BRITA®

Management Handbook
Reference standards DIN EN ISO 9001, DIN EN ISO 14001, DIN EN ISO 50001, OHSAS 18001
October 2016

“”We will change the way people
			drink water sustainably.
Vision BRITA GroupBRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 2

Contents

1.0

Preamble
1.1
Declaration of intent
1.2
Scope of application

4
4
5

2.0

The BRITA Group
2.1
Milestones: The history of BRITA’s innovations
2.2
Awards: Strong brand – high standards

6810

Vision and strategy: BRITA 2020 – Conquer New Waters
3.1
BRITA 2020 – Conquer New Waters:		Strategy with differentiated portfolio approach
3.2
Our understanding of leadership		

12
12
14

4.0

Information and communication flow at BRITA

15

5.0

Our Self-image		
5.1
Who are we – what do we want
5.2
Our policy – our principles

16
16
18

6.0

Corporate Compliance:
Integral, ethical and value-oriented behavior

20

7.0

Corporate Responsibility: Taking on responsibility		
7.1
Responsibility for resources and the environment 		
7.2
Energy policy at BRITA		
7.3
Occupational safety and health management 		

22
24
25
26

8.0

Tried-and-tested quality: A core part of our brand promise
8.1
Customer and consumer satisfaction		
8.2
Continuous Improvement Process (CIP)
8.3
BEST – Operational Excellence

28
28
29
30

9.0

The process-oriented approach: More transparency,
better for everybody

31

3.0

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 3

1.0 Preamble

1.1 Declaration of intent

The Management System comes into force uponsignature by the Senior Executive Board.

Markus Hankammer
Chief Executive Officer BRITA Group andChairman of the Senior Executive Board BRITA GmbH

Jörg Heise
Chief Operating Officer BRITA Group andMember of the Senior Executive Board BRITA GmbH

Stefan Jonitz
Chief Financial Officer BRITA Group andMember of the Senior Executive Board BRITA GmbHThe contents of this handbook are binding for all
employees of the BRITA Group.

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 4

1.0 Preamble

1.2 Scope of application

The BRITA Group is a medium-sized, family-owned company geared
towards the global market and the customer. For 50 years now,business activities have focussed on optimizing and individualizing
drinking water, whereby the water qualities and client needs as ourstarting point differ widely from one market to the next. The longstanding BRITA brand is a synonym for filter water jugs in many
countries and holds a leading position in the global water filter market.
Broad product ranges with
innovative solutions for
optimizing drinking water

BRITA technology has long since ceased to be confined to privatehouseholds, found only in kitchens and dining rooms there. Mobile products for use during sports, on the go or in the office, pipe-connectedwater dispensers for hygiene-sensitive locations such as hospitals andschools; not to forget trail-blazing drinking water solutions for companies and the hospitality industry as well as for the coffee, vendingor steamer sectors, or even BRITA filters in large or small electricalappliances – today, BRITA is all of this. Not least the numerous internationally registered patents that we hold bear impressive testimony
to the fact that, thanks to our permanent commitment to research anddevelopment, we are one of the top names in technology.
We also intend to remain the leading global brand in the drinking
water optimization sector, creating sustained added value for ourcustomers, consumers, employees, business partners (commercial& industrial partners and suppliers alike), distributors, and for the
BRITA enterprise itself.

The company Headquarters:
At the heart of Europe

BRITA is based in Taunusstein which is just a few minutes away fromthe German town of Wiesbaden. Taunusstein is located on the westernedge of the Rhine/Main metropolitan region, one of the strongest andmost innovative business hubs in Germany and Europe.
The international airport hub at Frankfurt/Main, the ICE superfast
Frankfurt-Cologne-Amsterdam rail link and key national motorways
such as the A3 and the A5 are all in the immediate vicinity of thecompany head office, transports links that are absolutely crucial given
BRITA’s international focus.
Moreover, the company’s exposed location ensures the availability ofhighly qualified employees and potential young trainees and also allows
BRITA to enter into valuable cooperation agreements in the field of
research and development.

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 5

2.0 The BRITA® Group“Hidden Champion”
focussing on theinternational market

Founded byHeinz Hankammer in 1966

Headquarters

Taunusstein (near Wiesbaden),Germany

Corporate structure

Owner-managed family company
Limited liability company (GmbH)
under German law

Chairman of theSupervisory Board

Moss Kadey

Senior Executive Board

Markus Hankammer, Jörg Heise,
Stefan Jonitz

Executive Board

Markus Hankammer,
CEO Chief Executive Officer BRITA Groupand Chairman of the Senior Executive
Board BRITA GmbH
Jörg Heise,
COO Chief Operating Officer BRITA Groupand Member of the Senior Executive
Board BRITA GmbH
Stefan Jonitz,
CFO Chief Financial Officer BRITA Groupand Member of the Senior Executive
Board BRITA GmbH
Markus Kirschner,
Senior Vice President Europe
Dr. Hilmar Walde,
CTO Chief Technology Officer BRITA Group
Dr. Rüdiger Kraege,
Senior Vice President Asia

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 6

2.0 The BRITA® GroupBRITA subsidiaries

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BRITA GmbH, Germany (Headquarters)
BRITA Water Filter Systems Distributors Pty Ltd.,
Australia
BRITA China Co. Ltd., China
BRITA China Manufacturing Co. Ltd., China
BRITA Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong
BRITA S.A.R.L., France
BRITA Water Filter Systems Ltd., UK
BRITA Italia s.r.l. Unipersonale, Italy
BRITA Japan KK, Japan
BRITA Korea, Korea
BRITA Polska S.p.z.o.o., Poland
BRITA Turkey Su Cözümleri Ltd. Sirketi, Turkey
BRITA OOO, Russia
BRITA AG, Switzerland
BRITA Iberia S.L., Spain
BRITA Taiwan Co. Ltd., Taiwan
MAVEA LLC, USA
MAVEA Canada Inc., Canada
BRITA Ionox Deutschland GmbH, Germany
BRITA Yource GmbH, Germany
Asset s.r.l., Italy
Vivreau Ltd., UK
Vivreau USA LP, USA
Vivreau Canada Inc., Canada

