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Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

Commitment in line with our corporate mission “for a safer world”

The company’s acknowledgement of its social responsibility is reflected in appropriate standards, compliance, and an integrated management system. Frequentis has achieved several certifications and seeks to incorporate the principles of social responsibility and sustainability in all areas of activity. This is reflected e.g. in the Bronze Medal awarded by EcoVadis or the company´s membership in the Austrian business council for sustainable development - respACT.
 

News

ISO certification for IT Service Management

Frequentis has achieved ISO 20000:2018 certification for its Managed Service and as-a-Service business, consequently meeting international industry standards for professional IT service management. 

Managed Service and as-a-Service contracts have become a significant addition to Frequentis' service business and therefore contribute, along with the standard maintenance business, significantly to Frequentis’ success. 

The ISO 20000:2018 standard now provides Frequentis with a set of requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving a service management system. Despite being widely used across the industry, this standard is a rarity in the field of Critical Infrastructure, thus representing an advantage in the market and, by providing a well-documented system to control the IT service delivery process, contributing to enhance customers’ satisfaction. 

The ISO 20000 certificate was officially handed over to Frequentis AG, represented by COO Monika Haselbacher and VP of Customer Service Andreas Keisler, on 9 July 2024.
 

2024-07-18

Women and men talking in the courtyard

SUMMER PARTY OF THE WOMEN'S COMMUNITY

As an internal networking and exchange platform, the Frequentis Women's Community provides valuable impetus for supporting women in their day-to-day work and career planning. In addition to concrete initiatives such as a mentoring programme or transparency regarding salaries and job advertisements, the informal exchange between women from different departments is of great importance.
There was plenty of opportunity for this at the Women's Community summer party with ice cream and cool drinks. Music and good humour contributed to a successful exchange on both professional and private topics.
 

2024-06-28

Frequentis Lieferantenehrung: Gruppenfoto der Geehrten und Mitarbeiter:innern

Supplier Award 2023

As a company operating in the safety-critical area, Frequentis relies on reliable partners and continuous, long-term business relationships also with its suppliers.

When selecting suppliers, in addition to criteria such as quality, price, reliability, and service, attention is also paid to the aspects of ethics, compliance with labour standards, and environmental protection in accordance with the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Code for Suppliers and Subcontractors.

Once a year, as part of the annual supplier evaluation, the best partners are put in the spotlight. The top 3 suppliers - RedHat Austria GmbH, Löscher Elektronik GmbH, and Certicon a.s. for 2023 - were honoured by the Frequentis Executive Board at an atmospheric ceremony at Frequentis headquarters on 20 June.

In addition, a sustainability award was presented for the 3rd time for special outstanding activities in the areas of environment, social affairs, employee programmes, diversity, and community support. First place went to Löscher GmbH, which introduced the ISO 14001 environmental management system in 2023. 

In a "Sustainability Best Practice Workshop" with the aforementioned award winners as well as Lehner electronics GmbH and the Austrian representative of Fujitsu Technology Solutions, there was a fruitful exchange of experiences on projects and ideas in the area of sustainability.

2024-06-25

PRESENTATION "EQUALITA" SEAL OF APPROVAL

At an atmospheric ceremony at the Ministry of Labour and Economics in Vienna, the equalitA seal of approval was given to Frequentis. Federal Minister Martin Kocher and General secretary Eva Landrichtinger congratulated Frequentis, represented by ESG Group Coordinator Brigitte Gschiegl, to the initiatives supporting women in their work life within the company.

The ‘equalitA’ seal of approval recognises companies and organisations that promote women within the company, ensure gender equality within the company, promote women's careers, and make them visible. "Since the seal of approval was introduced in 2020, we have been recognising progressive companies and organisations. In doing so, we are sending a positive signal for a working environment that is characterised by gender equality and enhancing Austria as a place to work," says Federal Minister Kocher.

Copyright: BMAW/Holey

2024-05-23

bronze ecovadis seal

WE ARE GIVING BACK – DONATION TO CARITAS

(c) Bernhard Wieczorek

An employee initiative at the Vienna site in cooperation with the Austrian welfare organisation Caritas led to a fund-raising campaign at the 2023 Christmas party. Cash donations totalling EUR 5,000 were collected from employees and this amount was doubled by the company. The money was spend on an urgently needed large laundry dryer and charging stations for mobile devices at the Caritas Day Centre close to Vienna's main railway station. These items greatly enhance the day-to-day lives of the centre's clients and employees. When he presented the funds, CFO Peter Skerlan emphasised that Frequentis’ Executive Board fully supports its employees' charity project and will make a contribution to similar initiatives in the future.

2024-02-21

ESG Strategy

Safe – Secure – Sustainable: these key aspects have been added to Frequentis’ global strategy to highlight the importance of sustainability.

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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 reports which have also been well-received by analysts and stakeholders. 

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.

In our Sustainability News we report about our ongoing ESG activities.

Processes & quality

Frequentis implements its social responsibility through an integrated management system, which is controlled by means of processes.

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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:

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.

Employee Workplace & Measures

As a responsible employer, Frequentis has a genuine desire to actively support the health, vitality and personal interests of its employees.

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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.

Products & technologies

Attention is paid to sustainability and environmental consciousness in the company’s production sequences: Careful use of primary energy and raw materials, reducing harmful waste and the use of environmentally friendly production methods are documented and verified in the annual management review.

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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.

Customers & markets

For Frequentis, long-term business relationships are characterised by transparency, fairness and integrity. The company has an outstanding reputation as a reliable and recognised partner with its customers and suppliers, as well as in the international community.

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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.

 

Finances & profit

Frequentis stands for sustainable business management. This is a duty arising from its special corporate culture in dealing with safety-critical applications.

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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.

Society, education & responsibility

In accordance with the company’s mission statement “for a safer world”, Frequentis considers that it has a social responsibility and obligation to make a contribution to disaster relief and, in this way, to express solidarity with those in need.

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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.

Whistleblowing

In its whistleblowing service, Frequentis offers a system to report a suspicion of serious misconduct easily and anonymously.

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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.

For more information, please click here.

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