EireChrom Sustainability Report 2015 - web

EireChrom - Sustainability Report 2015 EireChrom - Sustainability Report 2015
Introduction Community Environment Workplace Introduction Community Environment Workplace MarketplaceMarketplace
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EireChrom has grown rapidly to become Ireland’s recognised market leader in
the highly specialised area of mass spectrometry - an advanced separations
science technique that has both quantitative and qualitative uses within the
chemical analysis and life science sectors.
We are trusted partners to some of Ireland’s largest public and private sector
organisations. Our anti-bribery and corruption policies are recognised as best-
in-class. We care about our communities and have particular causes that are
close to our heart.
We strive for excellence and we are proud to have many accolades under our
belt, the latest of which is Outstanding Small Business in Ireland Award 2016,
awarded by the Small Firms Association.
PJ Moloney
Managing Director
EireChrom provides end-to-end mass spectrometry solutions and is the market leader in Ireland. It is an
advanced separations science technique that has uses within the chemical analysis and life sciences sectors.
We provide bespoke client solutions, delivered by highly qualified industry experts.
Our services include chromatography, column and chemistries, mass spectrometry, method development,
sample preparation, training and consultancy, and research and development. The markets we serve include
bio-pharmaceuticals, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, clinical diagnostics, drug discovery and
development, environmental testing, food and beverage testing, and forensic toxicology.
We are proud of our achievements, which include winning the following: 2016 SFA award for Outstanding
Small Business in Ireland, SCIEX – Highest Growth Country in EMEAI 2015, IE Domain Optimise Fund in 2015,
Little Island Business Association 2015 in the area of innovation/R&D, finalist in Irish Laboratory Awards
2016, finalist in Cork Chamber Company of the Year Award 2016, finalist in the 2015 Pharma Industry
Awards, and proud client company of Enterprise Ireland.
Contact Details:
Email: info@eirechrom.ie
Website: www.eirechrom.ie
Tel No: +353 (0) 21 240 9033
Our Vision
Our vision is to be a market leader in mass spectrometry solutions in Ireland by focusing on growing our
business into Western Europe.
Our Mission
We will achieve this by:
l Partnering with leading technology companies
l Providing bespoke client solutions to both public and private sector organisations
l Nurturing an excellent workplace
l Investing in research with academia
l Being the only Irish company offering services provided by our training academy
Our Values
l Specialist: Highly qualified staff, understanding the end clients’ needs is paramount in our business model
l Reliable: EireChrom insist on a ‘Right First Time Approach’
l Innovative: Driving change in industry by correct Processes & a QbD approach
l Professional: Listening to our end clients’ needs, and always striving to be best in class
l Integrity: We follow only best business practices in how we conduct our business practices
The EireChrom brand is synonymous with the highest standards of integrity, service and quality.
We recognize that our business is as good as the sum of our people, and do everything to create
a great workplace, where staff is suitably rewarded for their work. Our customers expect us to
operate to the highest technical standards, but also in a fair and transparent manner.
Our priorities for 2016 include implementing ISO 9001, fully integrating the website with HubSpot/
SalesForce/MailChimp/Magento, fundraising for the Irish Guide Dogs event, ‘To Hell and Back’,
and opening the Applications and Research and development Laboratory.
Our priorities for the next three years include implementing an Environmental Management
System (ISO14001 or similar), assessing new products for manufacture using Life Cycle Analysis
techniques, using a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis when purchasing new equipment and
fleet cars, continually striving for excellence and targeting key awards to validate our business
excellence, applying for the Excellence Through People award, and providing further employment
by increasing the workforce to 20 people by 2019.
Questum Innovation Centre,
Ballingarrane,
Clonmel,
Co. Tipperary
Unit 1201,
Building 1000,
City Gate,
Mahon, Co. Cork
MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR WHAT WE DO
HOW WE DO ITSTATEMENT OF INTENT