Production sites

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Germany
UK
Switzerland
Italy
China (Operation start in 2017)

Number of employees worldwide

1,480 (2015)

Number of employees in Germany

785 (2015)

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 7

2.0 The BRITA® Group

2.1 Milestones: The history of BRITA®’s innovations

1966 	The starting signal: Heinz Hankammer establishes BRITA in Germany.
The first product is a filter for demineralizing water.
1970

Premiere: The first water filter jug for household use.

1980 	Business-to-Business: The first professional water filter for commercial
use is launched on the market. Beginning of the company’s internationalsales activities.
1987

Benchmark: BRITA becomes synonymous with water filter jugs in Germany.

1992 	Award: BRITA receives an award for being a “woman-friendly place of
employment”. Introduction of the first recycling programme for filter cartridges.
1995 	Sparkling drinks market: BRITA distributes “Soda-Club” water carbonatorson the German market.
1997 	US award: Heinz Hankammer is the first German to receive the “International
Entrepreneur of the year” award from the American Housewares Club of
New England.
1998 	Pole position: BRITA becomes the standard for water filter jugs inSouth Africa.
1999 	The next generation: Heinz Hankammer becomes Chairman of the
newly established Supervisory Board and Markus Hankammer sole CEO of
the BRITA Group.
2001 	World premiere I and II: Launch of the world’s very first kettle with integrated
water filter in the UK; launch of “BRITA On Tap” (a filter system attached to thetap) in France and later on in other countries.
2004 	Integrated Solution: Launch of the new business concept entitled “BRITA
Integrated Solutions” (expanding the area of application of the BRITA filter
cartridge to other household appliances).
2004	Very British: A production facility opens in the UK town of Bicester near
Oxford. BRITA is awarded a place in the Sunday Times “Top 100 Best Small &Medium Companies to Work For” list in the UK.
2005 	Innovative strength: Launch of MAXTRA – the new generation of
cartridges – and the water filter jugs Elemaris, Marella and Liquelli (for theJapanese market).
2006 	Anniversary: BRITA GmbH celebrates its 40th anniversary. Launch of the new
INTENZA filter cartridge for BRITA Integrated Solutions applications. Launch ofa new filter cartridge that is directly integrated into kitchen sink (in cooperation
with Pegler; initially on the UK market).

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2.0 The BRITA® Group

2.1 Milestones: The history of BRITA®’s innovations

2007

IT works: SAP is introduced at BRITA GmbH.

2008 	Relaunch: The PURITY product line is relaunched and expanded within
the company’s “Professional” business unit and the new PURITY C line offilters is launched.
2009 ertified quality: Successful certification in accordance with quality
Cmanagement standard DIN EN ISO 9001 for BRITA GmbH.

2010 	Moving in: BRITA celebrates the official opening of its new company
Headquarters located on the BRITA Campus in Taunusstein. BRITA On Linetransforms the kitchen sink into a direct source of BRITA optimized water.
BRITA UK achieve Carbon Neutral Certification for the premises andbusiness travel. Following the acquisition of the enviva pipe-connectedwater dispensers BRITA enters a new market segment.
2011 	Protecting staff and the environment: BRITA GmbH is awarded ISO
14001 Environmental Management and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Healthand Safety certification. Acquisition of the water dispenser specialist Ionox.
2012 	Footprint: BRITA publishes 2012 Sustainability Report with the productcarbon footprint for a BRITA water filter jug. Market launch of the BRITA
Tap and the Fill&Go water filter bottle. Partnership with the British company
Vivreau.
2013 	Source at home: Introduction of 4-way dispenser BRITA Neo 4 for filtered,chilled and sparkling water. Heinz Hankammer becomes Honorary Chairmanof the Supervisory Board, Moss Kadey takes the chair. BRITA acquires 90%of the shares in the Italian manufacturer of pipe-connected water dispenser
systems Asset. New subsidiaries in Taiwan and China.
2014 	International reach: New subsidiary in Russia founded. Vivreau North
America is a partner of Michele Obama’s “Drink Up” campaign. BRITA Neo 4
presents new taps and a new installation system.
2015 	Green and innovative: Successful certification as per the ISO 50001 energy
management system. The new car policy makes the vehicle pool “greener”.
Focus on sensory water know-how in the company: An in-company Sensor
Technology Lab. Introduction of the BRITA fill&serve Mind water filter carafe
and a universal water filter for all professional coffee machines with watertanks, AquaGusto.
2016 RITA – the first 50 years: BRITA celebrates the 50th anniversary of its
Bfoundation. The BRITA Group calculates its CO2 footprint for the first time.
The new global BRITA-wide brand campaign launches: “Think your water”.
Foundation of a new subsidiary in Turkey and a regional office in Hong Kong.
Start of trade in pipe-connected water dispensers, initially in Germany, Austria,
Switzerland and the UK and now also in France and Italy.

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2.0 The BRITA® Group

2.2 Awards: Strong brand – high standards

Deutsche Standards: Brands ­­of the Century 2016

In 2016 BRITA was inducted into the rank of “Brands of the Century”
by publisher Deutsche Standards.

