Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy plays an important part of our business governing our activities as a service provider, employer and consumer. Plus, our aim is to be a responsible business committed to building a sustainable future for people and planet.

Additionally, the policy set out here within aims to highlight the relevant issues to HBXL, assess current performance and how the company aims to improve these further.

Background to HBXL Group

The company operates under three separate trading areas. Further, these are Integro Construction Software, HBXL Building Software and HBXL Professional Services.

Additionally, Integro Construction Software operates the BuildingWorks brand, this a desktop Software as a Service (SaaS) which is available on a subscription basis which can be downloaded from the internet.

HBXL Building Software provides a suite of construction software including: estimating, CAD drawing, health & safety, project management and contracts.

HBXL Professional Services provides an Estimating Service, Health & Safety Service, Building Contracts and other additional services.

Along with, the company is ran by the board consisting of: founder and managing director Adrian Wild, Sales & Marketing Director Joanna Mulgrew, Software Development Director Steven Mulgrew & Technical Director James Pizzey. Furthermore, the board is supported by managers within each of the companies to operate the company effectively and efficiently.

The HBXL Group operates mainly on a national basis in the UK but does have users across the globe.

The HBXL Group services the construction industry, focusing on Small-Medium Enterprises who are mainly in the residential market.

Social

Moreover, HBXL Group are committed to providing a safe, stimulating and pleasant working environment and developing all of our staff to achieve their maximum potential.

As well as providing comprehensive HR and staff development practices and procedures, we have revised our staff appraisal system and training and development procedures to ensure our employees develop the skills, competencies and qualities needed to succeed and progress their careers now and in the future. Details of the staff development practices and procedures can be found in our HBXL Policies and Procedures file. However, in summary comprise a commitment to give each staff member time for Continued Professional Development (CPD) and CPD planning procedure that takes into account both the business preogative and the individual staff member’s personal requirements.

Obtaining regular feedback and opinions from staff is important to us and we run a staff consultation at least once a year.We also have a range of established communication channels to encourage knowledge sharing and feedback.  Feedback channels to management comprise regular business briefings, quarterly staff conferences with the board of director and team meetings.

We also set up anonymous feedback system to management consisting of a suggestion box in the breakout area, where staff can make suggestions on management process or technique without fear of reprisal.

Encouraging a two way process of ideas and knowledge exchange across departments and all staff.
We also encourage our staff to think proactively for themselves, to find solutions to problems and take responsibility for their decision making.  This encouragement takes the form of positive feedback from management for new ideas and innovative procedures.  A supportive management approach to new practices, with no blame culture if innovative approaches do not succeed.

HBXL recognise the work of charities locally and nationally by holding regular charity events supporting a range of charities which are picked by the team.

Social Commitments

We commit to continue to make our stakeholders the heart of everything we do, to continue feedback processes and working in a blameless work culture to harness invovation and creativity.

Economic

HBXL are aware of the economic impact of SMEs in the UK, SMEs make up a considerable proportion of the UK economy and are essential to it’s economic success. This means that HBXL can play a vital role in ensuring ethical business practices within our industry.

Part of HBXL’s mission statement is:

‘The purpose of HBXL is to develop & provide best in class building software & support for the small-medium construction company and allied trades at a fair price to our customers in the UK & abroad.’ Our goal is to have a positive influence on the building industry by providing software solutions that will improve UK building firms.

Our fair treatment for all goal is to:

‘Earn an adequate profit for the total enterprise to grow, providing the opportunity for our employees, share holders and suppliers to achieve their own reasonable personal objectives.’

Our marketplace responsibility principles are;

  • Respect our customers
  • Support vulnerable customers
  • Seek potential customers within excluded groups
  • Manage the impact of product or service
  • Actively discourage product misuse
  • Actively manage responsibility in our supply chain
  • Treat suppliers as partners
  • Work with the rule makers
  • Have consistent standards

Our approach to marketing:

This is about influencing customer behaviour to create both profit and positive societal change, actively managing our responsibilities to customers, and being honest in our communications.

  • high quality products
  • priced affordably so accessible to all
  • collateral (marketing literature and packaging) sourced from sustainable sources packaged minimally to avoid waste

More, ways in which we support our customers:

  • Providing mechanisms for software to contact our Managing Director directly
  • Provide User panels to enable software users to share their experiences
  • Provide Forums for software users to share ideas and support each other
  • Research current building business issues to develop software solutions which will help these firms run better businesses
  • Provide essential services such as Chat Support, Training and Feedback mechanisms through our Support Services Policy

How we handle our supplier relationships:

  • We pride ourselves on conducting our business in a fair, ethical and friendly manner and pay our bills on time, checking firms environmental credentials before trading with them.

