This case study is based on the 2015 Sustainability Report by Hitachi published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate that CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly is achieved by identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment and stakeholders and by measuring, managing and changing.

Abstract

Operating in 140 countries and regions, Hitachi, working with a range of stakeholders, tries to meet the needs and address the challenges of a changing world, through innovative technology and cutting-edge research. In order to contribute to the creation of a prosperous society by driving innovation, utilizing its advanced technologies Hitachi took action to:

• reorganize R&D (Research & Development) to co-create solutions with customers
• reinforce global R&D
• collaborate with universities, research institutes and customers to pursue open innovation

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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.

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