Trusted Brand Award

In 2013 consumers in Taiwan chose BRITA as the brand they trusted
for the sixth time. In the “Trusted Brand” consumer survey conductedby “Reader’s Digest” magazine since 1999, every year readers’favourite brands are determined in eight Asian countries.

Superbrands

BRITA took its place on the coveted list of the 500 superbrands inGreat Britain in 2006 and 2008. The definition of superbrands isbrands that “enjoy the highest reputation in their particular market
segments and that offer consumers both emotional and concreteadvantages over other brands.

Entrepreneur of the Year –Finalist 2006

Ernst & Young, one of the world’s leading audit and consultancy firms,
regularly recognizes outstanding entrepreneurial achievement with thetitle “Entrepreneur of the Year”. In 2006 BRITA reached the final – with
its sustainable growth and innovations winning over the jury.

Grünes Band 2011 (Green Ribbon)

In 2011, BRITA was awarded the “Grünes Band” (Green Ribbon) forthe consistent anchoring of sustainability within its corporate concept.
BRITA convinced the jury with its cartridge recycling (since 1992), theconsistent shift to certified green power from hydroelectricity, and its
broad range of CR activities.

Footprint Awards 2015 –Sustainable Supplier Award –WinnerThe “Footprint Awards” are bestoed in recognition of the innovative
ways that businesses and individuals are making a difference tosustainability in the foodservice industry. The entry highlighted activity
undertaken in the UK to achieve zero waste to landfill and BRITA’s
ongoing commitment to carbon reduction through its companywide
dedicated CR programme.

Vending Industry Awards 2016 –WinnerThe Best Environmental Initiative Award recognizes environmental
excellence. The award entry highlighted BRITA’s ongoing commitment
to sustainable practises.

National Recycling Star GoldIn 2013 BRITA was recognized as a gold-tier “National Recycling
Star”, since all the criteria for the highest level of recognition were met:
The complete avoidance of landfill-bound waste, the introduction of
measures for comprehensive recycling and the improvement of waste
management with the involvement of employees.

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 10

2.0 The BRITA® Group

2.2 Awards: Strong brand – high standards

red dot design award

In 2016, international design experts selected a BRITA product for the“red dot design award” for the sixth time. The “red dot design award”
is bestowed by a distinguished jury as part of the world’s largest andbest-known design competition.

pro-K award

Likewise in the year 2016, the BRITA fill&serve Mind water filter carafe
won the “pro-K award” for quality in plastic. The evaluation process
took into account functionality, design and degree of innovation. The
13-member jury had this to say: “A clear formal idiom with ingenious
elements. The classic carafe skilfully crafted in plastic”.

Good Design Award

In the years 2008 and 2011 BRITA products received the Japanese“Good Design Award”. This sought-after design prize, for which weremore than 3,000 entries, is awarded by the Japan Industrial Promotion
Organization (JIDPO). The accolade stands for the sort of design that“stimulates the sector” and “is life-enriching”.

iF product design award

In 2014, Industrieforum Design honoured the BRITA Fill&Go water filter
bottle with the “iF design award”. With more than 20,000 entries fromover 50 countries submitted every year, the iF awards are amongst thelargest and most important international design prizes.

Investors in People –Gold Standard

BRITA UK was presented with the “Gold Standard Investors in People”
in 2012. This standard demonstrates how business success can beboosted by encouraging and enabling the personal advancement of
the employees. The “Gold Standard” is achieved by just three percent
of participants.

Best Companies

In 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008, BRITA Water Filter Systems Ltd. in
the UK was included in the prestigious list of the “Sunday Times 100
Best Small Companies to Work For”.

Best Factory Awards

In 2014, BRITA UK took part in the “Best Factory Awards” and received
the “Judges’ Special Award” for its exemplary continual improvement
process (CIP), which is practiced at all levels of the company, and forthe first-rate manufacturing processes. The Best Factory Awards (BFA)
and its accompanying conference bring together the best manufacturing businesses from the country with the aim of exchanging bestpractices and celebrating their successes.

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 11

3.0 Vision and strategy: BRITA® 2020 – Conquer New Waters

Our vision“We will change the way people drink water sustainably.”

Our mission“We offer to everybody the best possible drinking water experience
according to their individual expectations.”

3.1 BRITA® 2020 – Conquer New Waters:
Strategy with differentiated portfolio
approach
Our current “BRITA 2020 – Conquer New Waters” corporate strategy isbased on BRITA’s vision and mission, as well as the previous strategy
BRITA BIG50. With “Conquer New Waters” we have set ourselves veryclear qualitative and quantitative goals and set out strategic initiatives
and responsibilities that give structure and orientation to our joint actions
up to 2020. “Conquer New Waters” is the first strategy at BRITA with adifferentiated portfolio approach and fosters the evolution of the BRITA
Group from a one-product to a multi-product company. The strategy
advances the focussed development of our business units, both
geographically and in relation to the product portfolio. To this end,
BRITA has been divided up into twelve Strategic Business Areas, or
SBAs, with specific goals defined for each area in the form of individual
strategic guidelines and initiatives as well as financial stipulations
leading up to 2020.
Ability for internationalization
as a great plus

BRITA’s ability to expand its international reach is our second essential
strategic strength after water and filtration expertise. For over a decade
now, BRITA has achieved more than 80 percent of its turnover outside
the borders of its home market. With their specific usage habits andrequirements, our international markets are also an ever stronger
driver for the product and technology innovations of our brand.

Objectives of Conquer
New Waters

Building on BRITA BIG50, we want to continue to be commerciallysuccessful on the one hand, and on the other to prove our identity as
an independent family company. With “Conquer New Waters”, we havedefined the goals of our “expedition” up until the year 2020 and set
the course to get there. Through professional collaboration among all
employees of the BRITA Group, we are exploiting the potential avail­able to us worldwide to expand the technologies we excel in, broaden
our product range and tap into new markets.

