Monday 3 March 2014

TEXNORA - A Tour Inside Our Factory

A Tour Inside our factory - Let's Go:

What's that much special inside Texnora, will it make any difference, YES !!

It is really an awesome experience when you step into our factory. Watch my words, you really feel this as a home rather than a factory, which gives a person a lot of passion to stay here. As we meet all the sufficient requirements for the employees in all the working area with good safety standards as well

Social Particulars:

Fire Fighting:

Our employees trained in fighting Fire Accident and practically indulged training using extinguishers. These types of training provided not only for official purpose, I will say that this is a mandatory thing for every person in this world should know about it.











Even many had lost their lives because of fire accidents. We want everyone of our premises to be aware of such activities and how to save guard themselves and others.

We have equipped with automatic smoke detectors and fire extinguishers at main places so that our employees may easily make use of them. 

You can see the above pictures that our people are fighting fire. Training imparted by experts. Thanks to Raagav Protection Engineers, Tirupur

Social Awareness:

Through NGO's, we impart training to our people for awareness about general but very important social issues like Awareness to AIDS and Accidents, etc.,, Thanks to KDNP Group..






Fun Part:

We used to encourage our employees by taking the whole team and family to a tour once in two to three years. We went to kodaikanal in the year 2009 and Ooty in the year 2013



  



And additionally we used to celebrate the birthdays of my people after working hours by gathering and sweet distributions and cutting the cakes



By all these ways, we used to have fun and remember thereby we are building the interests of the work-group to stay in touch with the company

Now Technical Part:

Of-course we are very strong basically with well-equipped environment for home textiles export






We possess a beautiful factory with all international working standards











Friday 1 February 2013

Texnora - A REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances) Certified Company

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances)


REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances) is very important aspect when considering the European Regulations and generally it is a very good practice for any International market concentrating companies to establish a quality conscious environment

Texnora is a REACH certified manufacturer and exporter of Home furnishing textile products in the international market (certified by TUV Rhineland) and the products and services are in the REACH regulations (SVHCs Free - Substances of Very High Concern) and our working environment also obeys to the European REACH Standards

Adding to the SA8000 (Social Accountability) and Oeko-Tex Certification Texnora is one among few companies in the world to have all these three certifications - delivering value at the best level in the International market and maintaining the customers proud and delight who indulge in business with.

You can get to know what is really REACH meant for:
  
Objective: 

The aim of REACH is to improve the protection of human health and the environment through a better and early identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances right from the raw material stage till the final product. The project will create mass awareness and build local capacity on the new Environmental Regulation REACH EC.No.1907/2006. This knowledge transfer would play a vital role to help the leather and textile Industries to comply with this law and stay competitive in European market.


What is SVHC:

SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) Substances that are one of the following:
  • Carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMRs)
  • Persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic (PBTs)
  • Very persistent and bio-accumulative (vPvBs)
  • Seriously and / or irreversibly damaging the environment or human health, as substances damaging the hormone system




 CANDIDATE LIST: 84 SVHCs (SUBSTANCES OF VERY HIGH CONCERN)
Updated as on (November 2012) 

This list is updated at regular intervals by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), it is an agency of European Union. Recently by December (2013), it was increased to 151. Please check this website: http://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table





 

As per European Union Regulations, the above substances should not be used as the ingredients in the products they use which violates their law and there are penalties if the substances are proved so, and it is mandatory to be aware of this mainly who works in this platform and Texnora is one of the few companies who not just mere using this but also really caring and making the entire system (stakeholder cloud) taking up the corporate social responsibility of sharing and generating the awareness among the producers and the working environment so that the objective reaching from the scratch to the end-customer that of various fields which includes suppliers and sub-suppliers - manufacturers of Raw materials in the same field of exercise




Thursday 8 November 2012

Importance of Stake holders and Generating the Stakeholder Cloud - A Proper Stakeholder Management

Texnora, An Exporter of Home Furnishing Textile Products

Our company's main mission is to provide delight to all the stake holders of the company and updating the information cloud which makes the team work alive to reach success consistently

Customizing to the needs and matching the demand of the customer's fast changing trends

Providing trust and consistent transaction promise to the business partners and the customers thereby gaining positive goodwill which will be a prominent asset for the company 

Employee co-ordination and collaboration, giving the employees, rights to think and deliver, and gone are the days, the companies saying only the products are so important, and product-centric or production-oriented marketing and now the important factor what our company believes is the chain of communication between the employees and employer, customer and the company (Upgrading Customer-Centric Marketing Approach to Stakeholder-Centric Marketing Approach) should not break and there shouldn't be the miscommunication, this helps us to avoid the barriers between the stake holders and maintaining the stakeholder cloud

