The Societe Generale group enjoys relationships with its suppliers that are built on trust, reliability and competitiveness. Within the Group, the Sourcing Division is responsible for steering supplier relations.

A policy based on three major principles:

Neutrality: Select suitable solutions to meet the Group’s functional and technical requirements through a process that guarantees objectivity, fairness and transparency

Responsibility: Include the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) aspect in the operational and professional management of Sourcing

Efficiency: Contribute to improving the Group’s operational performance by seeking innovative, high-quality and cost-effective solutions with suppliers.

Ethics
Suppliers are treated fairly within the framework of a free and loyal competitive process. For calls for tenders, the same information is simultaneously provided to all the suppliers consulted. Once a decision has been made, the Group details the reasons for this decision.
Societe Generale asks its suppliers to process the elements that they are provided with (such as the list of specifications) in strictest confidence and promises to deal with the information it receives from these suppliers in a similar way.
Purchasers are bound by a strict code of ethics that are defined within the Group’s Code of Conduct. On a professional level, for example, they respect the confidentiality of suppliers’ conditions. On a personal level, they cannot accept gifts or other benefits.

Controlling operating risks
Our sourcing professionals have to ensure the financial health of our suppliers, the absence of any economic dependence on Societe Generale and the viable nature of the proposals submitted, both in economic terms and in terms of their long-term ability to deliver the required services with the requested level of quality. Suppliers must also, when required, document their ability to meet their commitments and their responsibilities by providing suitable guarantees.
Societe Generale pays particular attention to ensuring that clear and detailed contractual agreements, drawn up in cooperation with the Group’s legal departments, are signed between both parties.

Commitment to SMEs

On June 28 2010, in the presence of Christine Lagarde (France’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Finance, Industry and Employment), Françoise Mercadal-Delasalles – the Societe Generale group’s Head of Corporate Resources – signed the “Charte de la Médiation du Crédit et de la CDAF” (Compagnie des Dirigeants et Acheteurs de France) charter that governs relations between major purchasers and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

This charter commits the major purchasers who sign it to implementing an improvement approach vis-à-vis their suppliers, and notably Very Small, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. It details 10 commitments for responsible sourcing, such as ensuring financial fairness vis-à-vis suppliers, encouraging collaboration between major purchasers and strategic suppliers, reducing mutual dependency risks between purchasers and suppliers, and incorporating environmental issues.
By signing this charter, the Societe Generale group – as a purchaser – is showing its commitment to applying the best practices detailed in the Charter and instigating a mutual bond of trust with its suppliers.
The Societe Generale group has appointed an Internal Mediator to ensure that the Charter is correctly adhered to within the Group and to study the matters submitted for mediation*.

Logo that identifies companies as signatories of the Charter:

* Postal address of the internal Mediator:

Societe Generale
Médiateur interne des relations Inter-Entreprises
SEGL/DIR
Tours Societe Generale
75886 Paris Cedex 18
France