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 12

3.0 Vision and strategy: BRITA® 2020 – Conquer New Waters

The overriding aim of “Conquer New Waters” is:“Based on BRITA BIG50 we are doubling our business
until 2020 by diversification, acceleration and promoting
entrepreneurship.”
The three essential pillarsof the strategy

Diversification
We want to become a company that is technologically more broadlybased with a differentiated product portfolio in even more attractive
markets. This diversification is evident in the strategy thanks to clear
goals, guidelines and initiatives – tailored to each of our geographic
regions and product categories. Through its balanced product port­
folio, BRITA wants to reduce the traditional business’s previous dependency on water filter jugs and thus to secure its future. Expansion
into new countries and increasing internationalization should meanthat the BRITA Group can act as a multipolar organization with interconnected regional bases, thus avoiding too great a dependence on
individual regions.
Acceleration
We want to pick up speed in order to make prime use of our very
good starting position and the huge potential for growth at BRITA.
To this end, we need to optimize processes, make decisions quickly
yet thoughtfully, implement activities efficiently and share information
promptly. The company will achieve acceleration by continually reat­tuning itself to external factors such as the market and competition andconsistently ensuring a dynamic equilibrium.
Entrepreneurship
BRITA wants to foster a culture of entrepreneurialism across all levels.
It urges its employees to be inquisitive, to dare to step into the unknown,
to conscientiously face unavoidable risks, and to be bold in making
decisions. When mistakes are made in the process, these should
serve to enable us to keep learning and improving. The BRITA
Executive Board commits to offering the framework for this and tosupporting and putting into practice the entrepreneurial mentality.

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 13

3.0 Vision and strategy: BRITA® 2020 – Conquer New Waters

3.2 Our understanding of leadership

The Executive Board of the BRITA Group developed management
guidelines in response to the question “What management isneeded for our strategy BRITA 2020 – Conquer New Waters?”. The
Board is convinced that the understanding of leadership plays a
key role in the implementation of the strategy. In these guidelines,
the Executive Board wants to convey methods and principles thatare specifically tailored to the BRITA situation and are applicablein day-to-day work. This should make it clear to the employees that
there is a shared understanding of leadership at BRITA and what
precisely that understanding is. This offers certainty for supervisors
in their actions and reliability for employees.
Our three most important management goals

The three most important qualities of a leader•••

Proactivity
Boldness
Determination

Core elements of leadership behavior•••

Attitude level (Be an authentic example)
Action level (Lead, tackle, support & challenge)
Symbolic level (Act with symbolic character)

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 14

3.0 Vision and strategy: BRITA® 2020 – Conquer New Waters

3.2 Our understanding of leadership

The leadership process at BRITA

4.0 Information and communication flow at BRITA®
Crystal clear water is essential to our health and wellbeing – justas crystal clear information is indispensible in lending strengthand integrity to corporate communications.
BRITA customers around the world are kept well informed of
BRITA and its products: through the internet, social media, email
newsletters, retailed print media, POS material, and throughfilm & TV trailers – just to name a few examples. And if they
still have any questions, they can also contact us on our hotline
number.
However, staying in touch with consumers is not the only thingthat matters to BRITA, but also ensuring their satisfaction with
our products. Our water filter jug can be returned to BRITA
within 30 days of purchase – without any "ifs and buts". The
customer then receives his money back. What’s more, ourproducts have a whole two-year guarantee. Within this period,
customers can get replacement parts free of charge.

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 15

5.0 Our Self-image

5.1 Who are we – what do we want

Water is our element

Our core competence is based in the water sector. This means that weare shaping one of the most important markets of the future. BRITA is
engaged in the field of treating and optimizing this vital resource and inassisting people to improve the quality of water for individual use. The
approach is a holistic one, equally involving the source, the processing,and the consumption of water. On an international scale, approaches
may vary, depending on the quality and importance of the water. Within
the framework of our company’s goals, we take into account the cultural
specifics of each country in which we are represented, thus serving theneeds of our partners and clients.

Market-oriented

Only those who are oriented towards market demands are successful.
We develop, manufacture, and market products tailored for consumer
needs. These needs are often not evident, which is why we keep aclose eye on market developments in all relevant segments, registerchange, and act selectively and flexibly.

Being market leader

Once we have decided to manufacture and market a product or aservice, we want to become market leader in this particular segment,that means become the world’s no. 1 with regard to the market share.
We only accept not being market leader in single regions or market
segments, if such a position serves the company’s overall goals.

Future through willingness
to change

All employees are encouraged to contribute actively to or to participate
in innovation. This is vital for preserving BRITA's market leadershipand competitiveness. For us, innovation first and foremost meansdeveloping and marketing new products and technologies. But there
is more, it is also about any incremental changes, large or small, thatdeliver positive or better results.

To understand anything new
as an opportunity

Ideas for change can come from anywhere and anybody. BRITA will
embrace and promote change by providing the proper environment
and tools, delegating responsibility and taking reasonable risks. All
employees are invited to have the courage to challenge the statusquo and accept accountability for their area of work and for the whole.
Success is only achieved through innovation and the learnings of every
individual and every team from experiences and mistakes made.

Being profitable

We enhance our company in terms of value and results, we are more
profitable than the competition. We reach this ambitious goal byconstantly auditing and optimizing the efficiency of all performance
processes within the company.

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5.0 Our Self-image

5.1 Who are we – what do we wantContinued growth

We consider growth to be both quantitative and qualitative. Our goal:
become bigger and better. We achieve this by implementing our own
resources, but also by selectively making use of external resources.

