Responsible Corporate Governance Our strategy & economic success
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Defined as key topic for EVVA GRI 203: Indirect economic impact; 201: Economic performance UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), No. 8: Decent working conditions and economic growth; No. 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure; No. 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Management approach – our why:

Economic success is the basis for sustainability

The reason why is easy to explain: If a company relies on the wrong strategies, it increasingly loses ground economically – and in doing so, loses its efficacy and the staying power necessary for long-term innovative, ecological and social projects. As a result, workplace safety is reduced. Secure employment has perhaps the most positive sustainable impact of all. However, secure employment is one of the most positive sustainable effects of all. A company must therefore always stand on stable footing. Successful strategy work, trend analysis, in short: setting the right course for the economic success of the company has been determined as a key sustainable issue for EVVA.

You can also find out more about our strategic guidelines in the "Why Sustainability > Strategy" section.


Economic responsibility

  • Since 2015, EVVA hasincreased productivity every year (productivity is a key figure that compares input to output in actual/target working hours in the area of ​​production/manufacturing). Even in 2020, the challenging year of the pandemic. Despite short-time working, large order volumes have again been processed particularly efficiently. In 2021, however, productivity has fallen by around 5%. The reason for this is the relocation of numerous assembly lines and workplaces from the old building to the headquarters annex, which was completed at the end of 2021. Setting up the new work environments and commissioning the machines and processes took a correspondingly longer amount of time in production. This will also remain relevant for the 2022 reporting period, because the new factory planning and further relocations are still being implemented.
     
  • Production output increased by 4.3% in 2021 compared to 2020. We were able to increase the demand for our electronic access systems, use modern, high-performance production facilities and realise further digitisation steps.
     
  • Revenues increased in the 2021 reporting period compared to 2020: EVVA achieved revenues of € 63.2 million at its headquarters (2020: € 58.4 million). And in the EVVA Group € 85.3 million (2020: € 79 million).


    EVVA productivity

However, economic sustainability is by no means the sole objective of EVVA Corporate Governance. Responsible Corporate Governance also takes environmental and social impacts into account when making decisions. Sustainability management is anchored in management and thus at the highest decision-making level (for more information, see GRI index under GRI 2-9: Governance structure and composition, 2-12 and 2-14 to 2-18: Responsibilities of the highest governance body with regard to sustainability, impact and stakeholder management).


Strategic decisions and their impact on sustainability (selection)

  • Corona prevention concept
    The management invested several hundred thousand euros in a comprehensive information and prevention concept in order to keep the negative health and economic effects of the pandemic as low as possible. With success:
    – The vaccination rate of the employees amounts to 90% and is thus far higher than that of the general population
    – The decline in sales in the first intense pandemic year 2020 was far less than forecast
    – You can find out more about EVVA’s corona measures – such as a specially established Covid-19 test lane at the headquarters – under “Occupational safety & health protection”
     
  • Further development and communication of the new EVVA culture
    EVVA has successively reformulated its vision, values, mission statement and Code of Conduct (GRI 2-12). Our corporate culture unites us and is the strong backbone of EVVA. The values, mission statement and Code of Conduct provide the framework for our daily decisions, behaviour and interactions in the organisation. We must take responsibility for our own actions - from an economic, ecological and social perspective. Sustainability and meaningful work form the common thread for the steps taken in organisational development, digitalisation and continuous training. They serve to make the organisation fit for the future. We are convinced that how stakeholders perceive EVVA at all common touchpoints has a major impact. Our relationships with stakeholders are therefore also based on our foundation of values.

    Each employee received a handy little culture box containing EVVA's vision, values, mission statement and Code of Conduct. This is an important part of our onboarding process. The employee magazine regularly presents best-practice examples from everyday working life to illustrate the EVVA culture even better. In order to regularly review ourselves as an organisation, the major employee surveys ask about how well the vision and strategy, etc. are perceived, understood and used as guidelines. The finding of the last survey in 2020: They are both clearly understandable and the staff are committed to them (see graphic). Most of the scores are between the very good values 1 and 2:

Vision & Strategy
Chart Vision & Strategy

 

