In order to promote CSR procurement*1 , we have continued to carry out our on-site inspections. We never cease to think of what is important to Nintendo and the people involved with Nintendo and, through trial and error, we have made continual improvements. With that, we would like to take a look back on our journey over the past five years.
- *1 CSR Procurement
- Our production partners also are required to be involved in
CSR and to encourage the promotion of CSR activities
throughout the entire supply chain.
What has Changed in Five Years?
For the promotion of CSR procurement, it is imperative that production partners*2 understand and share the same philosophy as Nintendo. Our on-site inspections are more than just mere surveys of facilities; we regard this time as an opportunity for direct communication with our partners and to confirm the current situation with our own eyes.
When we initially began our on-site inspections, we faced many challenges, but as our relationships grew and we continued to have dialog with our production partners, we began to feel as though they understood and appreciated our CSR policy.
In addition, our on-site inspections not only enable us to convey feedback and input to our partners, but they also provide us with an invaluable opportunity to directly experience what takes place on the production floor. To support our ongoing effort to put smiles on the faces of everyone Nintendo touches, we will continue to communicate our expectations on CSR procurement to our production partners.
- *2 Production Partners
- The factories to which Nintendo outsources assembly and the suppliers of component parts and materials.
- Understanding Our Approach to CSR Procurement
- Production partners now voluntarily report on human resources development matters.
- Various rules and internal regulations have been reviewed to protect minors in the workforce.
- Improvement to the Work Environment
- Improvements in labor conditions have led to a decline in turnover.
- Disaster prevention equipment has been installed to create a safer environment.
- Information Management System
- An information management system is an extremely important item to verify during our on-site inspections. We always request that production partners consider and review whether their current business practices are optimal for their businesses.
- Education and Training
- We believe that the training for each worker at our production partners' sites helps to maintain the high quality standard set for all Nintendo products. We not only request that production partners focus on the education of administration staff, but also the training of factory workers.
What must be achieved at a production level to put smiles on the faces of everyone Nintendo touches? We visit the facilities of our production partners in person to address any concerns and provide feedback directly to ensure CSR Procurement standards are being met. Below is the flow of our standard inspection.
- (Left) Daisuke Arakawa, Production Planning & Coordination Office, Uji Plant, Nintendo Co., Ltd.
- (Right) Hirokazu Shinshi, Deputy General Manager, Manufacturing Division, Nintendo Co., Ltd.
- We pose specific questions regarding the CSR Procurement Guidelines and confirm these one by one.
- While inquiring about matters, such as the future of the factory, we are able to grasp production partners' attitudes toward management and manufacturing.
- We physically inspect important documents regarding areas such as compliance and respect for human rights.
We confirm that all of the inspected factories utilize labor contracts and that these contracts have been signed by all workers in compliance with the Chinese Labor Contract Law, which has been in effect since January 2008.
- In order to ensure that a safe working environment is maintained, we confirm the safety status of equipment, including equipment noise (ultrasonic waves and press noise, etc.), odor, solder smoke-extraction equipment, etc.
- We verify the existence and number of certified occupational health and safety officers, and confirm their patrol schedules.
- Fire extinguishers are inspected for location and visibility, number of units, expiration date, maintenance records and status (whether it is still functional, holds air pressure, etc.).
- Emergency exits and evacuation routes are inspected for any obstructions, etc.
- We confirm whether company regulations, wage structure, worker welfare, etc. are adequately explained during new-worker orientation, and that records are kept of worker attendance, implemented training and education.
- In addition to confirming the content of skills training program curricula, lectures and tutorials, we check the process by which worker certification occurs.
- We verify whether men and women occupy separate housing, and in addition to the number of people sharing a room, we check whether a toilet, hot water shower, ventilation equipment and lockers with keys are installed and, if there are communal toilets and showers, whether an adequate number is available. We also examine room sanitation conditions.
Previously, there were an overwhelming number of female workers, but the ratio of male to female workers has become more even over the past few years. It has been challenging to keep up with this sudden change. At times dormitory buildings at some factories have not been divided according to gender, but we will persist in addressing this challenge.
- Worker Awareness has Changed Through
Nintendo's On-Site Inspections - While we promote improvements based on the results of on-site inspections, we always keep in mind the need to convey to production staff why improvements are important. As a result of these efforts, I have really felt the growth of workers' understanding of CSR. Now, we are focusing on the improvement of our working environment and, as always, we are communicating with production staff about the importance of these new activities.