Everyone counts

We can satisfy our ambitions if we join forces – with every single
employee – and do our utmost in striving for our common goals. We
are aware that energy, professionalism, initiative, and creativity are
valuable human resources which cannot be exhausted infinitely. We
feel bound to utilizing water responsibly, and we endeavour to utilize
our human resources conscientiously to the same degree. We areresponsible for our employees, they are the base of our success. Only
by selective cultivation of skills and by showing our appreciation is it
possible to place such high demands on them.

Defining values

We know that certain values and virtues have contributed as muchto the success of our company as have business strategies. These
values have left an indelible stamp on BRITA’s character, and we
consider them to be of fundamental importance: latitude, willingness
to accept responsibility for one’s own actions, trust, team spirit, respect,and openness. It is therefore a primary mission to revitalize thesecharacteristic strengths of our company. After all, we are aware that
our unique characteristics will continue to form our identity in future
and will remain critical to our success.

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5.0 Our Self-image

5.2 Our policy – our principles

Management is synonymous withsetting an example

We place high demands on our managerial staff: they are highly
qualified for their appointed assignments. Managers set an example;
they represent and back up their employees and respect our values
in their everyday activities and also in decision-making processes.
Employees are entitled to be taken seriously and respected by theirsuperiors. Critical discussions are possible at all times. All our man­agers are responsible for steering numerous processes and must makecompetent decisions. They are also responsible for communicationand the working atmosphere within the team and company.

Clearly defined and attainableobjectives produce latitude

Employees and their superiors jointly develop – within the frameworkof our company’s goals – personal objectives which are unambiguous
and understandable and in line with market requirements. Each indi­vidual must be aware of the framework in which these objectives mustbe accomplished. Then he can act on his own initiative to contributetowards processes in compliance with the set objectives and has theopportunity to make independent decisions. Conversely, the superior
can trust his employees and delegate responsibility. To us, controlling
processes – from start to finish – are an added benefit. In this manner
it is possible to further optimize processes and to improve efficiency,
thereby increasing our profitability.

We understand each otherWe communicate with one another, discuss issues with each otherand inform one another, and that works smoothly because we all –employees and management alike – speak the same open and clear
language. To speak to someone using language he understands is
not just a sign of respect, it also ensures that information is passed on
accurately. The unobstructed and accurate flow of information is a vital
factor for our company. For all members of the company it is a personal
benefit if information is exchanged in a comprehensible manner and ifthey can deal candidly with one another.

Globalism is our opportunityand future

We are present in markets all over the world – America, Europe,
Australia, Asia, Africa. Our international sites contribute considerably
towards our growth. The number of different cultures and the numberof different ways of thinking and acting represented within our company
offer us a fundamental opportunity which we take advantage of.
Not only do we respect the cultural differences, we are also open forlearning something new from our partners and subsidiaries. We arepart of a continuous and productive exchange process: a solid basis
for international growth.

BRITA Management Handbook | October 2016 | 18

5.0 Our Self-image

5.2 Our policy – our principles

Actively live our corporate
responsibility

Corporate responsibility is deeply rooted in the BRITA tradition. We
want to give a part of our economic success back to society andtherefore support projects in the fields of culture, education, sports anddevelopment cooperation. We equally care about the protection of ourenvironment and the sustainable use of resources: We believe that in
the future a company can only be successful if it does not neglectsustainability. In order to safeguard a positive external perception of
our activities we make sure that our words and deeds are consistent.

We offer encouragement andchallenges to our employees

Inquisitiveness and the hunger for knowledge are the driving forces
behind every kind of change. The ability to pick up, examine, andimplement new ideas quickly is an absolute must when it comes tobusiness success. We encourage our employees not to take processes
for granted, but to view them critically and to introduce their own ideas.
Each individual can demand at all times the latitude necessary forsuch autonomous action. One important task of all managerial staff isto nurture the critical and creative potential of employees.

We assess and reward
performance

The company’s objectives and the personal goals of each individual
are compatible. We offer appropriate remuneration for the achieve­
ments of our employees, we nurture talents and promote careers. At
BRITA, no position is a dead-end. If employees have the necessary
strengths, we will at all times do our utmost to cultivate their talents.
In discussions we examine and assess the performance of eachindividual in great detail. Open and honest communication contributes
towards career advancement and also towards dealing with short­comings.

Lifelong learning

Each individual employee is entitled to further training, irrespective of
the position held. At the same time, it is his duty to seize appropriate
opportunities in this respect. The learning process does not only takeplace at specific workshops and seminars, but also in our everyday
dealings with one another. And here it is not as much technicalexpertise which is acquired, but social skills: the ability to deal withpeople, to respect others, to work as part of a team. These acquirable
skills form the basis of fruitful cooperation.

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6.0 Corporate Compliance:
Integral, ethical and value-oriented behavior

At BRITA, corporate compliance stands for more than just adhering
to rules and regulations. It is part of the corporate strategy relating tocorporate responsibility and stands for integral, ethical and valuesdriven behaviour as a basis for responsible entrepreneurship along thewhole value-creation chain. To this end, the Compliance department
develops and implements preventative and reactive measures as partof risk management, which serve either for damage prevention or earlyrecognition.
Under no circumstances is breaking the rules in BRITA’s interests. The
Executive Board and all BRITA managers are bound by this principle
without exception. Breaking the rules undermines fair competition anddamages our trustworthiness and reputation. Integral and responsible
behavior by each and every BRITA staff member is a fundamental
element of our business culture. When striving to reach our goals, weare concerned not only with actually achieving them but also with how
we achieve them. Where there are breaches of laws, codes of conduct
and standards, we will act consistently, where necessary taking official
steps under employment law.
BRITA follows a values-based Compliance Management System,
which builds on employees’ individual responsibility. At BRITA compliance is directed centrally and implemented locally in the various areas.
At BRITA, compliance simply is the staff. Nevertheless, our managers
have a specific role to play, too: Their positions of responsibility mean
they are obligated to act as role models for their staff.
Code of Conduct

