EICC Logo
Weekly Bulletin

 

June 12, 2012

Quick Links 

 

Events and Deadlines

 

June 18-22: EICC-GeSI Labor & Ethics Training Course (Seoul).

 

July 17-19: Summer Meeting (Boston).

 

August 13-15: WMC Training (Guangzhou)

 

September 3-5: WMC Training (Singapore)
 
September 17-18: Conflict-Free Minerals Supply Chain Workshop X (Berlin)
 
More . . .

Submit Information 

Submit articles to Brad Cameron 

by 5 PM EST on Fridays.

Subscriptions 

Contact Ben Bruno to add names to the distribution list.

Governance Recommendation Webinars: 

Additional Dates. All Members Should Attend.

 

The EICC Governance Task Force has added two webinars to present governance recommendations to EICC members for a vote.  The webinars will provide background on the task force work, present research that was conducted, and discuss results of the membership survey and interviews.  The final recommendation for a new governance model will also be presented, and members will be able to ask questions. 

 
The recommendations have been approved by the Governance Task Force and the Board of Directors.  The membership vote process will also be presented in the webinars.   All Full and Applicant members are encouraged to participate in one of the webinars. Contact Ben Bruno to register or for more information.                                  
  • Wednesday, June 13 at 7AM EST
  • Thursday, June 14 at 9 PM EST
  • Monday, June 18 at 1 PM EST (New)
  • Thursday, June 21 at 3 PM and 9 PM EST (New)
  • Friday, June 22 at 3 PM EST

Training Webinar on SAQ Reporting 

 

The Tools Management Work Group will schedule a training webinar on reporting in EICC-ON.  The work group needs member input to determine what topics will be most valuable.  Please send suggestions for topics or reporting requirements to Grant Feictinger by close of business Wednesday, June 13.

Register Now for EICC Summer Meeting

July 17-19

 

The EICC Summer Meeting will be held July 17-19 at Gillette Stadium near Boston, MA.  A draft meeting agenda is available here.

  • Tuesday, July 17: Membership Meeting: Updates on organizational changes, tools and program improvements, and other association developments. 
  • Wednesday, July 18: Work Group Workshops: A new opportunity for all EICC members to participate in in-depth discussions with work groups about their key initiatives. 
  • Thursday, July 19: Stakeholder Session: An opportunity for EICC members to learn about the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

 

Registration

  

Register for the meeting here.  Attendees are encouraged to register for a room at the Renaissance Boston Hotel & Spa at Patriot Place. All other hotels are located 7-10 miles away from the meeting venue. Hotel registration is available here.

 

Help Sponsor an Event

 

The meeting will be hosted by EMC, which is helping to cover some of the costs.  Other members are encouraged to help offset remaining costs for what we anticipate will be the largest and most successful membership meeting to date.  Contact Grant Feichtinger for more information about sponsorship opportunities.

July 19 Stakeholder Session: UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

 

The EICC Summer Membership Meeting will include a stakeholder session on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The July 19 session will educate members about the Principles, share cross-sector examples of their use, and include discussion about expectations related to their implementation.  The session will also focus on temporary work as a case study on implementing the Principles. 

 

Help Plan This Session

 

EICC members are encouraged to help plan the session.  Contact Wendy Dittmer to help or for more information.

2012 EICC Compliance Data Reporting

 

The 2012 EICC Compliance Program data collection process and forms have been streamlined to improve conformance tracking.  The first data collection is July 13, which will cover activity thru June 30.  All Full Members are required to participate.

 

In addition, the VAP/CMA/AMA protocol will be available effective June 1.  A 45-day grace period will be provided to facilitate the transition.  No other protocols will meet the audit requirement after July 16.  Other changes to the reporting process were explained in the data collection form and through email last week.  Contact Anne Vogel-Marr for more information.

Health & Safety Training: Feedback from Participants 

 

The L&CB Work Group launched the EICC health and safety training course on May 3.  The training materials were developed in partnership with UL Responsible Sourcing. Dell, Inc. hosted the training at its Malaysia facility, which was attended by 30 participants (thank you Dell!). 
 
