

• Focusing on customer needs
• Excellent service and customer satisfaction are key principles for Hellenic Cables. Despite operating in different continents, the company manages to maintain daily and personal contact with all customers. Hellenic Cables’ customer-oriented approach, combined with the provision of integrated products and solutions, enables the company to develop mutually trusting and beneficial relationships with customers. In addition, Hellenic Cables strives to ensure efficient complaint management, receiving, analysing, and evaluating complaints submitted, in order to take the necessary actions to improve products and solutions, while defining company goals related to customer satisfaction.

• Ensuring responsible supply chain management
• Hellenic Cables’ suppliers help the company achieve its business goals, ensuring competitive and responsible entrepreneurship. Additionally, the development and maintenance of a financially, environmentally and socially responsible supply chain, is an ongoing challenge for the company. Hellenic Cables is focused on:
  • a new Supplier Code of Conduct: within 2016, the company completed a new “Supplier Code of Conduct”, outlining the core compliance requirements for all suppliers and subcontractors
  • supplier assessment: Hellenic Cables evaluates supplies for compliance with company standards relating to transparency, dignity and meritocracy, also including environmental and social impacts

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-PR1: Percentage of significant product and service categories for which health and safety impacts are assessed for improvement – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 416-1 Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories

2) G4-PR3: Type of product and service information required by the organization’s procedures for product and service information and labeling, and percentage of significant products and service categories subject to such information requirements– the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 417-1 Requirements for product and service information and labeling

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Hellenic Cables, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

http://www.cablel.com/778/en/corporate-responsibility-and-sustainability-reports/ 

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Hellenic Cables: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

The post Case Study: How Hellenic Cables is developing high-quality products and ensuring customer satisfaction appeared first on SustainCase - Sustainability Magazine.