Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

ESG at Frequentis – Putting our responsibility into practice

Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are values that the Frequentis Group has been committed to in all its activities for many years. Evidence include the Group’s yearly published non-financial which have also been well-received by analysts and stakeholders. For example, we have been awarded a silver medal by the ESG rating agency EcoVadis.

We remain clearly committed to continuously improving all aspects of our social and ecological performance, fulfilling the rising compliance obligations, and actively working towards sustainable development throughout the Group.

This fundamental attitude is summarised in our ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) strategy.

Frequentis ESG Strategy: Safe – Secure – Sustainable

• We want our descendants to inherit a viable environment
• Sustainability is embedded in our global strategy
• We want to create group-wide awareness of ESG and an understanding of the associated activities 
• As a publicly listed company, we comply with mandatory reporting requirements 
• Dialogue with our stakeholders is important to us 
• We also help our customers meet their sustainability obligations
• Starting at headquarters, all ESG activities will be rolled out Group-wide and adapted to local conditions

Safe – Secure – Sustainable: these key aspects have been added to Frequentis’ global strategy to highlight the importance of sustainability. In this regard, the Frequentis ESG strategy has a very broad perspective: ESG is reflected in our purpose (“for a safer world"), the Frequentis culture, and the Group’s values and targets.

These processes, which are divided into core processes, management processes, and support processes, build the foundation for the ongoing optimisation and increased efficiency of the company.

• The results of the core processes create direct value for customers.
• Management processes define activities geared to strategic alignment and management of the company. Examples include innovation and product management.
• The workflows required to support the core processes are defined in support processes.

These include the supply chain as well as development.

The current process model covers the entire life cycle, from the product idea to phase-out, while also taking the requirements of the software and solution-focused business into account.

The processes build a substantial foundation to obtain and maintain Frequentis’ certification under the following standards:

• Quality Management (ISO 9001)
• Environmental Management (ISO 14001)
• Information Security (ISO 27001)
• Occupational Health and Safety (ISO 45001)
• Cyber Essentials Certificate
• AS/NZS4801

The process content and its application are verified during audits, which are conducted at regular intervals by external certification authorities.

Our confidence in the quality of our products and services, as well as our commitment to social responsibility, is backed by certified management systems within the Frequentis group. The long history of management system certifications shows our experience and commitment to follow national and international standards.

Vaccination campaigns (Influenza, FSME, dip/tet/polio), annual health examinations, heart check days, lung function tests, eye tests and vein checks are performed annually at the Vienna location as part of the company’s occupational healthcare activities. These are supplemented by stress checks in the area of occupational psychology and measures geared to preventing burnout.

The wide-ranging vitality programme at the Vienna headquarters includes an extensive choice of free sports activities and a range of discounted sports and fitness offerings. Participation at e.g. the Vienna City Marathon and the Vienna Business Run are sponsored by Frequentis. Other activities supported by the company include table tennis and football.

A key aspect of the Frequentis vitality programme is healthy nutrition for employees and guests at the Vienna location. Meals are freshly cooked daily and four different menus are available. Great emphasis is placed on the top quality of all food products. Where possible, programmes geared to promoting physical and mental health are also offered at Frequentis’ subsidiaries.

Frequentis also pays great attention to the compatibility of work and family life. As a family-friendly company, Frequentis offers the “Frequenty Children’s Weeks” childcare programme during the summer holidays since 2012. On average, around 100 employees’ children between the ages of three and ten are taken care of during the course of this initiative, which changes its motto yearly. This comprises of an exciting and varied full-day programme – directly on Frequentis’ premises, supplemented by a variety of workshops and various excursions. Sports activities are also part of the programme. In this way, Frequentis makes an active contribution to the “Companies for Families” programme of the Austrian Ministry for the Family. Frequentis has been involved in this initiative as a network partner since 2015.

To help staff to pursue their personal interests, the company also supports parental and educational leave. During an annual salary review, employees and their managers use legal requirements and external benchmarks to examine whether salaries correspond to minimum requirements and market conditions. An internationally customisable leadership development programme supports succession planning. Group-wide knowledge acquisition and exchange is supported by the further development of skills management, virtual platforms and distance learning.

The waste heat from the integration and assembly building is being used to heat the company‘s premises at Innovationsstrasse. The photovoltaic system installed in 2014, is highly effective and is now operating at a capacity of 115.3 kWp. An in-house interdepartmental energy team has been implemented to explore additional savings potential in the area of energy consumption.

Frequentis has created an open culture, in which ideas and suggestions are recognised and valued by everyone. A continuous improvement process and active suggestion system are essential components of a functioning quality management system.

The “FREQUENTIS IDEAS” platform has been up and running since 2014: Frequentis employees are asked to proactively generate ideas for improvement, i.e. ideas which could be profitable for the company in the broadest sense or with which existing resources could be used more wisely. This also includes improvements to workflows. Around 10 ideas are introduced per month.

