Fair Trade
Policy on procurement (The Advantest Procurement Policy and CSR Procurement Policy)
The Advantest Group's CSR Policy pledges respect for our suppliers, places value on open communication with our suppliers, and maintains fair business relationships in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. We are also committed to sharing values and building collaborative relationships with our suppliers, toward our goal of achieving mutual growth.
Framework and system for managing fair trade (CSR procurement)
To promote and maintain fair trade practices, the Advantest Group has established the Procurement Administrative Department independent of the Purchasing Division. The department conducts a questionnaire-based survey once a year with suppliers and also conducts an evaluation of supplier QCD (quality, cost, and delivery) on a quarterly basis. We provide feedback to suppliers on the results, a process which helps us to grow together with our suppliers.
An audit is conducted by our corporate auditors on transactions with suppliers twice a year to confirm that there are no issues or deviations from standard commercial practices. In addition, an internal control audit by an external body is conducted once a year. This audit confirmed that there were no issues during fiscal 2012.
Furthermore, we manage total order balances through checks at the end of each month to ensure there are no omissions in acceptance inspections. For items for which there is a long delay from the order date to the acceptance inspection, the reason and planned acceptance inspection are clarified and a report is made to the corporate auditor.
Training on conducting fair trade
Seminar on the Subcontractors Act
In fiscal 2012, Advantest conducted seminars on the Subcontractors Act for purchasing staff members and others. We plan to provide ongoing training on fair trade practices going forward.
Building a win-win relationship with suppliers
New Year's party
At Advantest, we hold a New Year's party, meeting and reception for suppliers once a year to help create positive relationships and provide opportunities for them to exchange opinions with Advantest executives.
We also hold seminars for suppliers every year. During fiscal 2012, we held seminars six times on topics including market trends, quality management, and leader training, contributing to mutual improvement in service levels. We plan to hold five seminars on similar topics during fiscal 2013 as well.
