Value Chain
Across our diversified operations, we rely on multiple suppliers and contractors to provide quality products, expertise and services to our customers. Their operational and ethical performance is critical to our business operations. From upstream procurement to downstream provision of goods and services to our customers, at every stage of our supply chain, we make sure we operate our businesses in a responsible way and are in compliance with laws and regulations. This extends to encouraging our partners to follow similar policies and promote sustainable development.
- We uphold the highest ethical standards and have a strict and clear supplier management and selection procedure to promote fair competition practices, and adhere to the anti-corruption policies stated in the Group’s Employee Handbook and Code of Conduct as well as the Group’s Procurement Policy. We take the same ethical approach to ensure suppliers are selected based only on their competence, experience, service quality, track record, and our specific operational needs. Stringent monitoring and management controls are in place to detect and prevent bribery, fraud or other malpractices in the procurement and tendering process.
- As part of our efforts to ensure quality and compliance, we have a database of approved suppliers and contractors which will be updated if a supplier or contractor is found to be in violation of the law or fails to meet our stringent requirements.
- We are committed to promoting responsible procurement and encouraging our suppliers to further develop their green practices. We take a supplier’s environmental credentials into consideration during the procurement process, including the use of sustainably managed, recycled and reused materials. For instance, our transportation operation prioritises energy efficiency and emission performance when procuring and selecting buses. In our property development operation, contractors are encouraged to comply with BEAM Plus guidelines with specific requirements on noise control and materials used, in order to minimise environmental impacts throughout the construction stage. We firmly believe that our strong commitment to ethical business and environmental best practices should be shared with all the partners we work with.
- To support the local economy in the regions we operate in and to minimise the carbon footprint from the transportation of goods, procurement from local suppliers or local agents of overseas suppliers are actively encouraged.
- To provide quality services and ensure customer satisfaction, each of our operations has diverse and well-developed communication systems in place to gather and respond to customer feedback. Take city management and transportation operations as examples, they provide various communication channels such as suggestion boxes, a 24-hour customer service hotline, and business centres and local management office for residents and passengers to feedback constructive feedback and suggestions. Regular meetings are conducted with different resident group representatives to establish a two-way dialogue in sharing and exchanging ideas with stakeholders.
- Mechanism is in place to assure quality. For property development, technical specifications, fitting-out and mechanical and engineering installations are clearly stated during the tendering process. We ensure that adequate resources are deployed to check the workmanship and materials used onsite to ensure compliance with technical specifications. Our hospitality operation meticulously inspects food deliveries from suppliers and adopts a “First-in, First Out” approach in the food and beverage department to ensure that all products are fresh and safe to consume.
- With our pursuit of quality, we keep optimising our services, including setting up a baby care room on a ferry and optimising its mobile application to maximise customer satisfaction. A customer service taskforce committee was formed in 2017 to continuously review and enhance customer service to further optimise our hospitality services.
- We respect the confidentiality of customers’ personal information and uphold a dedicated policy on the use of personal privacy to reinforce our commitment to data protection. Personal information is collected for said purposes only and with consent from our customers; data files are kept in central storage locations with restricted access; regular views of authorised users are conducted; and confidential documents are shredded before disposal.
- We ensure that the handling of customers’ private data is in full compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486).