Sustainable development

Challenges and organisation

Decentralised Organisation

Neopost’s decentralised structure means that the Group gives its subsidiaries considerable decision-making autonomy. This high degree of initiative has a clear advantage: each subsidiary can meet the requirements of local regulations, particularly as regards postal and environmental standards which are specific to each market. Neopost seeks to be a good corporate citizen by complying with all laws and regulations in force in each country. The Group also works to encourage internal communication, while avoiding proliferating reporting levels to ensure maximum flexibility on execution. This high degree of employee empowerment is combined with strict financial control and regular operating reviews, and is one of the keys to Neopost’s success. Over the years, the Group has succeeded in developing a strong corporate culture unifying all subsidiaries and employees.

Group-wide Sustainable Development Structure

A sustainable development structure was created in 2004, headed by a person reporting directly to Neopost’s Chairman and CEO. It is based on two specialised committees, one called Sustainable Product Development, covering R&D projects and production, the other called Sustainable Business Development covering distribution. These committees meet regularly and are composed of sustainable development representatives from each of the Group’s subsidiaries.

ISO 14001 Certification

Neopost committed itself several years ago to an ambitious programme of ISO 14001 certification for its production sites and distribution subsidiaries. All subsidiaries have since obtained certification.

Profitable and Sustainable Growth

Neopost has set the fundamental objective of ensuring that growth is both profitable and sustainable. To achieve this, the Group seeks to promote the application of its Sustained Profitable Growth strategy among its various stakeholders. The Group intends to continue achieving superior performance to the market over the long term, while always taking care to limit the impact of its business on the environment.

Health and Safety

In 2006, the Group decided to adopt the internationallyrecognised OHSAS 18001 health and safety standard. The objective is for all subsidiaries to be certified by the end of 2007. A large number of subsidiaries have already achieved this.