Customer Satisfaction Survey

The TANAKA Precious Metals has conducted a customer satisfaction survey since fiscal 2016. This survey aims to understand the real demands and complaints about our company among customers for our industrial product business in Japan and overseas based on their responses to an annual questionnaire survey and use the results for the improvement of various issues.
In fiscal 2022, we received responses from 268 customers and the average score was 75.1 (out of 100).
While the average score was 61.2 when the survey was launched in fiscal 2016, we have continuously received a score of 75 or higher in recent years. We will continue to promote the improvement of various issues to make our customers more satisfied.

External CSR Assessments That Satisfy Customers

○RBA_*1 Audit

The TANAKA Precious Metals has formulated the TANAKA Precious Metals Code of Conduct and TANAKA Precious Metals Standards of Conduct, which are in line with the RBA Code of Conduct, to stipulate that each officer and employee should fulfill social responsibility for CSR issues including human rights, environment, health and safety and ethics in their daily operations.
In fiscal 2022, our domestic and overseas factories were audited by third-party auditors qualified by RBA or were audited directly by customers. Through those audits, our compliance with the RBA Code of Conduct was evaluated.

○EcoVadis_*2 Certification

We underwent a company-wide CSR assessment by EcoVadis concerning the environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement of materials and were awarded a silver rating again in fiscal 2022.

*1 RBA (Responsible Business Alliance)：
RBA is a CSR promotion organization mainly operated by major global companies in the electronic and electrical industries.
It has established the RBA Code of Conduct as specific CSR rules to be followed by companies.

*2 EcoVadis:
EcoVadis is a CSR assessment agency that evaluates more than 90,000 organizations and companies from 200 business sectors and 175 countries throughout the world. It gives clients CSR rating on five scales, that is platinum, gold, silver, bronze or no rating.

Evaluation from Customers

The TANAKA Precious Metals has received awards, etc. from various customers in appreciation for our efforts to support their production activities.

Supply Chain Management

○Commitment to the Responsible Procurement of Minerals

With the establishment of its Responsible Mineral Sourcing Policy_*1, the TANAKA Precious Metals promotes the elimination of human rights abuses including child labor, financing of terrorists, money laundering, unfair dealings, involvement in conflicts and environmental destruction in the procurement of minerals used as raw materials such as conflict minerals including gold, tantalum, tungsten and tin, as well as cobalt.

○Acquisition of Certification Based on LBMA_*2 and LPPM_*3 Responsible Guidance

With respect to platinum, gold, silver and palladium, we conduct due diligence based on the LBMA Responsible Guidance and the LPPM Guidance and renew the certification every year after an audit by a designated third-party agency. When procuring materials for precious metals including recycled materials, we carefully conduct detailed checks of suppliers as to whether they have any problems or risks concerning CSR issues (the environment, human rights, society, compliance, ethics, etc.) to ensure responsible sales of precious metal products.

*1 https://www.tanaka.co.jp/english/sourcing_policy/
*2 LBMA: London Bullion Market Association
*3 LPPM: London Platinum & Palladium Market

○Approach to Suppliers

While asking principal suppliers to comply with the RBA Code of Conduct, we also ask them to conduct CSR self-assessment. In addition, we visit and survey some suppliers that are considered to have a large impact on our business and be exposed to high risk.
In fiscal 2022, we asked about 160 suppliers to conduct CSR self-assessment and encouraged them to promote improvement voluntarily. No serious problem was identified in any of them.
We have joined the education and enlightenment task force of the CSR Committee of Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), which is an industry group, and were engaged in the preparation of educational materials to make suppliers have a good comprehension of JEITA's “Responsible Business Conduct Guidelines.” Following our suggestion, our principal suppliers participated in the briefing session held in October 2022.