BUSINESS STANDARDS
is the quarterly magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment. Regular features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems and standards.
It's in the jeans
02 Jun 2009
Topics: Ethical trading, fashion, Supply chain, Entropy Software
Levi Strauss & Co (LS&CO), the global clothing brand, was the first company to put in place a supplier code of conduct (Terms of Engagement - TOE) covering ethical and environmental standards. With products sold through more than 55,000 retail outlets, this was a big step for the organization and its suppliers. LS&CO recently selected BSI's Entropy Software™ to replace its original TOE database with a web-based Audit & Compliance solution. The supply chain audit solution from Entropy Software™ simplifies the management of corporate-wide supply chain compliance. This will also help LS&CO address the increasing requirement for product carbon footprint analysis.
Competitive pressures, globalization and increasingly discerning consumers have forced retail corporations to increase the number of suppliers they work with and the locations from which they source products. Entropy Software™ provides an integrated, purpose-built software solution that offers improved access to information and a single corporate-wide data source. This approach allows senior managers and directors to identify, assess and manage supply chain compliance across the business, with real-time analysis and performance reporting.
"We are delighted to be working closely with such a household-name company as Levi Strauss," says Rob Wallis, managing director of BSI EMEA. "Many companies, like Levi Strauss, rely on an extensive global supply chain. They have to take responsibility for the social, ethical and environmental performance of their supply chain and are implementing tools such as Entropy Software™ in order to help."
For more information, visit www.bsigroup.co.uk/entropy
Business Standards © 2007. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with the British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
Until now, there has been no strict guidance in the UK relating to how audiovisual (AV) installations are carried out. This includes everything from computers and projectors to interactive whiteboards, plasma screens and loud speakers. For AV installation companies, processes can vary significantly.
BSI is planning an informal free lunchtime roundtable in central London on 10 December 2009 to explore how small businesses and their trade bodies can work more effectively with standards. Places are limited so to register your interest or request more information, please email bsi.survey@bsigroup.com or call +44 (0)20 8996 7750.
OCS, an international facilities services group based in the UK, has achieved triple certification to ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management/ and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management with BSI.
Sustainability: more than "green"
Sustainable development means taking into account the social, economic and environmental impacts of business activities, not only for the present but also for future generations.
Security is a challenge at the best of times for a retail bank. If you offer services via the internet, security becomes even more complicated. For Barclays UK Retail Online Banking, information security is at the core of their business, which is one of the main reasons the organization pursued and achieved certification to ISO/IEC 27001 Information security from BSI.
Question: Do companies need to verify their carbon footprint?
Unless a business is regulated by some form of greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting and/or cap-and-trade regulation (as is the case for some 12,000 installations in Europe), rarely is there the need to either calculate or verify the accuracy of a carbon footprint.
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