In the 2000s, corporate responsibility has shifted from mandatory polishing of corporate image to a strategic competitive advantage for companies. However, a lot remains to be done. Corporate responsibility should be converted from fine words to concrete action and integrated into day-to-day business.

Corporate responsibility remains vague without a frame of reference

The practical work on corporate responsibility is often plagued by two key challenges. Responsibility is an extensive whole that means different things to different organizations. As a result, it is a good idea to begin by verbalizing what is meant by corporate responsibility and what its promotion means at the practical level. The efforts to improve corporate responsibility should be incorporated into everyday work at all levels in an organization.

Having a clear frame of reference helps forming a clearer view of corporate responsibility. The UN Global Compact serves as a useful frame of reference, to which already 94 Finnish organizations are committed. The frame of reference helps clarifying the concept of corporate responsibility, setting clear goals, plans and measures, and determining the ownership of related efforts.

Most practical work is manual and slow

Even if you have already formed a clear view of the corporate responsibility of your organization, you may still lack practical tools. The work related to corporate responsibility involves a lot of data collection, which often still continues to be carried out using Excel.

This work is slow and cumbersome, and the required information is scattered across the organization. The management of extensive data masses requires access to a well-functioning and useful system. One that translates the principles to practical action and reduces unnecessary data collection.

Correct report at the push of a button

The NordCheck platform enables you to delegate the measures related to corporate responsibility in a sensible way. It eliminates information silos and provides users with access to data stored in various information systems using both a personal computers and mobile devices. Our vision is that the platform clearly streamlines the reporting efforts as the system produces the right reports “at the push of a button”.

We will organize a discussion session on solutions for tools in early autumn 2020 together with the Global Compact Network Finland if the coronavirus pandemic situation allows. We will present the tool at the event.

We hope that the event will invite lively discussion on all the solutions and models promoting corporate responsibility. See also the Global Compact Network Finland blog for more information.

Janne Järvenoja, NordCheck Oy

Anne Vanhala, Bonfide Oy