Advisory Services: Information and Communications Technology Industries
Information & Communications Technology Industry
BSR works with the full range of businesses in this sector including electronics and computer hardware manufacturers, software providers and information and telecommunications service providers.
CSR Strategy and Structure
BSR consults with companies throughout the sector to help them better define and integrate CSR into their business strategies, and develop structures that drive CSR performance through the organization.
- BSR conducted a benchmarking project to help this global communications company evaluate how other ICT market leaders and CSR leadership companies are incorporating CSR into individual and department goal-setting, performance review processes, and compensation systems.
- BSR provided expert counsel and recommendations to this global communications company to help them explore options for managing CSR through staffing structures and decision-making mechanisms at the Board, senior staff and individual department levels.
CSR Assessment and Policy Development
BSR uses a variety of consulting tools and processes to help companies develop appropriate CSR policies and evaluate their standing in relation to global CSR standards and leadership practices.
- BSR engaged in a large-scale comprehensive gap analysis to help this global technology company better understand stakeholders' views of the company's ethical, social, environmental performance. The project involved extensive interviews with internal staff and approximately 20 external stakeholders representing customers, partners, government agencies, NGOs and investors, and resulted in recommendations on next steps for CSR policy development.
- BSR evaluated key company policies and practices and provided an in-depth analysis of potential improvements in the areas of corporate governance, accountability, business ethics, human resource and workplace issues, human rights, community impact, and environment, to help this global communications company develop a baseline understanding of its CSR performance and identify potential strategic changes.
Stakeholder Engagement and Transparency
BSR provides a range of tools and services in the areas of reporting strategy, report development and review, and engagement models to help companies better respond to the needs of their stakeholders.
- BSR is working closely with this global communications company to provide ongoing, long-term research and counsel on potential multi-sector partnership opportunities to address digital divide issues.
- BSR has provided strategic input on tone, content, scope and management structures for managing CSR reports for a variety of companies in the industry. BSR has also participated on the cross-functional committees often formed to develop CSR reports, and provided guidance on the likely stakeholder reaction to report content.
Supply Chain
BSR provides counsel to companies on the spectrum of supply chain issues including strategy and policy development, risk assessment, audit and verification processes, and management systems to encourage supplier ownership. BSR also conducts internal staff trainings and supplier workshops on a wide range of supply chain issues.
- BSR provided strategic evaluation and counsel on the company's supplier evaluation policies, forms and processes to help this global technology company develop more effective monitoring of its supply chain partners. The focus of the work included recommendations on issues including monitoring programs, monitoring resources, remediation, metrics, risk evaluation, cost justification, and quantifying associated costs of non-compliance.
- BSR developed the prototype of a country risk assessment tool to help this global communications company better assess and manage risk at the business partner-level. The tool and related reports included information on the overall human rights climates of various countries, as well as detailed labor rights information.
Industry Issues
Access, Community engagement, Digital divide, Environmental impact, Freedom of Expression, Human rights, ICT applications, Intellectual property, Labor standards, Marketplace practices, Offshoring, Product life-cycle, Privacy & Security, Restricted substances, Technological impacts, Transparency, Supply chain
For more information, please contact us at web@bsr.org.