Supplier policy

Uponor is a global supplier of innovative plumbing, heating and cooling, and infrastructure solutions serving international markets. As a supplier to Uponor you are a member of the Uponor team, working alongside us to help us fulfil our mission, strategy and values.

Uponor’s vision is to provide expertise and solutions that enrich people’s way of life throughout the world.

Uponor’s strategy is to grow through building on our current platforms; to strengthen the Uponor brand throughout the world; and to integrate the company through operational excellence.

Uponor’s Supply Chain is working towards providing a speedy response at all times, maintaining high availability for our customer needs, being scalable and flexible with respect to market demand and achieving the best overall cost-effective supply chain of high quality product and systems.

As an integral part of Uponor’s Supply Chain, its purchased components are expected to arrive at the Uponor facility ready to begin their journey to the end customer. The quality of products and packaging must fulfil the specification and requirements 100%.
It is of utmost importance that agreed delivery times are adhered to and any exceptions are duly reported as they appear, since Uponor’s promises to its customers are based on the information it receives from its suppliers.

Our Sourcing strategy consists of leveraging our global volumes and creating competencies by working alongside our suppliers in Category Teams.
For Uponor, customer needs and demands occupy a key position. We work with suppliers who have the ability to quickly respond to and adapt to a changing environment and who provide optimally priced, high quality products.

Uponor’s Code of Conduct can be accessed also at www.uponor.com. While the code applies to all Uponor employees, we also require that our suppliers familiarize themselves with and honor the Uponor Code of Conduct in their dealings with Uponor.

Central to the Code of Conduct is Uponor’s determination to comply with the highest ethical standards as well as the letter of applicable international and national laws. In all of its agreements, Uponor strives for mutual satisfaction and good faith, high product quality, fair pricing and excellent after-sales service. We treat all stakeholders, including suppliers, with the same mind set as we approach our customers.

Any questions or concerns regarding compliance with Uponor’s Code of Conduct can be sent to Uponor Vice President of Sourcing.

Suppliers must agree to introduce and maintain a Quality Management System according to ISO 9001:2008, or equivalent system recognized by Uponor.

Uponor’s Environmental Management principles also apply to its suppliers. Suppliers should implement an environmental policy, addressing actions and metrics for the reduction of CO2 emissions in line with industry aspirations, and ensure that all their operations and processes comply with relevant standards, legislation and international conventions. Suppliers should also undertake to identify and document the significant environmental aspects of manufacturing or providing the materials, components and services they supply to Uponor as well as implementing a program of continuous improvement of their sustainability performance. Uponor strongly encourages its suppliers and their sub-suppliers to implement not only energy efficient solutions and practices in the manufacture and supply of products and services but also an Environmental Management System according to ISO 14001:2004, or equivalent system recognized by Uponor.

Uponor’s Corporate Responsibility principles require that all products and services sold under the Uponor brand are sourced according to practices which uphold internationally accepted standards. Our aim is to ensure that environmental, ethical, social, and health and safety issues, as well as labor practices, are not separate add-on features, but are embedded within all our sourcing processes. Therefore Uponor requires its suppliers to:

• Support and respect internationally proclaimed human rights and make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses
• Respect the right of all personnel to form and join trade unions of their choice and to bargain collectively
• Support the abolition of any form of forced and compulsory labor, child labor and discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
• Have a documented health and safety management system compliant with local legislation
• Work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
• Uponor expects its suppliers to apply similar requirements in their own supply chain organizations.

Confidentiality in business matters is a requirement of doing business with Uponor. All suppliers will be required to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement upon initial discussions with Uponor. Additionally, a new Non-disclosure Agreement will be required to be signed whenever the circumstances so require.
The first step in the Supplier Qualification Process is to fill in the Uponor Supplier Qualification Questionnaire, provided by Uponor. Supplier qualification includes audits manufacturing and technology verification and any other checks deemed necessary.

In line with Uponor’s sourcing strategies, it will select a supplier based on its technical ability to supply a specific raw material, component, system, or service, and to meet the company’s Sustainability, Quality, Total Costs and Delivery criteria. The level of qualification and audits required will be determined based on criticality and processing difficulty of the product or service, the potential for liability during use and the level of annual spend. All suppliers will be required to demonstrate alignment with this Supplier Policy and pass the qualification and determined audit level in order to become a fully approved Uponor supplier.

The resolution of non-conformances in products supplied to Uponor will be addressed in the manner that best meets Uponor’s requirements. Expenses associated with supply non-conformances will be the responsibility of the supplier.

Where needed, suppliers are expected to work with Uponor to improve their performance and/or process capability. Based on the supplier’s performance, Uponor may modify the level of control exercised. In the cases of repeated poor performance or failure to improve, suppliers will be removed from the Uponor Supplier List. Once deliveries of a raw material, component, system, or service have begun, Uponor will monitor the supplier’s performance to establish a trend of Continuous Improvement. Uponor will work with the supplier to develop appropriate improvement targets.

Supplier Performance Indicators and areas for potential improvements are as follows:

• On time delivery
• Lead-time reduction
• Total cost improvement
• Quality improvement
• Environmental, health and safety improvements

Uponor requires that qualified suppliers of critical products and services have a Supply Agreement with Uponor. The goal of the Supply Agreement is to provide a clear statement of the expectations and requirements binding both Uponor and the supplier. Supply Agreements are viewed by Uponor as a best business practice that helps both parties to avoid future misunderstandings and conflicts.

Uponor’s business is organized into three segments; Building Solutions - Europe, Building Solutions – North America and Uponor Infra.

Uponor’s Sourcing is organized in the following main Sourcing Categories:

Raw materials, Resale goods, Transportation and Indirect material. The Category Teams’ objectives are to leverage our global volumes and maximize global opportunities. Uponor Infra and Building Solutions - North America have regionally organized sourcing teams and personnel.

Sourcing strategies, supplier selections, price and contract negotiations and other aspects of supply selection and management are led and managed by Sourcing in co-operation with other functions within Uponor. The planning of availability, issuing of purchase orders, provision of routine forecasts and other tasks in the ongoing delivery of goods are handled by Supply Planning. In some cases planning is organized based on one planner being responsible for arranging purchases and deliveries
to multiple warehouses.

Suppliers who wish to inquire about the requirements for supplying to Uponor should contact Uponor via email at one of the following emails:

Sourcing at Building Solutions - Europe

Sourcing at Building Solutions - North America

Sourcing at Uponor Infra
 

Download the Uponor Supplier Policy as pdf