Quality Assurance, Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility Statement
Quality Assurance ISO 9001:2008 / ISO 12647/2 / Fogra 27L
QA/QC is an integral component of our operational processes, which is instilled through constant staff training and client engagement.
Our Quality Management Systems (QMS) training covers a wide range of topics, including overriding corporate commitment to quality, customer focus, adequacy of resources, employee competence, process management (for production, service delivery and relevant administrative and support processes), quality planning, review of incoming data, purchasing, processes to resolve customer complaints, corrective/preventive actions and continual improvement and measurement of internal controls.
We monitor against preset KPI programs implemented with our clients, against which production and performance milestones are measured and acted upon. As an organisation we are actively working toward BSI international accreditation to ISO 9001:2008.
Importantly our organisation has gained accreditation under Post Standard Offset (Gmbh) and is officially approved by FOGRA to independently certify colour systems and print presses to ISO 12647-2.
Independent creative services assessors are engaged on a bi-annual basis to audit and report on performance, efficiency and competence across all areas of group activity.
Environmental Statement (2009/2010):
Loveurope is committed to reducing the environmental impact of all of its business activities. As an organisation, we recognise both the significance of preserving the environment for generations to come, and of ensuring that consumers and clients can guarantee a transparent and ethical procurement process in any product or service they purchase.
This is put into practice through:
• Compliance with existing environmental legislation
• Ensuring that the environmental credentials of suppliers are considered when supplier’s contracts are tendered
• Through efficiencies and technology our services provide our clients with environmental savings. This is through reduction of shipping costs, digitalisation of paper trails and reduction of process times.
• An ongoing Environmental Management System (EMS). This is part of our adherence to the provisions of ISO 14001 and The Carbon Trust accreditation program.
The Loveurope EMS:
• Comprehensive recycling programme, to ensure that all recyclable goods used by our facilities are processed by recycling partners. In addition, we have joined the HP and Epsom computer equipment recycling partnership programmes.
• A three-year review of energy use in all Loveurope run premises. This is part of our Carbon Trust project – through which we plan to reduce energy use year-on-year by 2.5%.
• Adoption and promotion of the governmental Cycle to Work schemes; encouraging employees to eschew carbon producing modes of transport in favour of cycling.
• Initiating a procurement policy that places environmental impact as one of the criteria in choosing products and services. Ensuring factors such as energy-rating guides, recyclability and sustainability of production.
• We understand that education is one of the most important tools in the fight against climate change and we are committed to ensuring that our staff understand the causes of and methods for minimising environmental damage. Following detailed staff consultation, an office best practice document has been published and circulated.
• Review: This policy will be reviewed every 12 months in order to ensure that it is serving its purpose efficiently and effectively.
Loveurope does not offer company cars to its employees, but does offer a public transport season ticket loan. Similarly, we help other companies reduce their environmental costs as a part of our business service - this is by finding greater efficiencies in their production processes.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Statement (2009/2010)
Along with compliance to all relevant laws and regulations, we have set ambitious social, environmental and ethical targets for our CSR. The group has achieved several targets recently.
Socially, in our South African offices we have supported the movement towards Black Economic Empowerment, and this is now reflected in our staffing, and have a global policy of total equality in recruitment and in the workplace. As a signatory of the Federation Against Software Theft and Investors in Software, Loveurope ensure that our software meets the organisation’s ongoing requirements.
Loveurope complies with all relevant national and international health and safety regulations. Our aim is to provide the safest working environment possible, whilst doing all we can to minimise any negative impact upon the community and environment.
The Loveurope CSR:
Loveurope supports all human rights and upholds its employees’ rights to fair labour conditions.
This support extends to the 8 fundamental International Labour Organization conventions:
1. Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) 2. Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) 3. Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) 4. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) 5. Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) 6. Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) 7. Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) 8. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111)
and the UN Global Compact:
Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour; Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Additionally, Loveurope strives to ensure that its employees are treated with dignity, are given full understanding of their employment conditions and are provided with reasonable pay and terms.
We also do our utmost to prevent all discrimination and abuse where it might occur in the work place. Employees are all above national working ages in legal working conditions, there of their own volition and with the freedom to join employee representative bodies.
Disciplinary measures against employees are rare and only include verbal and written warnings – the final recourse being the termination of contract (with due notice).
Business Ethics:
Loveurope does its utmost to prevent unfair business practices, refusing to work with individuals or organisations that are complicit in corruption, bribery and other unethical practices. In addition, personal and confidential information is fully respected by the group as is enshrined in relevant legal systems.
Our Principles and Our Supply Chain:
Loveurope ensure that suppliers understand and embrace the above principles and policies. CSR is an important part of our procurement criteria, and adherence, where possible, is a prerequisite to commercial engagement with the group.