In order to present the theme of compliance in a way that is accessible
to and readily comprehensible for all employees, we have developed
two central internal documents in which all the important information isprepared in a way that addresses the specific target groups: the Codeof Conduct and the awareness brochure “Compliance – let's all cometo the table”. The brochures are currently available in ten languages.
The Code of Conduct is a guideline that is binding for all employees,
and which enables us, no matter where we are in the world, to recognize and respond appropriately to any ethical and legal questions that
may arise in relation to our work for BRITA.
Nevertheless, compliance is brought to life not through brochures,
but through the values-driven actions of our employees. In order toachieve this, we rely on communication and interactive workshops inorder to motivate staff and enable them to assume responsibility forthemselves when dealing with issues of compliance. We also expect
our business partners to conform to the legally permissible and integral
behavior set out in our Code of Conduct.

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6.0 Corporate Compliance:
Integral, ethical and value-oriented behavior

Code of Ethics

The principles set out in our Code of Ethics include our respect forinternationally recognized human rights. In addition, we reject any kindof forced, compulsory or child labour and any form of discrimination.
Our business partners are obliged to pay the statutory minimum wage
at the very least and/or to ensure their employees enjoy a suitable
standard of living. National regulations and agreements in relation to
working hours and paid holiday must be complied with.
The BRITA Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics are fundamental
elements of our corporate culture and our self-image. Only business
partners who guarantee compliance can and will work with us on along-term basis. After all, at BRITA, corporate responsibility alsomeans that we tackle themes of corporate responsibility all the way
along the value-creation chain.

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7.0 Corporate Responsibility: Taking on responsibility

Building on its economic success, BRITA will take on the responsibility of giving part of this back to society. This will also be evident
in future in the form of various commitments. Alongside support for
cultural, social or sporting initiatives and institutions as well as taking
care of our employees, we are returning time and again to a theme
that is particularly important to BRITA: The environment and protectionof the precious resource that is water – something that accompanies
us in our activities each and every day.
BRITA CEO Markus Hankammer himself oversees our corporate re­sponsibility activities. It is thanks to his initiative that social commitment
and measures towards environmental protection have been implemented in the past. Between 2013 and 2015 corporate responsibility was
directed by a steering committee on a project-by-project basis.
The background to this was the initiation of a project aimed at min­imizing BRITA’s carbon footprint. This project stimulated the development of the “Balance the Impact” approach, which now forms
the framework for CR activities at BRITA. Since 2016 we have been
putting a structure in place under the “Balance the Impact” concept,
with which CR can be anchored as a theme within the company anddriven forward for the long term.
“Balance the Impact”

With its corporate responsibility initiative “Balance the Impact”, BRITA
has laid the foundation stone for its thoroughly pragmatic participation
as a company in environmental and climate protection. With thehelp of a company-wide carbon management system, the company
measures its harmful emissions and can thus identify where environmental measures can be bundled thematically and implemented
effectively. The aim of “Balance the Impact” is the continual reductionof BRITA’s carbon footprint and offsetting unavoidable emissions
through ecological and environmentally worthwhile projects.
To this end, we make use of tools and processes which we havesuccessfully applied in the past – such as the certified environmental
and energy management system, for example. The BRITA locationsin Taunusstein (Germany), Neudorf (Switzerland) and Bicester (UK)have been certified according to DIN EN ISO 14001 since 2011. Since
2015 the locations of Taunusstein and Bicester have also boasted
energy management systems in line with DIN EN ISO 50001.

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7.0 Corporate Responsibility: Taking on responsibility

Corporate responsibility is an extensive topic, for which a functioning
organization is required within the company. The CR organization
and a comprehensive CR program are currently still in development
at BRITA. Internal processes should ensure that CR becomes aconsistently major feature of the company and that projects can be
carried out efficiently and with support from all departments.
Our aim is to systematically structure and manage the varied
measures that we have implemented on our own initiative thus far
and to use these to generate impulses for our growth.
We therefore want to use the next few years to put in place a coher­
ent CR program that takes into account our stakeholders’s needs
and helps us to progress as a company.

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7.0 Corporate Responsibility: Taking on responsibility

7.1 Responsibility for resources
and the environment
Companies that occupy themselves day in day out with the vital natural
resource water must necessarily have a strong interest in the sparing
use of resources. BRITA does this with the greatest possible care andrespect for mankind and nature. For the company, adhering to all rel­evant legal stipulations and other requirements relating to environmental
management are a matter of course.
Systematic resource protection

Our understanding of environmental protection includes the efficientand sparing use of water, the application of environmentally compatible
and energy-saving production processes, the reduction of waste to anecessary minimum and energy consumption that is as efficient as
possible. As part of this, we not only adhere to environmental stand­ards when developing and manufacturing our products, but we also
continue to observe this responsibility after their sale. We make our
employees aware of how they should handle resources responsibly
and we also like to convince our customers of the environmental
advantages of our products.
An integral element of our business centres on reducing our environmental impact and our energy consumption levels. The company
already takes environmental aspects into account in the developmentof products. Moreover, because we employ integrated environmental
management procedures, BRITA has a strong interest in essentiallykeeping negative environmental impacts to a minimum when designing
new products. Not least of all we continually work to develop proced­
ures that allow us to assess environmental performance and thecorresponding key figures.
One example is cartridge recycling at BRITA: Both the household
and the professional filter cartridges are prepared and processed forrecycling by BRITA in the company’s own plants. The plastic materials
are recycled by certified external partners. This way, the company
saves raw materials and emissions and works actively to prevent
shortages of raw materials and climate change.

