Corporate Responsibility: Business Practices
EDS has well-defined corporate governance structures for guiding and monitoring how we conduct our business to ensure EDS' executives, directors and managers act in the best interest of the organization, its employees and shareholders. These structures help the leaders responsible for steering the future of our organization decide how company assets are used.
Ethics and Compliance
EDS promotes ethical leadership, ownership and accountability. Our ethics and compliance program, guided by the EDS Office of Ethics and Compliance, applies globally to all employees, directors and subsidiaries. It covers compliance with domestic and international laws that affect our business dealings. Guidelines for ethical behavior and practices are set in the EDS Code of Business Conduct. All employees globally (except where prohibited by law) are required to certify annually that they have access to, have read and understand the Code and that they are aware of how to seek guidance and report violations.
Corporate policies, compliance reporting and tracking, and ethics awareness and training are provided to help employees make good business decisions. In 2006, the Office of Ethics and Compliance delivered 60 communications covering 12 ethics and compliance topics via various internal media channels. Global employee training included four interactive streaming video vignettes on a variety of topics.
Global Government Affairs
EDS works on a global basis to address legislative, regulatory and policy issues that affect our company and our business with public and private-sector clients. We engage in a variety of activities to improve and protect EDS' financial performance, to create new business and market opportunities and to reinforce our industry leadership.
EDS-sponsored 2006 U.K. Guardian Public Services Summit to discuss the future of public services
Left to right: Alex Allan, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice; Doug Hoover, EDS Vice President and former Managing Director of UKIMEA; Patrick Butler, Public Services Editor at The Guardian; and Liam Byrne MP, then Minister of State at the Department of Health
EDS Global Government Affairs addresses public policy issues worldwide, engaging with organizations in the European Union on issues ranging from the Lisbon Agenda to the digital economy. EDS is also a member of numerous industry and political organizations in the United Kingdom to communicate EDS views and those of the wider IT sector to the UK government. In the United States, EDS engages with Congress, the administration, the governors and state legislative leaders on tax policy, appropriations for government programs, privacy and security regulations, the effects of globalization, and other issues.
As governments debate climate change and proposed energy policy, EDS contributes thought leadership to the discussion through various industry organizations and as an individual company.
In the United States, the bipartisan EDS Political Action Committee (PAC) makes contributions to federal, state and local candidates for elective office. It is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from eligible EDS employees. These contributions help EDS provide employees with a stronger voice on government issues that affect our company, employees and industry. The company does not make political contributions outside the United States.
Security, Privacy and Data Protection
Security is a proactive defense against anything that threatens a business' stability, growth or performance. Because of this broad reach, EDS takes an integrated approach that leverages the best technologies, processes and tools to enable our clients to do business in a secure and compliant environment while protecting the privacy of their employees, customers and partners.
EDS is committed to complying with applicable privacy and data protection laws and to respecting high standards in handling its own and its clients' personal information. The policies and procedures to be followed in compliance with EDS Global Privacy and Data Protection Policy are set out in the EDS Global Code of Practice for Privacy and Data Protection. For more information, view the EDS Privacy and Data Protection Statement on the EDS Web site and the EDS Code of Business Conduct.
The EDS Chief Security & Privacy Office (CSPO) is responsible for enterprisewide IT and physical security, privacy, crisis management and business continuity coordination, executive protection, and the health and welfare of EDS employees. The CSPO achieved these milestones in 2006:
- Conducted a 10-month Information Protection Awareness Campaign and a week-long series of events called “IP Week” promoting privacy and security awareness. EDS focused on three actions throughout the campaign: identifying information in employees' care and determining its sensitivity; protecting the information they handle; and reporting any losses or theft of sensitive information.
- Deployed its mandatory annual security awareness training program available in five languages and a second Web-based training program dedicated to increasing companywide privacy awareness.
- Consolidated several incident-reporting tools into one tool, enabling any type of security, privacy or crisis situation to be reported online and automatically routed to appropriate parties for action.
The City of Plano Texas Police Department shares information on identity theft and personal safety with EDS employees during IP Week.
The EDS Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) provides a timely and orderly response to information security incidents. The CIRT helps EDS recognize, resist and recover from attacks on its own IT infrastructure and those of its clients. CIRT goals are to control and minimize damage, preserve evidence, provide quick and efficient recovery, prevent similar events in the future, and gain insight into current and future threats against the organization.
Global Supply Chain Management
EDS takes supplier relationships seriously and procures goods and services from a variety of global and local suppliers. We realize our suppliers can help us reduce costs, increase efficiency, achieve environmental sustainability goals and better meet our clients' needs. Our goal is to create opportunities that benefit all parties – our suppliers, clients and EDS.
In 2006, the Supply Chain Management organization developed and began implementing a multiyear strategy to attain best-in-class performance in supply chain operations and deliver greater value to clients and EDS. In addition, EDS is embarking on a program to reduce the number of suppliers and contracting agencies as a part of our overall risk management and cost leadership initiatives.
We screen and monitor the general performance of a core list of suppliers through EDS' Supplier Excellence Dashboard. We also formalized a Supplier Quality, Environmental and Social Accountability Assessment program in Europe in 2006 to review supplier standards in areas including environmental sustainability, social responsibility, human rights and quality as part of our risk-management due diligence efforts.
EDS' Supplier Diversity Program enhances our business partnerships with minority-owned, women-owned and small businesses in our procurement networks. As a part of the program, EDS sets annual goals targeted at increasing the amount of business EDS does with diverse suppliers. A number of organizations have recognized EDS' achievements in this area.
EDS Canada awarded Lucille Trickett a 2006 Pacesetter Diversity Award for her commitment to increasing supplier diversity, acknowledging the importance of integrating Aboriginal and minority businesses into the business world and valuing their diverse perspectives, skill sets and ideas. Through her efforts, EDS became a member of the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) and Lucille secured a place with the decision-makers on their board.
Through our mentoring programs and partnerships, EDS helps minority-owned, women-owned and small businesses sharpen their business skills; enhance delivery, quality and service; and compete more effectively in the marketplace. EDS is a partner in external mentoring programs and is also actively involved in the U.S. Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé Program, the Department of Treasury Mentor-Protégé Program and the EDS Federal Small Business Program.
We use sustainable practices in our own operations, as well as in providing disposal services to help our clients manage the retirement of hardware such as desktop and laptop computers, servers, monitors, and printers.