Sustainability

Sustainability Top

Supply Chain Management

Basic approach

Our group has approximately 70 Group Companies in approximately 20 countries around the world and is expanding its business globally. Furthermore, with the globalization of business, supply chains are expanding and becoming more complex, and companies are required to fulfill their social responsibilities, including their supply chains. Our group considers the supply chain to be part of our social responsibility and promotes initiatives that are considerate of human rights, labor, the environment, and other issues.
For this reason, we have established "Raw Materials Purchasing Regulations" and are promoting CSR procurement based on our "Basic Policy on Procurement." The Basic Policy on Procurement and the Sustainable Supply Chain Guidelines include anti-discrimination, freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, compliance with the minimum wage, compliance with legally mandated working hours, occupational health and safety for employees, and proper management. This includes complying with local laws, such as providing a good working environment. There are Japanese, English, and Chinese versions, and we are disseminating them to overseas Group Companies and suppliers.

artience group (hereinafter referred to as "our group") contributes to society by providing excellent products and services to our customers, and at the same time, through fair and impartial procurement activities with suppliers who build supply chains together with our group. We strive to build relationships of mutual trust. In order to contribute to improving the sustainability of society and the global environment by pursuing the ideal form of the supply chain that our group builds with our suppliers, we have established the "Basic Policy on Procurement" (hereinafter referred to as "this Basic Policy"). ), and in accordance with this, we carry out procurement activities such as raw material purchasing and business outsourcing.

  1. Compliance with laws and international norms
    Our group complies with the laws and regulations of the countries or regions in which we operate in our procurement activities, and respects and strives to comply with international codes of conduct and the social norms of each country or region. In particular, the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, the California Supply Chain Transparency Act, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the OECD Promoting Responsible Supply Chains for Minerals from Conflict and High-Risk Areas. We will respond to social demands such as strengthening human rights compliance, including in the supply chain, as set forth in the "Due Diligence Guidance for Human Rights."
  2. Consideration for human rights and labor
    Our group respects the human rights of all workers involved in our supply chain, and eliminates the possibility of being complicit in human rights violations such as child labor, forced labor, inhumane treatment, discrimination, harassment, and conflict mineral procurement. We strive to build a supply chain that guarantees the rights of workers and appropriate employment and working environments. We also give consideration to the right to survival and livelihood of indigenous peoples and local residents in the areas where we operate.
  3. Responsibility towards the global environment and resources
    In order to contribute to the preservation of the global environment and the development of a recycling-oriented society through our procurement activities, our group not only complies with environmental laws and regulations, but also voluntarily strives to reduce our environmental impact and resource usage. In particular, we will work to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions throughout our supply chain. Additionally, as a chemical manufacturer, we will thoroughly manage chemical substances in both raw materials and production processes.
  4. Fair corporate activities
    In order to gain the trust of all stakeholders, our group complies with laws and regulations and conducts procurement activities based on corporate ethics and responsible corporate conduct. Corrupt acts such as bribery, giving or receiving inappropriate benefits, impeding fair and free competition, and infringement of intellectual property rights are prohibited, and appropriate information is provided to fulfill confidentiality and accountability obligations and ensure transparency. We will strive to disclose.
  5. Policy awareness and education
    The Group will disseminate this Basic Policy and the Sustainable Supply Chain Guidelines to all people involved in the supply chain, including Group employees, and will promote a sustainable supply chain through appropriate training and educational activities regarding human rights, labor, the environment, etc. We will strive to maintain and continue to do so.
  6. Selection of suppliers
    As a partner who together realizes the ideal sustainable supply chain that we aspire to through our procurement activities, we aim to rationally and comprehensively improve our capabilities and reliability in areas such as legal compliance, quality, price, supply capacity, technological capabilities, and information provision capabilities. Based on fair and impartial standards, we select suppliers who have the same aspirations for improving the sustainability of the global environment and society. Additionally, in order to maintain a sustainable supply chain, we conduct appropriate surveys and audits of our suppliers and strive for continuous improvement.
    In order to achieve the purpose of this section, we will apply the following criteria to select new suppliers and periodically check the status of existing suppliers.
    Supplier selection criteria
    1. Legal compliance
      Comply with laws and regulations and respect international codes of conduct. In particular, we must pay careful attention to human rights and labor practices, and conduct business activities with integrity toward all stakeholders in our supply chain.
    2. quality
      Stability of quality is ensured by meeting the quality requirements of our group and operating an appropriate quality control system.
    3. price
      The price must be economically reasonable and reasonable. Raw material prices must be at a level that allows the Group to maintain price competitiveness in the market.
    4. Supply power
      The quantity and delivery date requested by our group must be met, and the stability of supply must be ensured.
    5. Technical capabilities
      Possess the necessary level of technical capabilities to support the manufacturing goals of our group.
    6. Information provision ability
      Being able to provide information and proposals that are necessary or effective to our group in a timely and appropriate manner.
    7. Confidentiality
      It is possible to maintain the confidentiality of information obtained through transactions with the Group by implementing appropriate information management and security systems.
    8. environmental harmony
      In our business activities, we give due consideration to global environmental conservation, resource protection, and biodiversity, and strive to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain.
    9. Management base
      Practicing sound and sustainable corporate management based on a resilient management foundation.
    10. CSR management
      Practicing CSR management that strives to comply with this basic policy and the Sustainable Supply Chain Guidelines, or a code of corporate conduct at an equivalent level.
  7. Revision, abolition and management
    The amendment or abolition of this basic policy will be decided by Board of Directors of artience Co., Ltd.
    In addition, the department in charge of amending or abolishing this basic policy will be the department that supervises artience Co., Ltd. 's procurement activities.