The course helps facility managers overcome challenges to implementing effective health and safety programs, and build a culture in factories that promotes health and safety. The course applies a train-the-trainer model to help facility managers transfer knowledge to employees. The materials are available in Chinese and Spanish for EICC and GeSI members. A list of companies that attended the pilot and feedback from participants is available here.
 
EICC members and their suppliers are encouraged to use the training materials and sessions to build their health and safety capabilities.
 
Contact Jannie Bailey or Ben Bruno for more information or to host the session.

Audit Process and EICC-ON Enhancements

 

EICC-ON Dashboard

The EICC-ON dashboard has useful information, such as scheduled system maintenance, and payment and accounting details that may be useful to your suppliers

 

EICC-ON Support Feature

Submit a trouble/hotline ticket from the login screen or through the "Help and Support" drop down menu if you or your suppliers experience difficulty accessing the system.  This will provide the most streamlined way to get help.  It also provides the Tools Work Group with crucial information to address system issues.

 

New Reporting Options in EICC-ON

Three new reports are now available to help summarize member and supplier SAQ scores.  Access the reports from the reporting tab in EICC-ON under the following names:

  • Section Scores Report: Displays the score percentage by section across all of your facilities or your suppliers' facilities.
  • Question Risk Report: Highlights areas of the SAQ for which there are risks at a facility.
  • Critical Question Report: Similar to the Question Risk Report, but focuses only on critical areas.

VAP Escalation Process

A process has been created in the Validated Audit Process for auditees to file a complaint at any phase of an audit. Auditees and audit buyers can follow these steps to get resolution for any complaint:

  • Step 1: Address any complaint or inquiry to the APM.
  • Step 2: Contact Patrick Neyts by email or mobile (+32-495-23-9088) in the event of unsatisfactory response from the APM or lack of timely resolution.
  • Step 3: Contact audits@eicc.info in the event of further unsatisfactory response or lack of timely resolution.

EICC members should redirect supplier complaints to the APM.

 

Updated EICC-ON Web Pages

Additional EICC-ON resources are now available on the EICC website. The pages are written for EICC members and non-member suppliers, and contain general information about the system, FAQs, and user guides to register and complete SAQs. The pages will be updated regularly. The next update will include a user guide for scheduling VAP audits in the system.

 

VAP Tip of the Week

To make the onsite time of auditors as efficient as possible, auditees should ensure that the documents to be reviewed are ready at the start of the audit. A document list is available in chapter 13 of the operations manual 4.0.1.

Worker-Management Communication Training Sessions

 

EICC and GeSI will sponsor three Worker-Management Communication Training sessions in 2012.  The "train the trainer" course will help member companies and their suppliers implement effective worker-management communication systems.  It also will raise worker awareness of their rights and responsibilities. 
 
Sessions and Registration
  • August 13-15: Hosted by Jabil in Guangzhou (Mandarin).
  • September 3-5: Hosted by EMC in Singapore (English).

Register for any of the sessions here. See an event summary here. Contact Jannie Bailey for more information. Contact INFACT Global Partners if your company is interested in using the training internally or with your suppliers.

EICC-GeSI Audit Courses Available

 

EICC-GeSI Labor & Ethics Lead Auditor courses are open for registration. Visit the Verite website for course descriptions and fee information. Fees include an online pre-study component and a five-day workshop.  Payment can be made directly through the website. Available courses include: 
  • Seoul: June 18-22
  • Bangkok: Aug. 13-17
  • Shenzhen: Sept. 10-14 (Mandarin)
  • US: Sep. 24-28
  • Mexico: Oct. 15-19 (Spanish)
  • Brazil: Nov. 5-9
  • Shenzhen: Dec. 10-14 (Mandarin)

Need Help?

Contact AMS staff at 202-962-0167


Programs: Brad Cameron
Operations: John Flatley
Member Services: Carrie Hoffman
Work Group Coordinator: Grant Feichtinger
Membership Assistant: Ben Bruno

Membership Compliance: Anne Vogel-Marr

Code Review Manager: Erin Hussey
External Communications: Wendy Dittmer (P. 512-934-8922)