ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

UK reporter Lynn Webster discusses the issues around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The Financial Times defines corporate social responsibility (CSR) as “a business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders”.

For CSR to be as wide-reaching as intended it is important to consider it in relation to how suppliers might, or should, impact on the delivery of these benefits to stakeholders. The notion of social responsibility is not a new one but it is one that is extending globally across corporate, public and private organisations. Organisations need to be clear on how every link in the supply chain helps or unwittingly sabotages this delivery.

The concept and practice of CSR may not be of current concern for many smaller and medium suppliers within cleaning and facilities management. The range of stakeholders for a supplier will, by default, be limited in comparison to the organisations for which that supplier provides a service or product. This shouldn’t stop the supplier from paying attention to their client’s CSR strategy, using it as a practical way of developing its own policies and procedures.

We expect every potential supplier to demonstrate a good understanding of the industry, showing how the supply of services and/or products will help the client organisation to achieve its objectives. For a supplier to demonstrate its capability in relation to established CSR strategies makes good business sense.

Client organisations may also raise the issue of CSR at an early stage in the tendering process. This means the managers involved must have a deep understanding of existing and developing CSR strategies, being able to define the points at which supplier delivery impacts directly.

For example: do the cleaning products used by the supplier comply with the client organisation’s environmental ethos? Are the supplier’s recruitment and training procedures in line with those of the client organisation? Are relevant social and economic realities understood and addressed practically, and not exploited for short term gain? Even where a potential supplier does not have a CSR strategy as such, what evidence is there to show the supplier’s working practices do not conflict with the client organisation’s stated CSR aims?

I don’t apologise for repeating the message that underpins most of my articles: excellent communication between supplier and client. Treating CSR as marginal to operational issues cannot help businesses to flourish. This approach offers great opportunities for the supplier working with an organisation that has a well-defined and carefully implemented CSR strategy. Being able to develop working practices and procedures that are geared toward social responsibility can give a competitive edge.