Introduction Community Environment Workplace MarketplaceIntroduction Community Environment Workplace Marketplace
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Science Week
Science Week promotes the relevance of science,
technology, engineering and maths in our everyday
lives and demonstrates their importance to the
future development of Irish society and to the
economy. Science week aligns with our business and
we are very active around this event.
We have previously hosted the European MASStastic
Voyage mobile lab, which is relevant for anyone
involved in food safety testing, drug discovery and
development, clinical research, environmental
analysis and biomedical research. Various seminars
provided information about new technologies, new
techniques, useful tips and improved methodologies
to enhance analytical workflows.
The MASStastic Voyage was the most talked-about
activity happening in the mass spectrometry
industry in Europe in early 2013, and feedback was
extremely positive.
Irish Guide Dogs
We have chosen
the Irish Guide
Dogs as our main
charity partner,
and are looking
at building a long
term relationship
with them. We are
delighted to have
entered into a five
year relationship
under the Sponsor
a Puppy Campaign,
where we sponsor ‘Olympia’ This relationship
was sparked from the realisation of how a visual
disability can cause huge life changes after a friend
of the MD’s became blind due to the eye disorder,
glaucoma.In the past we have fundraised through
Golf Classics.
In 2016 we are participating in the ‘Hell and Back’
event and have set a fundraising target of €15,000.
This is Ireland’s toughest mental and physical
endurance challenge - an obstacle course run, over
a 15km trail route crossing rivers and lakes, climbing
hills and mountains and crawling through bogs and
swamps. We are supporting and advocating for the
cause through our various communication channels,
in particular on social media.
Providing regional employment opportunities
We provide attractive employment opportunities
for technical experts and office administrators at
our sites in Tipperary and Cork. We aim to grow in
the next few years to a team of 20 people. These
employment opportunities will help support social
issues, particularly youth unemployment and rural
unemployment.
Internships
We offer internships for students who are not native
English speakers to improve their business/technical
language skills. This provides the participants
with valuable work experience to build their CVs.
Students are keen to return for a second term and
are potential candidates for future positions within
the company.
Community Engagement
We recognise that small businesses can play a vital
role in our community. As the company grows,
we are keen to develop good relationships with
our community. In Cork, our main engagement is
through the Irish Guide Dogs. We are open to any
dialogue with the community around issues that
may concern or interest them.
Academic Links
One of the key pillars of our continual improvement
under ISO9001 is to engage with academia in
research and development. We deal with many
stakeholders like Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise
Ireland and Science Foundation of Ireland to grow
the career path of academics while looking at
product development.
EireChrom has a very strong affiliation with
academic institutes and universities within the
Republic and Northern Ireland. We encourage
career development at EireChrom by engaging with
academia to foster internships and work placement
in our fast-growing business.
Through the Irish Research Council; Marie Curie
and Science Foundation of Ireland Fellowships,
EireChrom will strengthen its Irish and European
presence with the best graduates in the market.
COMMUNITY

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Reducing Fuel Consumption
We choose our fleet cars based on their efficiency.
In the future, we plan to assess the Life Cycle Cost
of all vehicles to ensure we make decisions that are
both financially and environmentally advantageous.
In the long term, we are keeping a close eye on the
electric car market for suitable fleet cars.
EireChrom has adopted the SYNX Tracker in current
company vehicles which tracks, collects and uses
data to ensure the vehicles are running at maximum
efficiency and safety. This system gives us visibility
on what fuel is used and maintenance records
allowing us to reduce costs as well as improving the
environmental performance.
Driver behaviour is one very important way to
improve fuel efficiency using the SYNX Tracker.
Driving style is measured by logging events such
as speeding, harsh braking and rapid acceleration
and idling - all these events affect fuel efficiency. It
also has a side benefit of reducing the paperwork
needed to track this information offline! More
savings on paper and time.
Improving Energy Efficiency
As our business is relatively new, the facilities in
which we operate have been built with energy
efficiency in mind. We have sensor lighting where
appropriate and have LED lighting for low energy
consumption. Printing requirements are minimised,
but where it is necessary we always print double
sided.
We are currently consulting with the Sustainable
Energy Authority of Ireland to identify the best
options for our new research and development and
manufacturing labs.
We use Radisson Blu Hotels for conferences/
meetings outside our two office locations, as they
take many actions to reduce energy and water
consumption and to minimise waste generation.
All Radisson Blu Hotels in Ireland have a green
hospitality award. There are also Radisson Blu
Special Blu eco-initiatives for events. These include
measuring our carbon footprint, carbon offsetting
options and facilities to support paperless meetings.
Product Design
We are currently at the planning stage for our new
products and associated manufacturing processes.
During the design phase, we will consider the
processes, materials and consumables.
We plan to investigate Design for the Environment
(DfE) strategies and techniques to ensure that we
have considered our materials appropriately, how
they are used, production techniques and our
distribution system.
We will also consider the impact of our products
during it use and end of life. This will allow us to
assess the products and processes using a life cycle
approach and to ensure environmental impact is
considered throughout.
ENVIRONMENT

