Beter Bed Holding

Annual Report 2014

External assessment

Reporting guidelines

In this report, Beter Bed Holding is reporting for the fourth time on its activities and progress in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in accordance with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). As a result of the implementation of the stakeholder dialogue, it can be stated that the report largely complies with the G4 guidelines.

The report is presented in a clear format and is compact and readable. Detailed information is reported in a highly transparent GRI Index. The index also contains a list of the definitions applied. The codes of conduct of Beter Bed Holding are available on the website www.beterbedholding.com.

Scope and framework of the report

In this report on the calendar year 2014 Beter Bed Holding reports on all formulas in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Austria. Owing to the reorganisation, the information from Belgium is limited, but not material owing to the limited size of our operations in that country. As in the previous year, the CSR information in this report covers 99% of the number of FTEs. Information on details in the GRI Index may depart from this standard. In that specific case, the deviation from the coverage ratio is stated explicitly.

Consistency in reporting process

The figures presented in this report have been derived on the basis of consistent definitions and are therefore comparable to those of prior years. These definitions are reported in a separate annex in the GRI Index.

Group Controlling was closely involved in compiling and verifying the quantitative data. MVOplossingen is tasked with collecting the broad stream of information from within the group. The aggregations of quantitative data and changes in figures have been discussed and verified by Group Controlling.

Selection of topics

The selection of topics was carried out in a stakeholder dialogue at the end of 2014. A survey was used to ask the stakeholders in advance about their views on the importance of various GRI G4 topics for Beter Bed Holding. This survey was extensively discussed in the dialogue and led to minor adjustments in prioritisation. The number of material topics increased by six as a result of this process. More information on the dialogue and the selection of topics is available in the GRI Index.

Conclusion

Beter Bed Holding has taken a major step forward in 2014 by implementing the stakeholder dialogue. The results of the dialogue have confirmed that the chosen reporting structure and the selection of topics are appropriate.

Strengths

  • The team of employees providing information is constant, which increases the quality of reporting.
  • The implementation of the stakeholder dialogue has shown that both the reporting strategy and the selection of topics are in line with expectations.
  • Due to the clear and consistent allocation of duties between the Group Controlling staff and MVOplossingen, the quality of information has again improved.

Possible improvements

  • A number of standard indicators have not been reported, while they should be expected to be covered in reporting in conformity with G4 at the CORE level.
  • Reporting on complaints procedures needs to be improved, because the differences between formulas are too great. The possibility of a company-wide approach and reporting needs to be examined.
  • Stakeholders advise the organisation to organise CSR in a dedicated working party. This would represent a significant improvement in terms of policy development and the collection of information.

In MVOplossingen’s opinion, the report of Beter Bed Holding provides a good and accurate view of the business and its operations in the field of CSR. The GRI Index is characterised by a high degree of detail and transparency, which enables stakeholders to engage in dialogue with the company on a solid basis.


Arnhem, The Netherlands, 12 March 2015


Menno Kuiper,
Specialist on communications on CSR in annual reports of the consultancy firm MVOplossingen