Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy plays an important part of our business governing our activities as a service provider, employer and consumer. Thus, our aim is to be a responsible business, committing to building a sustainable future for people and planet.

The policy set out here within aims to highlight the relevant issues to HBXL.  Additionally, assessing current performance and how the company aims to improve these further.

BACKGROUND TO HBXL GROUP

HBXL Building Software is an HBXL Group company and provides a suite of construction software including: estimating, CAD drawing, health & safety, project management and contracts.

The company is ran by the board consisting of: founder and Chairman Adrian Wild, Managing Director Joanna Mulgrew, Software Development Director Steven Mulgrew & Technical Director James Pizzey. The board is supported by managers within each of the companies to operate the company effectively and efficiently.

HBXL Building Software operates mainly on a national basis in the UK but does have users across the globe.

HBXL Building Software services the construction industry, focusing on Small-Medium Enterprises who are mainly in the residential market.

SOCIAL

HBXL Building Software commit to providing a safe, stimulating and pleasant working environment and developing all of our staff to achieve their maximum potential.

As well as providing comprehensive HR and staff development practices and procedures, we have revised our staff appraisal system and training and development procedures to ensure our employees develop the skills, competencies and qualities needed to succeed and progress their careers now and in the future. Details of the staff development practices and procedures can be found in our HBXL Policies and Procedures file, but in summary comprise a commitment to give each staff member time for Continued Professional Development (CPD) and CPD planning procedure that takes into account both the business prerogative and the individual staff member’s personal requirements.

Obtaining regular feedback and opinions from staff is important to us and we run a staff consultation at least once a year. We also have a range of established communication channels to encourage knowledge sharing and feedback.  Feedback channels to management comprise regular business briefings, quarterly staff conferences with the board of director and team meetings.

WE ALSO SET UP ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK SYSTEM TO MANAGEMENT CONSISTING OF A SUGGESTION BOX IN THE BREAKOUT AREA, WHERE STAFF CAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS ON MANAGEMENT PROCESS OR TECHNIQUE WITHOUT FEAR OF REPRISAL.

We encourage a two way process of ideas and knowledge exchange across departments and all staff.
Encouraging our staff to think proactively for themselves, to find solutions to problems and take responsibility for their decision making.  This encouragement takes the form of positive feedback from management for new ideas and innovative procedures.  A supportive management approach to new practices, with no blame culture if innovative approaches do not succeed.

HBXL recognise the work of charities within the sector with a particular focus on stress and mental health within the sector.

Social Commitments

We commit to continue to make our stakeholders the heart of everything we do, to continue feedback processes and working in a blameless work culture to harness innovation and creativity.

ECONOMIC

HBXL are aware of the economic impact of SMEs in the UK, SMEs make up a considerable proportion of the UK economy and are essential to its economic success. This means that HBXL can play a vital role in ensuring ethical business practices within our industry.

Part of HBXL’s mission statement is;

‘The purpose of HBXL is to develop & provide best in class building software, services & support for the small-medium construction company and allied trades at a fair price to our customers in the UK & abroad.’ Our goal is to have a positive influence on the building industry by providing software solutions that will improve UK building firms.

Our fair treatment for all goal is to;

‘Earn an adequate profit for the total enterprise to grow, providing the opportunity for our employees, shareholders and suppliers to achieve their own reasonable personal objectives.’

OUR MARKETPLACE RESPONSIBILITY PRINCIPLES ARE;

  • Respect our customers.
  • Support vulnerable customers.
  • Seek potential customers within excluded groups.
  • Manage the impact of product or service.
  • Actively discourage product misuse.
  • Actively manage responsibility in our supply chain.
  • Treat suppliers as partners.
  • Work with the rule makers.
  • Have consistent standards.

 

OUR APPROACH TO MARKETING;

This is about influencing customer behaviour to create both profit and positive societal change, actively managing our responsibilities to customers, and being honest in our communications.

  • high quality products.
  • priced affordably so accessible to all.
  • collateral (marketing literature and packaging) sourced from sustainable sources packaged minimally to avoid waste.

 

WAYS IN WHICH WE SUPPORT OUR CUSTOMERS;

  • Provide mechanisms for software to contact our Managing Director directly.
  • Provide User panels to enable software users to share their experiences.
  • Providing Forums for software users to share ideas and support each other.
  • Research current building business issues to develop software solutions which will help these firms run better businesses.
  • Provide essential services such as Chat Support, Training and Feedback mechanisms through our Support Services Policy.

