Responsible Procurement Policy

Ribbon’s Global Operations

Ribbon works collaboratively with Suppliers to create the best value for our customers. Ribbon’s sourcing and manufacturing operations are outsourced to a global network of suppliers and partners. Our Suppliers are diverse and extensive, including but not limited to: development partners, service suppliers, manufacturing partners and component suppliers.

Ribbon requires our Suppliers to consider the environmental, ethical and social impact of our activities through design, material selection, manufacture, packaging, transportation, usage and disposal of our products. Sustainability requirements are embedded in our supply chain business processes to help ensure continual improvement and drive impactful change.

Supplier Code Of Conduct

Ribbon requires our Suppliers to operate in accordance with the Ribbon Supplier Code of Conduct which includes provisions covering responsible management in Labor, Health & Safety, Environment, and Ethics.

Responsible Procurement Policy

Responsible Procurement is important to Ribbon because Procurement is the control point in the organization to ensure Suppliers conduct business using sustainable practices. Procurement has a high degree of influence within the company, to improve efficiencies, reduce raw material costs, identify better sources of supply, and maintain a robust and socially responsible supply chain collectively with our Suppliers.

Ribbon Procurement shall engage Suppliers who:

  1. Conduct business in accordance with all such principles as outlined in the Ribbon Supplier Code of Conduct on Labor, Health and Safety, Environment and Ethics and in compliance with all applicable global and local laws.

  2. Commit to meeting social responsibilities, uphold the human rights of workers, and treat them with dignity and respect as understood by the international community.

  3. Recognize a safe and healthy work environment minimizes the incidence of work-related injury and illness, enhances the quality of products and services, consistency of production, and worker retention and morale.

  4. Recognize that ongoing worker input and education are essential to identifying and solving health and safety issues in the workplace.

  5. Establish operational controls to minimize the environmental impacts of their activities and promote environmentally-friendly policies throughout their supply chain. 

  6. Commit to uphold the highest standards of ethics.

Preference should be given to suppliers with ISO 45001-Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems certification and ISO 14001-Environmental Management Systems certification or other recognized management systems.

Policy Implementation

Ribbon Procurement shall implement this Responsible Procurement Policy by taking action to:

  1. Review the Ribbon Supplier Code of Conduct, covering Labor, Health and Safety, Environment and Ethics to understand the expectations placed on our Suppliers.

  2. Analyze trailing 12-24 months of spend and tier the supply base based on the suppliers that compose the top 50% of total spend value.

  3. Define key metrics to evaluate the Supply base creating metrics that connect to Corporate Sustainability Objectives and are in alignment with the Ribbon Supplier Code of Conduct.

  4. Collaborate with Suppliers to improve operations: align on measurable sustainability metrics, develop a baseline for measurement, develop an action plan to improve on agreed-upon metrics, and incorporate the metrics into supplier performance management programs for regularly cadenced reviews.

  5. Conduct Audits and Assessments: Conduct periodic evaluations of Strategic Suppliers either via questionnaires or on-site audits.

  6. Corrective Action: Use the Ribbon Corrective Action Process to track the correction of deficiencies identified by assessments, inspections, investigations, and reviews.

Key Commitment Statements

  1. Establish a Responsible Procurement Policy (June 2022)

  2. Provide training on Responsible Procurement and Reporting to Ribbon Procurement (100% June 2022)

  3. Ensure Mission Critical Suppliers confirm they acknowledge and abide by the Supplier Code of Conduct (100% Dec 2022)

  4. Ensure Other Suppliers confirm they acknowledge and abide by the Supplier Code of Conduct (50% Dec 2023)

  5. Perform Risk Assessment (ESG rating) of Mission Critical suppliers (100% Dec 2022)

  6. Periodically assess Mission Critical Suppliers’ adherence with the Ribbon Supplier Code of Conduct (50% Dec 2022)