Pursuit of profit is not everything. Today, many companies also attach importance to their social responsibility and the compliance with ethical standards. Either of their own accord or because business partners make this a prerequisite for the customer relationship. The first was the reason for FIS to get certified by the renowned audit company EcoVadis a second time for the compliance with CSR standards. With the “Silver Medal” obtained, FIS is well above the average of the assessed industry (computer programming, consultancy and related activities) in the overall ranking.
It is the aim of EcoVadis to encourage the environmental and social practices of companies by a CSR performance monitoring and assist companies in improving sustainability. The methodology is based on international CSR standards, such as the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact as well as ISO 26000, and considers 190 purchasing categories and 150 countries.
In 2014, FIS was already certified by the research house for the first time and this first audit was initiated by one of the FIS customers. Although this obligation no longer applies, the FIS management board has decided to document the compliance with all current CSR standards for customers and employees and have it certified by an independent audit company.
EcoVadis assesses the four areas of environment, social affairs, ethics and sustainable procurement. FIS was scoring points in the “environment” category with solar energy generated on its premises in Grafenrheinfeld. “FIS scored particularly well in the area of “social affairs” due to numerous health management activities offered to the employees, such as physiotherapy, regular eye examinations and health days, ergonomics passports for all employees, first-aid training courses and many more,” explains Joachim Beringer, head of quality management and compliance at FIS, who is responsible for the coordination of the CSR certification. The area of “ethics” includes, for instance, anti-corruption guidelines as well as raising the awareness of employees concerning the acceptance of gifts. Consequently, the CSR commitment of FIS resulted in an above-average overall assessment.
