What does compliance mean for Fluid Branding?
Compliance? Compliance is really important.
It’s our commitment to adhere to a certain set of rules, regulations or guidelines - set out by nationally (and internationally) recognised bodies, for example ISO and Sedex. It means our customers can rest assured we’re doing things right - that by working with us they get a socially responsible supply chain, quality products and services, and the highest standards of business practices and ethics.
So yes, it’s really important. This is where you can read about some of our compliance certifications, so you know that by working with us, you’re working with the right people.
Certified B Corporation
B Corps are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency - basically all the stuff we’ve always been passionate about.
B Corp’s philosophy is to inspire all businesses to compete not only to be the best in the world, but to be the Best for the World®. And, given that everything we try to do aims to help build a world where everyone is truly nourished, it felt like a natural fit for us. So, we did what we had to do to get involved.
You can read more about our B Corporation status here.
BPMA Charter Distributor-status
By having Charter Distributor status from the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association), we’re proving that we practice and maintain the highest standards of business ethics within the promotional merchandise industry.
But why does it matter?
The BPMA Charter Distributor logo is recognised as an industry ‘safety symbol’ - and to sport it, you’ve got to earn it. To make sure standards remain high, businesses with this status are periodically re-assessed - constantly improving standards and developing the market.
They can provide continuity and quality of supply, and are interested in the long term supply chain partnership - not just the next order. They’ll work with customers, ensuring that the challenges of the market are met.
Having Charter Distributor status represents:
Quality (in terms of process and product)
Product conformity
Ethical and environmental values
Continuity (service and product)
Financial stability
Partnership
Trust
To learn more about the BPMA, pop along to their website here.
ISO 9001- & ISO 14001-Certification
We’ve got certification for both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, the international Quality and Environmental Management System standards. They require a company to show that internal processes and systems keep up the high levels of quality and environmental management that is expected. We keep it up by continually measuring, maintaining and improving these systems on an ongoing basis.
Sedex Membership
Sedex is an internationally recognised not-for-profit membership organisation aiming to improve ethical business practices in global supply chains. As a member, we’re able to share and manage information in four key areas:
- Labour Standards
- Health & Safety
- The Environment
- Business Ethics
Sedex has an electronic system for buyers designed to collect and analyse information about ethical and responsible business practices in our supply chain - meaning we can keep track of supplier performance. For suppliers, it provides an efficient and cost effective way to share information with customers, cutting down on the unnecessary paperwork - which saves time and money.
By safely managing this confidential data and sharing it with members, Sedex helps to reduce time consuming audits, which allows both buyers and suppliers more time to concentrate on making real improvements.
TPM, CPM & MPM Qualified Team Members
Okay - wondering what that means?
It’s all part of a training and development programme from the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association). They run this continual professional development programme to allow teams to ensure they’re fully trained and up to date with all the latest industry knowledge.
Covering everything from product knowledge and print techniques to processes and sourcing, the training means we’re fully equipped to provide you with top-of-the-range knowledge and skills, so we can easily answer your queries and questions, offer the best advice and respond to your project briefs.
- Training begins with the TPM (standing for ‘Trained in Promotional Merchandise’) qualification. Members of the Fluid team with up to three years worth of industry experience can shoot for this one.
- They can then progress to the CPM (‘Certified in Promotional Merchandise’) exam when they’ve got three to five years industry experience under their belt.
- Finally, the MPM (‘Master in Promotional Merchandise’) exam is for those seasoned team members with a whopping five years plus experience in the industry!
It basically all means that our team of industry experts are fully equipped to serve you, our customers, to the very highest standards. Hurrah!
Mental Health Aware Team Members
The importance of mental health and the issues surrounding it have become much more widely publicised in recent times, and it is important that we all do our bit to help promote good mental health - and offer help to those that need it. Did you know that stress, anxiety and depression are the biggest cause of sickness absence in our society today?
Continuing our commitment and dedication to the welfare of our Fluid Family, a number of team members have completed a half day's course on Mental Health Awareness - offered and implemented by the MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) England - a social enterprise with a vision to improve the mental health of the nation.
As the MHFA says on its website:
Quality mental health training, underpinned by a robust wellbeing strategy, gives people the tools to keep themselves healthy and support each other. It can also help to:
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Build employees’ confidence to have open conversations around mental health and break the stigma
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Encourage people to access support early when needed, for a faster recovery
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Empower people with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive in work
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Promote a mentally healthy environment, stopping preventable issues and allowing people to thrive and become more productive
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Embed a long term positive culture across the whole organisation, where employees recognise their mental and physical health are supported as equal parts of the whole person
For more information, check out the MHFA England website.
Cyber Essentials Certified
We understand the importance of electronic security, and Fluid is commited to protecting our clients' data. That's why Fluid Branding is delighted to be a 'Cyber Essentials Certified' business!
Operated by National Cyber Security Centre, Cyber Essentials is a UK Government backed security accreditation which helps to protect businesses from a wide range of cyber attacks. It ensures that they are able to operate securely, and can respond to ongoing cyber threats.
