In Oct 2004, HP, Dell and IBM released an Electronics Industry Code of Conduct to promote industry standards for socially responsible business practices across their global supply chains. The code, which was developed in collaboration with electronics manufacturing companies Celestica, Flextronics, Jabil, Sanmina SCI, and Solectron, paves the way for a standards-based approach for monitoring suppliers' performance across several areas of social responsibility, including labor and employment practices, health and safety, ethics, and protection of the environment.

To promote sustainable improvement in supply chain, BSR believe that focusing on management systems and analyzing the root causes of non-conformances increases the probability of lasting change. For that reason, HP launched the Focused Improvement Supplier Initiative (FISI) with Business for Social Responsibility's China Training Institute and several organizations with experience conducting training in China (such as Verite, ENSR, WSP, ERM and GED). The FISI program is providing monthly social and environmental management training sessions to 30 of our suppliers in China, who employ approximately 100,000 people, between June 2006 and June 2007.

Factory managers as well as managers in quality, human resources and environmental, health and safety attend the sessions. Each person receives between two and four days of mandatory training per month for a year. The FISI training sessions cover increasing productivity, working hours, wages and benefits, worker communications, management systems, root cause analysis, Chinese laws and regulations, the environment and health and safety. Suppliers provide HP with monthly progress reports of corrective actions, improvements and metrics.

HP is strongly committed to implementing responsible supply chain practices. In 2007-2008, following FISI first round (2006-2007), HP – with the support of BSR and its China Training Institute (CTI)– successfully developed the Focused Improvement Supplier Initiative (FISI), a program that provided 40 top tier HP suppliers with the tools and resources to improve CSR management within their facilities.

FISI connects suppliers with resources, skills and a network of experts to facilitate systematic improvement in SER management. The FISI training sessions covered a wide range of issues, such as productivity, working hours, wages and benefits, worker communications, management systems, root cause analysis, Chinese laws and regulations, the environment, health and safety, and the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directives.

FISI demonstrates HP's commitment to raising awareness of SER management and strengthening our suppliers' capabilities. In 2006, the program tested curriculum design methods and training resources while promoting dialogue among buyers and suppliers. Participants were encouraged to share best practices and take part in training exercises modeled on real situations. For example, in a production line simulation, participants assumed the roles of workers, buyers and managers and adjusted key production factors, such as inventory, overtime, delivery time and materials, and then tracked progress and analyzed the reasons for higher and lower productivity levels.

FISI has two classes: FISI advanced and FISI intro. Both FISI advanced and FISI intro seeks to provide suppliers with tools and resources to implement sustained CSR improvement within their facilities. FISI advanced and intro courses have been designed with supplier preferences in mind, and reflect direct feedback from suppliers. They differ in that FISI Intro is designed to provide a broad based overview of multiple SER topics where FISI advanced will be more focused on a few key areas. Additionally, both classes leverage key learning gained from running the first round of FISI in 2006-2007. view more »