Supply Chain Management
Basic Approach
NSD's business operations are supported by many business partners. We recognize that further deepening cooperation with these business partners will be vital to our efforts to achieve a sustainable society. We engage in equal and fair business transactions following relevant laws and regulations. At the same time, we are actively promoting work style reforms together with our business partners, with focus on telework and reducing working hours by streamlining business processes.
Sustainable Procurement
Today, companies are expected to conduct activities across their entire supply chains that promote sustainable growth of society. NSD Group is committed to proactively engaging in sustainability activities focused on our supply chain as we strive to fulfill the expectations of society and continue to earn the trust of society.
Sustainable Procurement Guidelines
To work with our business partners toward the realization of a sustainable society, we created guidelines, with reference to the Code of Conduct developed by the Responsible Business Alliance, an industry coalition dedicated to corporate social responsibility in global supply chains, to outline the matters in which we expect our business partners to engage. As such, we have requested that our business partners understand and implement our Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
Regular sharing of information with senior management of business partners
NSD visits its business partners regularly to hold dialogue with senior management so as to gain their understanding of our approach to sustainable procurement and request their active involvement in our sustainability activities.
We are also working to inform business partners about our approach to sustainability through a dedicated contact desk.
Supporting sustainability activities of business partners
To promote sustainability initiatives together with our business partners, NSD checks the status of sustainability initiatives undertaken by all business partners with whom we currently do business, using a checklist created based on our Sustainability Procurement Guidelines. In order to help our business partners better understand sustainability, the checklist also includes a description of specific sustainability initiatives.
The same checklist is used as a reference in selecting new business partners.
Initiatives to Deepen Collaboration with Business Partners
Fair and equitable business transactions
The NSD Group Code of Conduct and the NSD Group Behavioral Guidelines both require that our actions abide by correct corporate ethics and comply with relevant laws and regulations, including Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Act and Anti-Monopoly Act.
Whenever we commence business dealings with a new business partner, the Development Support Department reviews the transaction to ensure compliance with various guidelines and laws, such as Japan's Subcontractor Act and Temporary Staffing Services Act.
We have also established a whistleblower hotline that is accessible by our business partners in an effort to prevent fraud and scandals.
Creating a comfortable work environment for our diverse workforce
NSD is also working to foster workplaces that are comfortable and offer diverse work styles for our business partners, too, in much the same way as our own employees.
As part of this effort, we have expanded our network equipment for remote connections to establish a telework environment accessible also to business partners.
We are working to prevent long working hours by sharing working hour data with the managers of our business partners and discussing ways to increase the efficiency of business processes. Each procurement department uses an IT system to carefully monitor the working hours of dispatched workers in particular to ensure compliance with Article 36 of the Labor Standards Act.
Training support for business partners
We recognize the need to constantly improve IT skills in the supply chain in order to continuously provide high-quality products and services to our customers. NSD offers the same IT training programs provided to its new employees to the new employees of its business partners, too, to help enhance their IT skill level
Rigorous information security countermeasures with business partners
To maintain good supply chains, having a high degree of information security awareness is vital so that measures can be continuously taken.
NSD assesses new business partners based on its Information Security Policy to make sure that they have an appropriate information security management system in place. If they fail to satisfy our requirements, we may refuse to do business with them.
Additionally, every year we provide information security training to our business partners to foster understanding of and ensure compliance with our Information Security Policy