Study reveals one third of firms not gathering anti-bribery data from suppliers

Investigation uncovers global infrastructure businesses are also too trusting of suppliers on health and safety and financial history.

Jackie Whitelaw
19 January 2015

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Infrastructure companies across the globe have admitted they are awarding contracts to main suppliers without having critical information about how they do business.

Large companies across the construction, utilities, mining and oil and gas sectors said they are not obtaining vital information about suppliers, or carrying out due diligence either via desktop research or on-site audits.

Globally, almost a third of infrastructure companies are not gathering anti-bribery and corruption policies from their suppliers prior to awarding a contract.  Further, one in five companies are failing to obtain main suppliers’ financial documents and 12% are not gathering health and safety data. When infrastructure companies do get information on suppliers, a similar percentage are not checking it is accurate.

The market survey was commissioned by Achilles, which manages supplier information and supply chain risks on behalf of more than 850 large companies across the globe.  It was carried out by independent research company IFF – which interviewed 185 supply chain professionals not linked to Achilles from large companies in the UK, USA, Spain, Brazil and the Nordics across the construction, power and utilities, oil and gas and mining industries.

Tom Grand is the Regional Director for Achilles in the UK and Ireland which operates UVDB – a utilities pre-qualification community; and FPAL – an oil and gas community and BuildingConfidence – used by 19 buying organisations to pre-qualify suppliers, manage risk and ensure supplier compliance.  He said the figures showed global companies were too trusting of their suppliers.

“Infrastructure is a high risk industry and in most countries it is a legal requirement to keep workers safe on site, tackle bribery and corruption and address financial risk.  Yet this survey shows many infrastructure companies do not have the most basic safeguards in place; we would urge businesses to know their suppliers.”

The UK fared better than the global average in terms of health and safety. There, one in five construction companies did not obtain main suppliers’ health and safety records before issuing a tender or contract.

Global results

The issue is compounded because infrastructure firms are failing to perform basic desktop checks – such as telephone calls or internet research, or physical audits on their suppliers’ information to check it is genuine. Globally:

• ·       30% fail to perform basic checks on suppliers’ financial reports;
• ·       29% fail to perform basic checks on suppliers’ health and safety policies; and
• ·       47% fail to perform basic checks on suppliers’ anti-bribery and corruption policies.

In addition, a large number of businesses are not carrying out on-site audits either, to check suppliers are acting in accordance with their own policies. 

• ·       56% failed to conduct on-site check on financial reports;
• ·       36% failed to perform on-site audits on health and safety policies; and
• ·       61% failed to perform audits on anti-bribery and corruption policies.

UK results

The UK construction sector fared better than average in terms of performing basic checks and on-site audits.  In total:

• 26% don’t perform basic desktop checks on suppliers’ financial report and 43% failed to condut an on site-audit of supplier information
• 23% don’t perform basic desktop health and safety policy checks and 34% failed to carry out an on site audit
• 31% don’t perform basic desk top anti-bribery and corruption policy checks and 46% failed to carry out an on site audit.

“Health and safety is recognised as a priority in infrastructure but the survey shows firms still have room for improvement in terms of ensuring suppliers adhere to the necessary health and safety procedures,” said Grand.

“We estimate that businesses worldwide are spending US$60 billion on managing information about their suppliers – yet there are still significant gaps in their data.

“Knowledge is power when it comes to managing and mitigating risks associated with suppliers.  In our experience, it works best when businesses work together to create standards suppliers must adhere to, to be considered for work. Firms should then create a centralised, up-to-date database of all suppliers information so they can carry out due diligence proactively and protect themselves from risks.”