Together with the contributor of the idea, they are evaluated in more detail and processed transparently with a view to potential implementation. One example is “The Launcher,” a tool for the pre-configuration of Frequentis’ information systems (JIRA, JAMA, SAP, DMS, etc.) when creating a specific project in the Frequentis IT landscape. Valuable working time can be saved as a result. The tool was implemented in 2017.

Resource handling

In conjunction with efficient use of resources, Frequentis makes a sustained effort to reduce the use of resources within the company and the use of dangerous materials in production. An annual HSE audit evaluates the measures implemented and recommends new initiatives.

Environmental protection has a significant role throughout the entire value chain, from the selection of materials, through processing to recyclability. Particular attention is paid to reduction of hazardous materials in production.

Power consumption is another important indicator. Over the past few years, Frequentis has succeeded in significantly reducing or maintaining consumption at the same level, thanks to a range of measures, such as free cooling and the use of water pumps and solar facilities.

Frequentis’ contribution to the conservation of resources and sustainability includes the fact that its products and solutions are operated by customers for many years, often decades. In addition, Frequentis provides extensive service and maintenance programmes, such as lifecycle management to support this long service life. Customers can select various service levels, while service teams are available around the clock worldwide.

Proximity to customers, which is very important to Frequentis, is continuously being extended thanks to a market oriented sales structure. The core is the development of regional sales units in all key markets. Close cooperation with the business units secures professional expertise in addition to regional knowhow.

Suppliers are selected based on objective criteria. Customers and suppliers who are simultaneously competitors are handled fairly and are not disadvantaged. Regular training of employees in supply chain management guarantees compliance with the rules of transparency in the supply chain, including the strict avoidance of slavery, human trafficking, any form of forced labour or compulsory labour, child labour and any type of discrimination. Audits cover subcontractors, suppliers, and employment agencies, taking into account any specific country and/ or regional risks.

For more information, please see: Frequentis CSR Code for Suppliers and Subcontractors

Frequentis strictly complies with national and international laws, regulations and official regulations in each country where it does business. An example is the “Modern Slavery Act” in Great Britain.

Integrity and high ethical standards are the basis of all Frequentis’ business activities. The principles and guidelines for responsible action and integrity are outlined in a code of conduct and clearly summarised for customers and partners.

Long-term customer and supplier relationships also ensure the sustainability of the company’s business activities. This is supported by the long-term stability of Frequentis’ teams. Transparent reporting and open communication policies provide the basis for credibility and trust in Frequentis’ management. Consistent growth in the total operating income over the past 35 years, an excellent equity base and well-secured liquidity document the sustainable development of Frequentis. This is also shown by a stable equity ratio.

Frequentis‘ extensive financial management provides funding for the Group. This ensures the company’s financial independence and continuous liquidity, along with permanent monitoring of all interest rate and currency risks.

Special focus is placed on the most vulnerable members of society, children. Frequentis has been a partner of the UN child welfare organisation, UNICEF, for many years. UNICEF provides aide wherever children are in danger – due to war, disasters, epidemics or violent conflicts. By providing emergency aide and long-term support, UNICEF helps set the course for girls and boys worldwide to grow up healthy, safe and with a bright future.

Educational sponsorship

For years now, Frequentis has been putting emphasis on selective sponsorship of technical schools and universities. Special technically-oriented training facilities require considerable financial resources (basic financing by the government can often cover only part of the cost) and exchange with industry to be able to offer top quality practice-oriented education and training that is state-of-the-art. Close collaboration between business and education is essential.

For many years, Frequentis has been involved at the FH Technikum and the FH Campus in Vienna, in order to support top quality education at these universities of applied sciences. Its participation includes sponsorship, lectures, support for bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes, workshops and study trips on topics such as “Women in Technology”. Furthermore, Frequentis actively contributes to the development of study programmes (e.g. in software design & engineering). In addition, Frequentis has had a long-term cooperation with FH St. Pölten since 2010. This focuses above all on IT-related topics, such as cyber security. Moreover, Frequentis managers are represented on advisory boards for security/information security and railway technology & mobility.

The Frequentis Start-Up Centre in Phorusgasse in Vienna, which was founded in 2001, helps graduates from TU Vienna set up their own businesses. The support programme basically lasts three years. In addition to an inexpensive and flexible location with appropriate infrastructure, during this time young entrepreneurs have access to an array of services, including the possibility of tapping into business opportunities at Frequentis. In total, more than 50 companies with over 200 employees in the IT, hardware and software development and technical consulting segments have found their ‘first home’ at the Start-Up Centre.

Conducting our business with integrity, based on high ethical principles, is a matter of course for us at Frequentis. That includes the ability to draw attention anonymously to any irregularities and breaches of the law.

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