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7.0 Corporate Responsibility: Taking on responsibility

7.1 Responsibility for resources
and the environment
Learning from others –“Ökoprofit” (Ecoprofit)“Ökoprofit” (Ecoprofit) is a voluntary consultancy program supportedby the City of Wiesbaden, which guides and supports companies inintroducing an environmental and energy management system, outsideof ISO norms. In addition, “Ökoprofit” offers a cross-industry local network for the effective implementation of company-based environmental
protection. All members make use of the experience that comes fromother companies and benefit from the various workshops that are
carried out as part of the program.

Further developmentof environmental protection

BRITA now operates systematic resource protection primarily at its
various production facilities, as it is here that we identify the greatest
potential for savings. Beyond adherence to country-specific statutory
requirements, in future we will have standard requirements for environmental and resource protection at all production sites and will
implement these in a structured fashion. In a phase of strong growthand increasing internationalization however, this means that we cannot
implement such things overnight. We therefore seek step-by-step tosystemize and harmonize our environmental activities to form one
burgeoning, comprehensive corporate responsibility program.

7.2 Energy policy at BRITA®
Energy goals

With its energy policy, BRITA is committing to continuous reductionof its energy requirements and the resulting CO2 emissions. This
happens on the basis of the strategic and operational energy goals.
The Executive Board sets out these goals together with the relevant
departments and locations on an annual basis. The goals are defined
based on the consumption data for the expired period adjusted forvariables and an assessment based on economic, environmental andsocio-economic criteria. The Executive Board provides all the necessary resources for the achievement of strategic and operational goals.

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7.0 Corporate Responsibility: Taking on responsibility

7.2 Energy policy at BRITA®

Continuous improvementof energy efficiency

BRITA strives to continually improve energy efficiency. Compliancewith the statutory requirements is considered the bare minimum ofwhat we have to do here. When decisions relating to energy are made,lifecycle observations are produced wherever appropriate.

Employee responsibility

The implementation of energy policy in day-to-day activities requires
the involvement of all BRITA employees. Each employee is welcome tomake suggestions for improvement, which can be taken to the energy
team where he/she is unable to implement them independently, thus
employees play an active role in the energy program. In addition, allemployees are informed continuously about innovations in energy
management.

Communication

The BRITA employees are regularly informed about the company’s
energy aspects, energy consumption and energy management programme. Where required, external stakeholders can also be provided
with information about energy management. Compliance with theenergy policy is monitored and evaluated at regular intervals by the
BRITA Executive Board.

7.3 Occupational safety
and health management
Commitment to employees

BRITA is committed to protecting and improving the health and safetyof all its employees. It does this by means of a foresighted approachto planning and carrying out precautionary and corrective measuresin the realm of health & safety at work. All employee workstations aredesigned to meet ergonomic requirements and to match the latest
state-of-the-art technology. Occupational health & safety constitutes
one of the missions of our corporate employee welfare policy where
it duly occupies a place of high priority. BRITA is committed to theprevention of injuries and illnesses among its employees and seeks to
improve the management and benefits of occupational health & safety.

Precautionary measures

In doing so, the company on its own initiative makes absolutely surethat the applicable legal obligations and other requirements in occupational safety management, to which the organization is committed andwhich relate to the risks of occupational health & safety, are complied
with, and even exceeded. Major tasks relating to this are to identify
any health & safety hazards (through hazard assessments) so that
our facilities can be conceptually designed to protect our employees
right from the very outset and to ensure that we operate our facilities inconformity with the law. Moreover, all work areas are subject to regularsite inspections. BRITA analyses the reports and all measures deemednecessary are introduced.

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7.0 Corporate Responsibility: Taking on responsibility

7.3 Occupational safety
and health management
Further developmentof occupational safety

Furthermore, BRITA provides all of its employees with regular training
sessions on health & safety at work and continuously works at making
technological improvements. Our employees, for their part, are called
upon to inform their seniors of any flaws or shortcomings, and tocomply with our health & safety standards at all times. The Health,
Safety & Environment (HSE) department gives advice on such issues
in accordance with the legal requirements. Occupational safety at the
BRITA production sites of Taunusstein (Germany), Bicester (UK) and
Neudorf (Switzerland) is certified according to the international
management standard OHSAS 18001 (in future ISO 45001). In the
future occupational health and safety is set to be managed more
centrally and standardized within the framework of the developing
CR programme.

Health management

We want to take a responsible approach to the health of our employees. For this reason BRITA GmbH implements precautionary meas­ures that exceed the statutory requirements. Hence we offer influenza
virus vaccinations, for example, and a general vaccine consultation.
In addition, we offer alternating services through our company doctor
such as skin cancer screening, heart check-ups, eye pressure tests
and prostate examinations. During the working day too, health plays
an important role: With height-adjustable desks and chairs we equip
our employees with ergonomic workplaces with the aim of easing thestress on the back, knees and neck. Work processes in production,such as carrying or lifting heavy objects, are regularly monitored froma health perspective. In addition, we offer free driving safety and fuelefficiency training for employees with company cars.

The BRITA Health Circle

The BRITA Health Circle comprises representatives of the HR department, the Health, Safety & Environment department, the works council
and volunteer staff members. The committee regularly discusses
possible improvements in occupational health and safety and pro­
motes this topic by means of various activities. As an additional
measure to make working life more flexible and to improve individuals’
quality of life, the company also offers options for working from home,working part-time, working flexitime and working-life time accounts.
With the latter, employees can get accrue reserves from their current
income that can be used later on for a longer period of time off workor for premature retirement.
BRITA is aware of its special responsibility for the health of its employ­ees. For only those companies that recognize, promote and syste­m ­atically make use of their potential will enjoy success in the future.