8 9
A Great Workplace
We aim to treat everyone fairly and create a great
place to work. We have a zero tolerance on issues
such as bullying, and have a strong policy around
this. We are members of the Small Firms Association
(SFA) and work with them to develop our employee
handbook and HR policies.
In the future, we aim to look for external validation
of this through the Excellence Through People
programme. This is a standard for human resource
management accredited by NSAI. It is also a
business improvement model that will allow us to
enhance performance and realise strategies through
the management and development of our people.
Employee Benefits Package
A competitive salary is paid to appropriately
qualified employees. A company car is provided
to those who need it for their work. We believe
in protecting our employees and their immediate
families from any unforeseen accidents/incidents
inside or outside of the EireChrom working
environment.
We work with ARACHAS to provide healthcare cover
for employees and an appropriate package for
pension contributions and life assurance. We ensure
our employees meet with ARACHAS in advance of
any contracts or promotions, ensuring best practice
in an SME.
Employee Training and Development
Career development is important to us and all
employees. As a start-up company on a rapid
growth path, there is potential for a wide range of
opportunities for new and existing employees.
Our employees always come first. We ensure that
they have the correct skillset for the job function
and regular training and refresher courses are
encouraged to ensure best practice. We are
advocates of highly skilled/qualified personnel and
will contribute to Back to Education or evening study
where requested.
We have a quarterly review cycle to assess areas
of opportunity for employee development.
Resources are available to provide training where
appropriate to business needs. We use HR Locker for
tracking continuous professional development and
compliance training.
Innovative Recruitment
We found that traditional CVs were not fulfilling our
needs for recruitment purposes. We now work with
LeanUnlimited, who are experts on organisational
behaviours, to assess potential candidates and
identify the right employees to align with our
business vision and values. This helps us to identify
the competencies and skillsets we want from our
staff.
Managing Director PJ Moloney offers full
transparency and visibility around his own six month
behaviour review by sharing it on staff whiteboards.
Health and Safety
Health and safety is a very important factor in
our industry. We ensure our industry experts are
appropriately trained in our laboratory methods
which complement our Good Manufacturing
Practices and (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices
(GLP). First aid training is provided for employees
keen to get involved.
We have the first EXPLORIS® lab in Ireland, which
provides enhanced quality, design, flexibility,
ergonomics, safety and innovation.
Work-Life Balance
We are conscious that employees have busy lives
and may have family commitments. We realise that
getting the balance between work and home life can
be difficult, and that needs may change at different
life stages.
We offer flexible working hours for those with family
commitments. We support remote working where
this is a feasible option for the particular role.
Access to financial advisors is offered by EireChrom
to its staff, as we want to foster an environment
where our staff feel protected and secure in their
roles. Optional gym membership is a company perk,
along with quarterly team outings.
Diversity and Inclusion
We strive for a diverse workforce through our
internship programme and we engage with students
from different countries. We are a proud workplace
and do not tolerate discrimination in any form, and
ensure our policies and practices (e.g. recruitment)
foster an inclusive workplace. EireChrom supports
the JobBridge and JobPlus employment schemes,
where we ensure that our recruitment is applicable
to all candidates, regardless of their qualifications.
Employee Communication
We pride ourselves on being very open and
transparent with our employees in all of our
business planning and performance information.
This is done on an ongoing basis through day-to-
day interactions, but also on whiteboards within
our facility for everyone to see. As we grow our
workforce, we are conscious that our employees’
needs may change and we will endeavour to
maintain are good communications practices.
Staff meetings are held regularly on Mondays and
Fridays as part of our Quality Management System,
either face-to-face or through WebEx.
WORKPLACE

