Human Rights and Environment

At Techem, we are committed to a resilient supply chain that respects human rights, protects the environment, and promotes sustainable practices. We believe that responsible sourcing and ethical business conduct are essential in creating a positive impact on society and the environment. 

Taking responsibility for our supply chain

The core of our commitment is our group policy statement on respect for human rights and the environment, as well as our risk management. We have developed a risk management system that is anchored in all relevant business processes. This enables us to identify and minimize human rights and environmental risks at our direct suppliers and in our own business area and to prevent, end or reduce the extent of violations of environmental and human rights obligations. We identify, analyze and evaluate risks in annual and ad hoc risk analyzes. Click here for our Policy Statement on respect for human rights and the environment.

Due diligence obligations in our supply chain and at Techem

Techem complies with the German requirements of the The Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz, LkSG) and fulfills its obligations:

For us as Techem, the following potential risks can be derived from our core business: 

  • Environmental risks (production of electrical engineering and components)
  • Labor law / occupational health and safety (work for technicians, assembly partners, other service providers)
  • Equal treatment

We follow up those risks at our suppliers and also Techem-internally.

Our suppliers are obliged to recognize the Techem Supplier Code of Conduct (BME) and our group policy statement on respect for human rights and the environment when concluding a contract.  

If they present their own regulations, they must not fall short of our requirements.

We conduct regular and ad-hoc risk analyzes of individual due diligence obligations at our suppliers and, we do so in our own business area.

In addition, regular training courses for our employees on bribery and corruption, group-wide training on equal treatment, sustainability, data protection and occupational health and safety, as well as guidelines on antitrust and competition law, serve to prevent potential breaches of due diligence.

Human rights and environmental issues are an integral part of our purchasing guidelines.

Techem has set up an online reporting system for employees and (external) third parties. Employees, customers, suppliers and other interest groups can use this reporting channel to report illegal or inappropriate behavior at Techem securely and, if necessary, anonymously: Whispli

We continuously document our human rights and environmental due diligence measures and report on them annually in an LkSG report.

We also report once a year to the German Federal Office of Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). Furthermore, we do provide regular information on the status of implementation and the targets achieved as part of our sustainability reporting.

Close, long-term supplier relationships form the basis of our work

Our Supply Chain Management, Purchasing and the Supplier Quality Team provide the most important information on suppliers.

The team is responsible for the overall strategic purchasing of the Group in the countries in which Techem operates, but also for operational indirect purchasing for Germany.

A distinction is made between four main product groups:

  • Direct: Electronics, meters, smoke alarms, accessories...,
  • Indirect: Call centres, installation partners, marketing, IT, logistics,
  • Heating systems: For our subsidiary Techem Solutions, heating solutions for apartment blocks, including maintenance,
  • Energy: Also for Techem Solutions gas, electricity, wood pelettes,...

In our supplier relationships, we attach great importance to the following key performance indicators: Reliability, innovation, transparency, quality and proactive suggestions for improvement.

Our purchasing strategy is based on the cornerstones of sustainability, value creation, business partners, digital transformation and automation.

The SCM team is responsible for the operational equipment purchasing of the entire group, the central warehouse, the external organisations, national and international customer logistics and the SCM project and process organisation.

Brief introduction to the individual areas:

  • Our materials planning department works closely with suppliers at an operational level and with the strategic purchasing department to procure high-quality equipment.
  • The central warehouse acts as the hub for the smooth flow of materials within the Techem Group and therefore makes a significant contribution to customer satisfaction together with the entire SCM team.
  • The field organisations are responsible for the regional logistics to our installation partners, for the stock at our partners and customer service technicians as well as for inventories.
  • Customer Logistics is divided into a national and international division. The team works closely with the SCM team in a customer-oriented manner to fulfil customer requirements from order to delivery.
  • The SCM project and process organisation drives innovative projects forward. Together with the SCM specialist departments and various internal interfaces, they implement new technologies and optimise processes in order to continuously increase the efficiency of the entire SCM.

Our vision is to work hand in hand with the various departments to ensure a flexible, transparent and cost-efficient supply chain.

Our mission is to ensure the optimum quality of our suppliers and to promote sustainability in the supply chain. Here are the key topics we cover:

  • Ensuring supplier quality: We work closely with our suppliers to ensure that their products and services meet our high quality standards. This includes regular audits, quality controls and the review of production processes.
  • Sustainability and quality: We are committed to sustainability by ensuring that our suppliers adopt environmentally friendly practices. This includes the use of sustainable materials, the reduction of waste and the responsible use of resources.
  • Reporting of Quality Metrics: We constantly analyse our quality metrics to identify areas for improvement. Our reports help us to recognise trends and take proactive measures.
  • Risk management in the supply chain: We continuously assess risks in our supply chain and develop strategies to minimise them. To this end, we prepare for unexpected events. Regulatory requirements are reviewed on an ongoing basis.