Four steps of proper stakeholder management

1. Identify the stakeholders
2. Analise them by impact and influence
4 Steps to Manage the Stakeholders
3. Plan their communications and reporting
4. Engage with them











The priority and preferences of stakeholders our company and team is as follows: which every single company in this universe should follow the same to succeed

Stakeholder preferences and the strategic business partners

1. Customer
2. Employees
3. Vendors
4. Government and other regulatory bodies
5. Shareholders of the Company

This stakeholder cloud phenomena is really works in this fast marketing world


Monday 5 November 2012

SA 8000 Certification: Importance of a Social Accountability





Texnora, home furnishing product exporter from India is a SA-8000:2008 Standard certified company, audited by TUV and it is a famous and well-known company for its Social Accountability and ensuring the 100% handful of support in terms of good will, credit, quality, prices, and care to all the stakeholders of the company

Why SA8000: 2008 Social Accountability is most important for the global market?

How a company can be implemented and certified  ?

 SA8000:2008 Social Accountability Certification
  • About SAI
  • SA8000 standard
  • Who can apply ?
  • Benefits of SA8000 certificate
  • Steps involved in SA8000 certification
  • Major cost elements
  • Choosing a consultant
  • Choosing a certifying agency
  • Useful SA8000 resources

About SAI
 
  
SAI stands for Social Accountability International.

It is a non-governmental, international, multi-stakeholder organisation dedicated to improving workplaces and communities by developing and implementing socially responsible standards. Its headquarters is situated in New York, USA.

SAI convenes key stakeholders to develop consensus-based voluntary standards, conducts cost-benefit research, accredits auditors, provides training and technical assistance, and assists corporations in improving social compliance in their supply chains.

In 1997, SAI launched SA8000 (Social Accountability 8000) – a voluntary standard for workplaces, based on ILO and UN conventions – which is currently used by businesses and governments around the world and is recognised as one of the strongest workplace standards.

SAI partners with trade unions, local NGOs, multi-stakeholder initiatives, organic, fair trade, and environmental organisations, development charities, and anti-corruption groups to carry out research, training and capacity-building programs.

SA8000 standard
 
SA8000:2008 is an auditable standard for a third-party verification system, setting out the voluntary requirements to be met by employers in the workplace, including workers’ rights, workplace conditions, and management systems.
A quick summary of SA8000:2008 requirements is given below:
  1. Child Labour: Do not engage in or support the use of child labour (children under 15 years).
  2. Forced and Compulsory Labour: Do not engage in or support the use of forced or compulsory labour.
  3. Health and Safety: Provide a safe and healthy workplace environment and take effective steps to prevent potential accidents and injury to workers’ health.
  4. Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining: Respect the right of all personnel to form, join, and organise trade unions of their choice and to bargain collectively on their behalf with the company.
  5. Discrimination: Do not engage in or support discrimination in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination, or retirement based on race, national or social origin, caste, birth, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, marital status, etc.
  6. Disciplinary Practices: Treat all personnel with dignity and respect, and do not engage in or tolerate the use of corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion, or verbal abuse of personnel.
  7. Working Hours: Comply with applicable laws and industry standards on working hours and public holidays. The normal work week, not including overtime, shall be defined by law but shall not exceed 48 hours.
  8. Remuneration: Respect the right of personnel to a living wage and ensure that wages paid for a normal work week shall always meet at least legal or industry minimum standards and shall be sufficient to meet the basic needs of personnel and to provide some discretionary income.
  9. Management Systems: Define the company’s policy for social accountability and labour conditions, appoint a management representative, get the workers elect their own SA8000 worker representative, conduct management review, impart training to personnel, control the suppliers / subcontractors and sub-suppliers, provide a confidential means for workers to report non-compliances and address the concerns and take corrective action when required, be open to regular outside communication and stakeholder engagement, provide access for verification (to auditors), and maintain records to demonstrate conformity with the requirements.
Are these requirements very difficult to implement ? Not, really. Over 2100 organizations from 60 countries covering 67 industry sectors have already done it successfully, and, received the prestigious SA8000:2008 certificate. Are you ready to make an attempt ?

Who can apply ?
 
Any legal entity can apply for SA8000 certification. Manufacturers, Service Organizations, Trading Houses, Banks, Hospitals, Educational Institutions, Government Agencies, etc. are eligible to apply.