Established in April 2005
Revised on January 1, 2024 (Resolved at Board of Directors on December 8, 2023)

サステナブルサプライチェーンガイドライン​

Promotion system

artience Co., Ltd. Group Purchasing Department plays a central role in our efforts toward suppliers, and promotes CSR procurement activities based on the ``Basic Policy on Procurement'' and ``Sustainable Supply Chain Guidelines.''
Additionally, risks related to CSR procurement are regularly reported to Risk Management Committee, and information is shared in an effort to prevent and reduce risks.

Promotion of CSR procurement

Our group considers the supply chain to be part of our social responsibility and promotes initiatives that are considerate of human rights, labor, the environment, and other issues. We have established "Raw Materials Purchasing Regulations" and are promoting CSR procurement based on our "Basic Policy on Procurement." In order to further strengthen our supply chain management, we revised our "Basic Policy on Procurement" and "Sustainable Supply Chain Guidelines" in January 2023.
Based on these policies and guidelines, we are implementing the following measures: 1) Disseminating our basic procurement policy and supply chain guidelines, 2) investigating, auditing, and improving suppliers, and 3) deepening employee understanding. We are also promoting activities to disseminate our basic policy.
From now on, we will conduct a CSR procurement self-assessment of our suppliers once every three years and analyze the results in an effort to understand and improve the negative impact on the environment and society in our supply chain.

その他の取り組み​

  • CSR procurement self-assessment
  • Initiatives for new suppliers
  • Response to conflict minerals and cobalt procurement
  • Sustainability assessment by EcoVadis

Initiatives to address logistics issues

Efforts to address the 2024 logistics problem

On June 2, 2023, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism jointly announced the "Toward Optimizing Logistics and Improving Productivity" with the aim of accelerating the response to the "2024 Logistics Problem". ``Guidelines for efforts by shippers and logistics companies'' have been formulated.
artience group will maintain and relocate relay bases and optimize delivery and cargo reception. Furthermore, with the understanding and cooperation of our customers, we will work together across the supply chain to reduce the burden on logistics companies by easing delivery lead times, shortening waiting times at delivery destinations, and reducing ancillary operations. We will strive to maintain and improve logistics, which is an important social infrastructure.

Examples of past initiatives

  • Separation of trunk transportation part and collection and delivery part
  • Improving the efficiency of vehicle dispatch and loading rate through joint delivery at LogicNet Co., Ltd., which was established through joint investment with a company in the same industry (since 2000)
  • Participating in the “White Logistics” promotion movement (2020-)
  • With the cooperation of customers, we set order closing times that take delivery into account, reducing long working hours for logistics operators (from 2020)

Participating in the “White Logistics” promotion movement

artience Co., Ltd. (formerly TOYO INK SC Holdings Co., Ltd.) supports the "White Logistics" promotion campaign advocated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and in May 2020, announced a voluntary action declaration. . We aim to realize sustainable logistics by collaborating with raw material suppliers, business partners, and logistics operators to promote efficient logistics through appropriate transportation contracts and joint logistics.

Main items of our voluntary action declaration
Initiative items Initiative details
Separation of trunk transportation part and collection and delivery part We will actively work to separate the trunk transportation part and the delivery part to promote efficient logistics.
Separation of work parts other than operation If we receive a consultation from a logistics company regarding the separation of operational work and ancillary work other than driving, we will sincerely respond to the discussion.
Promotion of written transportation contracts We will promote the documentation of transportation contracts.
Separate contract for freight and charges When concluding a transportation contract, in principle, the consideration for transportation (freight) and the consideration for services other than transportation (charges) are entered into separately.
Optimization of subcontracting transactions We also request our own companies and the logistics companies with whom we have transportation contracts to ensure that, when outsourcing to subcontractors, we require ``written transportation contracts'' and ``separate contracts for freight and charges.''
Consideration of legal compliance status when selecting a contract partner When selecting a logistics company to contract with, we consider compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
Cancellation or suspension of operations due to abnormal weather, etc. We will not make unreasonable transportation requests when abnormal weather such as typhoons, heavy rain, or heavy snow occurs or is expected to occur. Additionally, if a logistics operator determines that it is necessary to cancel or suspend operations in order to ensure the safety of drivers, we will respect that decision.
Promoting joint logistics We will collaborate with raw material suppliers and other companies to promote joint logistics initiatives.