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Awards and Accolades
We are proud of our many achievements:
l Winner of the 2016 SFA award for Outstanding
Small Business in Ireland
l Winner of SCIEX – Highest Growth Country in
EMEAI 2015
l Winner of IE Domain Optimise Fund in 2015
l Winner of Little Island Business Association
2015 in the area of innovation/R&D
l Finalist in Irish Laboratory Awards 2016
(Young Leader of the Year, Education Laboratory
of the Year, Laboratory Supplier of the Year)
l Finalist in Cork Chamber Company of the Year
Award 2016
l Finalist in the 2015 Pharma Industry Awards
(Pharma Start-Up Company of the year, Pharma
Contract Services Company of the year)
Customer Engagement
We operate a customer helpdesk to support clients
when they need it and monitor social media for
any relevant conversations. We encourage positive
and negative feedback to ensure we offer the best
customer experience.
Industry Partnerships
We are the sole Irish partner to SCIEX Global
Services. This is an organisation dedicated to
delivering local service excellence and is a world
leader in mass spectrometry as per the Frost &
Sullivan report.
SCIEX excels by listening to and understanding the
ever-evolving needs of its customers to develop
reliable, sensitive and intuitive solutions that
continue to redefine what is achievable in routine
and complex analysis.
We also partner with some of the leading industry
brands including Tecan, PEAK Scientific, Ionicon,
Phytronix and IonBench.
Management Systems
We are currently in the process of implementing
ISO 9001, which is an internationally recognised
quality management standard focused on meeting
customer expectations and delivering customer
satisfaction.
We use six sigma techniques and tools for process
improvement. These ensure our processes are
world class by using a well-proven data driven
methodology to identify and eliminate defects in
products and services.
We hold kaizen events, which works alongside six
sigma. These events are an efficient way to quickly
improve a process that may have been identified
as having a low sigma score. It allows our team
the time away from the daily routine to engage
in a focused activity to support our continuous
improvement approach.
We apply lean practices, which are a way to
eliminate waste within the value chain. We have
implemented 5S within our offices and laboratories.
This is another methodology to organise work
spaces to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The
5S’s include sort, set in order, shine, standardise and
sustain.
Research and Development
We strive to enhance our value offering and further
develop our business through partnering on
research projects.
Our current research and development partnership
plans and aspirations include:
l Irish Research Council (IRC) postdoctoral
fellowship in the area of food and
environment
l Marie S-Curie Individual Fellowship for 2017-
2019
l Science Foundation Ireland Industry
Fellowship
Non-Biased Laboratory Training
We are unique in providing non-biased training for
our customers. This means that we do not push one
product over another to our clients. We work with
our clients to provide bespoke solutions based on
their needs.
The ‘Right First Time’ approach is adopted by
EireChrom and our customer satisfaction reports
show excellent results on our training delivery. We
were finalists in the Irish laboratory Awards 2016 for
Education Laboratory of the Year.
Partnerships
As Enterprise Ireland clients, we will participate in
the High-Potential-Start-Up (HPSU) programme. We
make use of this support to ensure our company is
efficient as possible and delivers effective solutions
to our customers.
Business Conduct
It is vital for our business to be cognisant of how we
operate within our marketplace. We have a policy
on anti-corruption and bribery, which includes
guidance around gifting to and from suppliers - it is
not allowed.
Memberships and Associations
We are engaged with many organisations such as:
l Royal Society of Chemistry
l Science Foundation Ireland
l Enterprise Ireland
l Industry Research and Development Group
l Little Island Business Association
l Irish Mass Spectrometry Society
l Clonmel Chamber of Commerce
l Cork Chamber of Commerce
l Industry Research and Development Group
Sustainable Procurement
EireChrom held a Kaizen event on best practice
in purchasing, which led to the identification and
implementation of the standard BS 8903. This sets
out a comprehensive framework on procurement.
We look at key drivers in all internal purchasing
decisions and have adopted SourceDogg software.
This allows for an open bid which is not based on
’Bottom Line Price’. Our purchasing decisions are
also weighted on corporate social responsibility;
ISO901; delivery and company competency.
MARKETPLACE

www.responsiblebusiness.ie
responsiblebusiness@bitc.ie
BUSINESS
IN THE
COMMUNITY
IRELAND
About Us
Responsible Business for SMEs is a new service from Business in the Community Ireland, Ireland’s
only network dedicated to responsible business. In existence since 2000, we are a national non-profit
organisation founded by Tina Roche. Our patron is Michael D.Higgins, President of Ireland and our board,
chaired by Kieran McGowan, comprises some of Ireland’s leading business figures. We ask companies in
Ireland to commit to the journey towards being more sustainable and responsible. We offer our members
practical support to help them to integrate responsible business practices across their organisations.
What We Do
Initially working with larger corporates in Ireland, we now aim to work with small, medium and micro-
enterprises (SMEs) as they represent over 99% of business in this country. In real numbers, they dominate
daily life: we shop with them, work in them, use their services, and they include everyone from the local
hairdresser to the IT company. They provide high quality and diverse jobs, play an important role in social
cohesion and act as incubators of entrepreneurial culture.
Together, the 230,000 SMEs in Ireland have a huge impact on the viability of Ireland’s economy, the
community in which it exists, and the environment on which it depends. Through Responsible Business
for SMEs, we are inspiring and supporting Irish companies to use that impact to do better business by
improving and reporting on their responsible and sustainable practices.
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS for SMEs

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