Economic Commitments

HBXL commit to continue to engage in ethical business practices in everything we do.

Environmental

Moreover, as a company dedicated to the development of environmental software solutions in addition to other business software, committing HBXL  to acting environmentally responsibly and minimising the impact of our business on the environment and that of other building firms who are responsible for large amounts of construction waste and homes responsible for significant CO2 emissions. Also, we believe that the environmental issues are the biggest area of CSR within HBXL due to the potential impact that the company can make from an industry perspective and continuously improve internally.

In addition, the objectives of the statement are a commitment to:

  • Comply with relevant legislation and regulations
  • To provide solutions to house builders on good practice for improving the quality of new homes and their health and safety/environmental responsibilities
  • To provide solutions to general builders on good practice for improving the quality of existing homes their health and safety/environmental responsibilities
  • Support the continual improvement of the environmental performance of the UK’s housing
  • Identify the environmental impacts, both direct and indirect of HBXL’s office activities and transportation and take steps to mitigate the environmental impact of these activities
  • Adopt the practice of responsible fuel and energy management through the encouragement of reducing energy consumption
  • Where appropriate provide training and information to employees to ensure the objectives in this statement are fulfilled
  • Take environmental factors into account in the procurement of resources
  • Take all measures that are reasonably practicable to reduce waste at source and recycle where possible

Plus, today we:

  • Encourage riding to work schemes and car sharing – We do this through the Tax Free Cycle scheme and through liftshares.  Staff are aware of these through our Staff Handbook and regular team meetings.
  • Where practicable and possible requests for remote work are granted and technologies such as Skype are used to communicate to reduce environmental impact
  • Recycle paper, ink cartridges, cartons, cardboard, tins, glass and confidential waste
  • Ensuring heating is switched off overnight and only comes on as necessary. ~In addition, switching off computers and other equipments overnight
  • Use Mainsfed watercooler so as to reduce environmental impact
  • Recent investment in a duplex printer for the capacity to duplex print, this will reduce paper usage within the office.

Environmental Future Goals & Targets

Reduce environmental impact of our products and services

Moreover, across the group we are exploring how we can reduce the environmental impact of our product through the follow channels;

  1. Increase digital download:

Furthermore, BuildingWorks will be available for download only from the internet. HBXL Building Software customer’s have the opportunity to digitally download as an alternative to a physical product. We are starting to release new options and streamlining the process for customers to download our products. HBXL Professional Services outputs are provided digitally with a levy in place for the provision of physical copies.

  1. Reduce the amount of packaging used per unit:

Also, we are currently exploring and experimenting with alternative packaging for the physical copies of HBXL Building Software.

  1. Change our packaging materials:

In conjunction with, we strive to increase the use of environmentally friendly packaging materials, as well as to reduce or remove unnecessary materials that contribute to our waste.

Also, we try to balance a wide variety of sometimes competing needs and pressures for software packaging from customers and other stakeholders, while minimizing our environmental impact.

Reduce the environmental impact of our office and business practices

Besides, we are aware that there are always opportunities for improvement in reducing our environmental impact

  • Reduce use of resources and continue to use 80 gms paper for standard printing throughout the business and ensure this paper is from a FSC or recycled source
  • Encourage electronic filing where practicable
  • Operate a lean production
  • We will introduce a policy of replacement of old electrical equipment with more energy efficient models
  • Achieving this through: a staff awareness programme; the use of switch off policies. We encourage staff to switch off lights when daylight is adequate, and open blinds rather than turn lighting on. We encourage ideas for energy saving via our knowledge share and ideas exchange system
  • Encourage the use of local suppliers to reduce carbon footprint. In addition, look in to the CSR policies of the suppliers we use
  • In addition, for business travel we will commit to use of public transport rather than private where practical

The next chapter

It doesn’t end there. Further, we will be working hard on engaging customers through awareness-raising marketing including literature and web content. This is regarding the building industry’s affect on the environment and how our business is endeavouring to assist it meet governments carbon targets through software and training.

Moreover, employees training are essential to gain understanding of how to relate to sustainability in construction. Further, this will help them  engage customers and empower them to use sustainability software fully.

Finally, HBXL need to connect with customers fully on the issue of site health and safety. This is to help improve their health and safety awareness. As well as, their understanding of their responsibilities and thus improving their health and safety record through extensive campaigning.