HOW WE HANDLE OUR SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS;

  • We pride ourselves on conducting our business in a fair, ethical and friendly manner. Ensuring we pay our bills on time, checking firms environmental credentials before trading with them.

Economic Commitments

HBXL commit to continue to engage in ethical business practices in everything we do.

ENVIRONMENTAL

As a company dedicated to the development of environmental software solutions in addition to other business software, HBXL are committed to acting environmentally responsible. As well as, minimising the impact of our business on the environment and that of other building firms who are responsible for large amounts of construction waste and homes responsible for significant CO2 emissions. Moreover, we believe that the environmental issues are the biggest area of CSR within HBXL due to the potential impact that the company can make from an industry perspective and also where there is continued room for improvement internally. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STATEMENT ARE A COMMITMENT TO:

  • Comply with relevant legislation and regulations.
  • To provide solutions to house builders on good practice for improving the quality of new homes and their health and safety/environmental responsibilities.
  • To provide solutions to general builders on good practice for improving the quality of existing homes their health and safety/environmental responsibilities
  • Support the continual improvement of the environmental performance of the UK’s housing.
  • Identify the environmental impacts, both direct and indirect of HBXL’s office activities and transportation and take steps to mitigate the environmental impact of these activities.
  • Adopt the practice of responsible fuel and energy management through the encouragement of reducing energy consumption.
  • Where appropriate provide training and information to employees to ensure the objectives in this statement are fulfilled.
  • Take environmental factors into account in the procurement of resources.
  • Take all measures that are reasonably practicable to reduce waste at source and recycle where possible.

TODAY WE;

  • Encourage riding to work schemes and car sharing – We do this through the Tax Free Cycle scheme and through liftshares.  Staff are made aware of these through our Staff Handbook and regular team meetings.
  • Where practicable and possible requests for remote work are granted and technologies such as Skype are used to communicate to reduce environmental impact
  • Recycle paper, ink cartridges, cartons, cardboard, tins, glass and confidential waste
  • Ensure heating is switched off overnight and only comes on as necessary and that computers and other equipment are switched off overnight
  • Use Mainsfed watercooler so as to reduce environmental impact
  • Recent investment in a duplex printer for the capacity to duplex print, this will reduce paper usage within the office.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURE GOALS & TARGETS

Reduce environmental impact of our products and services

Across the group we are exploring how we can reduce the environmental impact of our product this can be done through the follow channels;

  1. Fully adopt digital download:

HBXL Building Software customer’s software is now distributed primarily by digital download and manual as an alternative to a physical copy. A levy is in place for the provision of physical copies. HBXL Professional Services outputs are provided digitally with a levy in place for the provision of physical copies.

  1. Reduce the amount of packaging used per unit:

As a result of adopting digital downloads as our primary method for distributing the software to customers, we no longer require packaging for physical copies of HBXL Building Software.

  1. Change our packaging materials:

We strive to increase the use of environmentally friendly packaging materials. As well as to reduce or remove unnecessary materials that contribute to our waste.

We try to balance a wide variety of sometimes competing needs and pressures for software packaging from customers and other stakeholders, while minimizing our environmental impact.

Reduce the environmental impact of our office and business practices

WE ARE AWARE THAT ARE ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT IN REDUCING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

  • Reduce use of resources and continue to use 80 gms paper for standard printing throughout the business and  ensure this paper is from a recycled source
  • Encourage electronic filing where practical
  • Operate a lean production
  • We will introduce a policy of replacement of old electrical equipment with more energy efficient models
  • Achieving these through: a staff awareness programme; the use of switch off policies. We will also encourage staff to switch off lights when daylight is adequate, and open blinds rather than turn lighting on.  Encouraging ideas for energy saving via our knowledge share and ideas exchange system
  • Encourage the use of local suppliers to reduce carbon footprint. In addition look in to the CSR policies of the suppliers we use
  • For business travel we will commit to use of public transport rather than private where practical

THE NEXT CHAPTER

It doesn’t end there. We will be working hard on engaging customers through awareness-raising marketing.  Including literature and web content regarding the building industry’s effect on the environment. As well as how our business is endeavouring to assist it meet governments carbon targets through software and training.

Furthermore, ensuring employee training so they have a thorough understanding of how to relate to sustainability in construction.  So that they can further engage customers and empower them to use sustainability software fully.

Finally HBXL need to connect with customers fully on the issue of site health and safety to help improve their health and safety awareness and understanding of their responsibilities and thus improving their health and safety record through extensive campaigning.