Company guidelines and code of conduct

We offer our national and international customers innovative products, solutions and services that are tailored to the requirements of our customers and their respective markets. Collaborative partnerships with our customers that are built on trust play an important role at our company. We ensure that employees based in the countries in which we are active understand the local requirements of our customers and partners and are aware of and respect the cultural traditions.

 We expect our business partners to also feel committed to our principles – compliance with the law, honesty, reliability, respect and trust are universal principles of good and lasting business relationships.

CES is a reliable employer for its employees at all of the company locations. Our employees are the driving force behind our corporate success. The individuals who work for us are qualified, responsible and team-orientated; they support our company guidelines and code of conduct and act accordingly.

Our managers respect the personality and dignity of all employees and act as mediators in the event of conflicts. All employees, especially the managers, are aware that their conduct represents the company to the outside world.

To secure positions for the long term, we place particular importance on employee development. We primarily train the next generation of employees within our own company and prefer to fill leadership positions from within our own ranks. Training and qualification activities are offered via our personnel development scheme or alternatively through the training programmes of external institutions. 

We treat each other in a tolerant and fair manner on an equal footing, and we respect the variety of personalities. When recruiting new staff, we select the most suitable candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, ethnic background, religion or philosophical belief system, disability, age, marital status or sexual orientation.

We strive to refrain from and actively oppose discrimination of any kind. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, sexual harassment, insults, workplace bullying or aggressive behaviour towards other individuals. We expect the same from our business partners. 

We maintain open, honest communication with our employees, business partners and, where applicable, with the interested public.  Clear task assignments and information are communicated in line with unambiguous rules, so that employees and customers receive the information that is relevant to them.  Our promotional statements are credible and in line with our corporate guidelines.

We respect, protect and promote the applicable rules for the protection of human rights and the rights of children worldwide. We reject any use of child, forced or compulsory labour and any form of modern slavery or human trafficking. This applies not only to cooperation within our company; we expect it equally from our business partners.

Our employees are required to ensure industrial and commercial secrets and confidential information are treated as such for the duration of their employment and beyond. Our employees are required to treat company property with care.

Equipment and materials owned by the company must be used exclusively for business purposes. When handling personal data, protection of privacy must be respected and the security of the data must be ensured.

CES has appointed a data protection officer who trains our employees and ensures compliance with the data protection regulations. 

We reject all forms of corruption, breach of trust or embezzlement. Suppliers and service providers are selected on the basis of objective criteria. It is forbidden to unlawfully influence other parties or allow oneself to be influenced in the course of business activities by exchanging or offering gifts or other benefits or accepting these. 

Personal interests must not be allowed to improperly influence our professional judgement. For this reason, appropriate solutions are developed for all conflicts of interest or loyalty on the basis of a risk analysis.

Compliance with legal obligations and regulatory requirements are a matter of course in our daily activities. This includes, for example, the applicable anti-trust and trade laws, the legislation on pricing, as well as health, employment and environment-related regulations and the provisions on work hours, vacation arrangements and remuneration.

We respect the right of our employees to assemble peacefully and to conduct collective negotiations on pay and work conditions in order to cooperate with the works council in finding an acceptable solution.

The market perceives the products developed, produced and marketed by us as innovative and of high quality. They are often characterised by unique selling points. In this context, our product range is updated continually. In addition to our main business – mechanical master key systems and electronic access control systems – we offer specialist products to lock and secure buildings and industrial applications. Additionally, we wish to expand in areas that build on our technologies and competences and that take account of the interests of our customers and the consumer.

Everything we do is focused on the satisfaction of our business partners and interested parties, which we are increasing steadily through a process of continuous improvement. Assuming responsibility for the improvement potentials available in every individual activity is a matter of course at our company.

Efficient and fault-free production of our products, with the shortest delivery times and high flexibility are the keys to our success. Through continuous improvements of the processes and resources, we create unique selling propositions and steadily increase productivity, thus securing production in Germany.  

The sustainable use of resources and continuous increase in efficiency in our company are important management tasks for us. A comprehensive, systematic and continuous data collection process enables us to analyse our processes, measure our energy consumption and thus identify potential savings and improvements.  

By regularly evaluating our management systems and processes we create a basis for continuous development and improvement. Each employee plays their part in this process.  

All resources and services to be procured are subject to a systematic inspection. Through our operational and strategic objectives and our striving to conserve energy and resources and reduce CO₂ emissions, we are making an active contribution towards protecting the environment. Within the framework of our environmental management system, we have identified relevant environmental aspects and made provisions for avoiding negative impacts of our activities on the environment and for preventing environmental pollution.  

It is our long-term objective to manufacture on a climate-neutral basis and to continuously improve our environmental performance through appropriate measures.

Our suppliers are a very important part of our value chain.  Our long-term relationships with them are based on mutual trust.  From our suppliers we expect the highest level of cost efficiency, environmental awareness, creativity and flexibility, perfect service and complete reliability in terms of quality and adherence to delivery dates.  

We make every effort to ensure the health and integrity of our employees on a preventive basis. On the basis of a comprehensive health and safety management system we have therefore created a safe work environment that promotes health and performance and that is regularly evaluated by our health and safety specialists in close cooperation with our company doctor. We secure the health of our employees and prevent damage to our important goods through regular inspections by our fire safety officers and by carrying out appropriate protective measures (e.g. escape and rescue plan, alarm plan, fire safety and evacuation assistants).

Our financial policy is aimed at generating an appropriate dividend for our shareholders and to maintain financial independence from third parties (associate companies and banks). Correspondingly, we pursue a reserving policy that is designed to secure the long-term existence of C.Ed. Schulte GmbH Zylinderschlossfabrik. Investments are financed by equity capital. Financial investments are made with a view to minimise risks and preserve the value of the funds invested.