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8.0 Tried-and-tested quality: A core part of our brand promise

To be able to spend almost five decades acting responsibly in thesensitive field of drinking water optimization, a company needs to haveproducts of outstanding quality. This outstanding quality is a fundamental core part of our brand promise at BRITA. We only supply ourcustomers with products that have been developed through qualityassured processes and which we have first scrutinized thoroughly
ourselves. We perform numerous tests, simulations and measurements
to check our prototypes and serial products through and through. In
doing so, we go far beyond just fulfilling the (already exacting) legal
requirements.
At BRITA, quality takes many forms – starting from our careful choiceof raw materials, our constant management and control of all development, production and transport processes, including all of the related
hygiene regulations, and going all the way through to development
activities, plus the selection and monitoring of suitable suppliers. We
only work with business partners that are in a position to meet our highstandards at all times.

8.1 Customer andconsumer satisfaction
In order to ensure the high quality of BRITA products, our filter cart­
ridges, raw materials and end-products are permanently tested andinspected for compliance with set quality requirements at BRITAʼsproduction facilities, and are also checked by independent institutions.
If it should be the case that an individual product item does not fulfil
these high standards, then it is labelled accordingly, separated fromthe rest and immediately removed from further processing. A central
ERP system allows all steps to be easily retraceable.
Taking the example of filter cartridges: Not only BRITA’s filter cartridges
but also its entire water filtration systems are checked regularly by thesouthern branch of the highly renowned German Technical Inspection
Authority (TÜV SÜD) and certified as being of impeccable quality.
Moreover, BRITA’s products meet some of the highest standards inexistence, including those of the Water Research Centre (WRc) in
the UK, the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) in the USA and the
Swiss Gas & Water Sector Association (SVGW).

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8.0 Tried-and-tested quality: A core part of our brand promise

8.2 Continuous Improvement Process (CIP)The Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) has a long tradition in
Japan. It is based on the Japanese life & work philosophy known as"Kaizen", which roughly means "changing good for the better" – anddoing so in many different respects.
•
•

•
•

Using clearly defined tools
to underpin CIP

•

•

•

Proactive measures

CIP encourages each and every individual to be prepared to change:"Ask yourself every day what you can do better tomorrow."
CIP is based on the "plan-do-check-act" (PDCA) cycle and covers
the optimization of products, processes and goals throughout theentire value creation cycle – from product development all the way
through to "cost to design".
CIP aims at avoiding error, along the lines of:"Get it right the first time."
Many of our customers expect us to have an active CIP in place,as do the ISO standards, which aim at the constant improvementof processes, organization and systems.
Quality circle in production: A team of experts from all divisions(e.g. production and engineering) collect ideas for generating
improvements through creative solutions for the product itself andfor the processes involved.
Internal and external audits: Whether it’s through a system,
process or product audit, we regularly check our management
systems, our organization and structures, and the overall processes,
along with their points of intersection. What’s more, we are also
given confirmation of our high, self-imposed quality standards byexternal auditors.
Management assessments: Regular management assessments
relating to the optimization of projects, products and processes are
performed at BRITA on a variety of levels.

Our goal: Avoiding errors before they occur. We plan quality into our
products and processes, using structured tools and systems to doso. We identify the causes of any possible errors in products andprocesses and implement due precautions befitting the possible
effects and risks involved in each case. These activities not only
pertain to the topic of quality, but also to the areas of the environmentand occupational safety. CIP is a management mission at BRITA in
which every single employee of the company is involved.

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8.0 Tried-and-tested quality: A core part of our brand promise

8.3 BEST – Operational Excellence

There’s always room to improve, which is why we take the subject of“operational excellence” very seriously. This term covers operational
optimization processes aimed at efficient value creation and continual
improvement. This way, we want to do justice to customer needs,
comply with quality standards and also work more efficiently.
Operational excellence methods have been applied at BRITA since2009 and since 2015 have been summarized under a succinct name:
BEST. The four letters stand for “BRITA Excellence System”. Together
with our employees, we are working on consistent avoidance of waste
and achieving sustainable improvements. The implementation of BESTis the responsibility of twelve employee teams from the production andlogistics unit. There are two coordinators and a joint steering committee. Employee proposals are gathered in an ideas store and gradually
implemented in three spheres of action (people, planet, profit).
With BEST, BRITA is a good position to meet the challenges of the
future. Demographic changes and growing customer needs mean
we must be able to react flexibly and efficiently to change. Reduced
manufacturing costs, increased flexibility in manufacturing and the useof all employee expertise are key to efficient production and help tosecure jobs. With BEST, we have created a basis from which we cansuccessfully master these challenges.

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9.0 The process-orientated approach:More transparency, better for everybody

Good management requires good thinking: We can achieve ourdesired goals more efficiently if the job of managing and directing thecompany’s activities and associated employees takes the form of aprocess. The process-orientated management system contributes
greatly towards this. Within the context of applying a foresighted
approach to planning, we make a point of using our resources from theentire organization efficiently.
All procedures and processes are documented carefully, with theoptional inclusion of work procedures. The depiction of our processes(see illustration) shows the major corporate processes and theircorrelations.
BRITA’s in-house processes, sub-processes, company and work
procedures, plus the relevant forms are controlled documents, which
BRITA makes available to all employees via the intranet.
Our data from process results and records are regularly analysed andensure the reproducibility of our products and services.

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BRITA GmbHGroup Corporate Communications
Heinrich-Hertz-Straße 465232 Taunusstein
Germany
www.brita.net