Benefits of SA8000 certification
 
Many large organizations such as TESCO, WalMart, etc. have decided to clean-up their supply chain by asking their suppliers (especially those from developing nations and third world countries) to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility. They prefer to do business with SA8000:2008 certified suppliers. As such, getting an opportunity to do business with big business houses is the prime benefit.
Some of the other benefits of SA8000 certification are:
  • Systems approach to Social Accountability commitment
  • Clarity in definition of Social Accountability related authorities and responsibilities
  • Improvement in employee-employer relationship, safe and healthy workplace environment, and better compliance with labour laws
  • Better documentation and traceability to root causes of worker and workplace related issues
  • Reduction in the need for multiple assessments (by customers)
  • Use of recognized mark (of certifying agency) on letterheads etc., and
  • Enhanced corporate image and market positioning.

Steps involved in SA8000 certification
 
The steps involved in any SA8000 certification project are the following:
  • Gap Analysis: Detailed assessment of existing social accountability management practices vis-a-vis SA8000:2008 requirements.
  • Initial Review and Planning: Review of findings of gap analysis by Senior Management, identification of applicable legal and other requirements, and planning for SA8000:2008 implementation.
  • System Documentation: Preparation of manuals, forms, campaign posters, etc.
  • System Implementation: Implementation of the system as per manuals.
  • Company-wide Training: Training on SA8000:2008 requirements, employment benefits, familiarization of SA procedures, SA internal audit, etc.
  • SA Internal Audits: Periodic assessment of system implementation status and corrective / preventive actions on audit findings.
  • Pre-assessment: Initial assessment by Certifying agency, and corrective actions by applicant organization.
  • Final Assessment: Detailed assessment by the Certifying agency and recommendation for certification.

Major cost elements
 
There are three major cost elements in any SA8000 project:
  1. Cost of ensuring health and safety at workplace, and the cost incurred in providing employment benefits and miminum wages / living wages to workers that they are legally entitled to.
  2. Cost of training resources / fee to be paid to external consultants.
  3. Fee to be paid to the certifying agency.
The above costs depend on the size and complexity of operations of the applicant company.

Choosing a consultant
 
Before deciding on your SA8000 consultant, consider the following:

Formal Qualifications:

As in the case of medical / financial services, look for formal qualifications. At its minimum level, he / she must have a graduate / post-graduate degree in Industrial Engineering / Labour Laws / Business Administration (Human Resources specialization) with adequate exposure to handling of worker related issues. Apart from SA8000 requirements, your consultant must also be aware of the local statutory and regulatory requirements (such as the Factories Act and Rules, Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Wages Act, Employee State Insurance Act, Provident Fund Act, Fire Safety Rules, etc.). Consultants with industrial engineering / social science background are far more suitable than those with some other educational background.

Relevant Experience:

Your SA8000 consultant should have the experience of handling atleast one or two SA8000 projects independently or as the principal consultant. Avoid those with long experience in other fields and little exposure to SA8000.

Professional Ethics:

Do not sign-up those SA8000 consultants who claim to represent a particular certifying agency and/or offer package deals. Also, do not go with those who assure you the SA8000 certification within ridiculously short time span (say, thirty days). When you expose your personnel to such unethical people during project implementation, it would cause irrepairable damage to your organizational culture and jeopardize the continuation of SA8000 certification itself.

Please keep in mind that SA8000 is not a very complex issue, and, any organisation (big or small) with genuine commitment to social accountability and worker welfare can achieve it.

Willingness to help in documentation:

Your SA8000 consultant should prepare first draft of at least the SA Policy Manual, SA Procedures, and Standard Forms for SA record keeping. This would help in quick implementation of the system.

Support till certification:

Get firm commitment from your consultant that he / she shall provide support till your company gets certified.
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Choosing a certifying agency

This is also very important. Usually, your SA8000 consultant suggests some reputed names. But, do not forget to ask your friends in the industry and verify the credibility of the certifying agency. As SA8000 is more relevant in contractual situations, your customer can be well aware of the standard of certifying agencies.
Also, you must insist on signing the service agreement between the Certifying Agency and the Organization applying for certification and pay the audit fees directly to the Certifying Agency. Reputed certifying agencies do not sign-up or bill via a third party like a consulting / accounting / manpower placement agency.

Another point is regarding recognition of certification. In case your buyers are from a different country, it is better to select an auditing agency well recognized in the buyers' country.
Cost is yet another factor. Due to competition, certification fee has come down to affordable levels now. However, there can be hidden costs like cost of flying down an auditor from a remote location. In that case, hidden cost can be very substantial. Always go for a credible agency with sufficient number of auditors stationed locally.
Bureau Veritas Certification, Det Norske Veritas AS, Intertek Testing Services, SGS, and TUV are some of the reputed SA8000 certifying bodies operating globally.