  • Integration of sustainability in all strategies
    Sustainability and future strategies are an integral part of all divisional workshops (more on that see also in the GRI-Index under 2-12 and 2-14 to 2-18).
  • Photo of hybrid cylinder
    Combination keys open both mechanical and electronic locking components
    Promoting the combination of mechanical and electronic access systems
    In addition to mechanical access systems, electronic systems are becoming increasingly popular, for example to secure the front door with a card or smartphone. It is therefore commercially vital for a manufacturer of security systems to offer a combination of mechanics and electronics. During 2014, EVVA introduced two in-house developed electronic solutions to the market – and has continuously provided them with enhancements and updates since 2015. They complement the fundamentals of mechanical security due to offering advantages such as quick changes to access authorisations, documentation of accesses or special operating features. The number of trade partners who sell EVVA's electronic access systems internationally in addition to our mechanical solutions increased significantly during the last years: from 384 (2014) to 1848 (2019) and to 2277 (2020). By the end of 2021, there were already 2,496 trade partners who trusted the EVVA brand also for high-quality electronic access solutions.
     
  • A secure location
    The family-owned business EVVA is a very reliable employer for around 750 employees across Europe and also guarantees stability for all other stakeholders. Long-term partnerships are more important than short-term profits. This reliability also stands for the sustainability of the location. In 2019, EVVA began to plan the expansion of the headquarters in Vienna and the construction of a new building for its branch in Tišnov, Czech Republic. Both have been completed in autumn 2021.

    The new extension in Vienna

    The headquarters are located in the middle of a large city. A rarity now. Many industrial companies are relocating to greenfield sites on the outskirts or to rural areas in order to save costs. EVVA has remained loyal to its location for 65 years. Employees benefit from excellent public transport connections (EVVA pays 50 % of their travel costs!) and suppliers benefit from outstanding road links. For this reason, the strategic decision to further expand the location was unequivocal.

    EVVA managing directors and owners Nicole and Stefan Ehrlich-Adám were awarded the Silver Medal of Honour by the Chamber of Commerce for their special contribution to Vienna as a business location (photo at top)
     
  • Impact of the extension in Vienna:
    > Significantly improves material flow and throughput times (among other products, Akura, the newly developed EVVA mechanical access system, which was launched on the market in 2021, is produced on state-of-the-art production lines in the new building)
    > Optimises workplace conditions for production employees (e.g. in terms of space, climate)
    > Substantial investment of around 6 million euros for new infrastructure. Suppliers and construction companies benefit from this
    > contribution to the stability and security of the local economy: over 450 jobs directly at EVVA and many hundreds of workplaces of our trade partners in the city
    > Strengthening and expanding local industry in urban areas
    > further EVVA photovoltaic systems

    An underground garage with several e-charging stations, a ground floor, 3 floors and an attic floor were built on an approx. 650 m² footprint area. "We were thus creating new production areas of around 4,000 m² with space to produce our new product innovations and manufacture existing solutions more efficiently," says Michael Kiel, EVVA Group Division Manager Operations & Quality Management.
  • The new EVVA building in Tišnov
    Impact of the new Tišnov building:
    > The old building was dissolved and a state-of-the-art prestigious production facility was built. This is mainly where locking systems for the Czech Republic and Slovakia are
    manufactured
    > The new building is not far from the old location and can be easily reached by employees
    > Total investment of 2 million euros, the contracts are awarded to local construction companies and trades
     
  • Focus on innovations, digitalisation strategy and in-house mechanical engineering
    EVVA continuously invests in its own research and development – 8% of turnover in the reporting period 2021. More information on the subject of permanent innovation and digitalisation
Our targets

Fulfilment date: 2024

How: In the new extension to the Vienna headquarters, which has been completed by the end of 2021, EVVA will set up state-of-the-art production lines for the manufacture of new access systems.

Positive effects: The new manufacturing processes will significantly optimise material flow and lead time: from order entry to production to delivery, it is expected that the lead time will fall from 5.84 days in 2019 to less than 5 days.

Fulfilment date: 2023

How: We expect the share of electronic access systems sold to be between 14 and 20% of our total business by the end of 2023.

Positive effects: A balanced product range promotes stability and competitiveness. We expect a continued strong increase in electronic access systems. Increasing the proportion of electronic components sold is an important strategic step towards achieving our sales targets for the coming years.

Fulfilment date: 2024

How:
1) Further cross-stakeholder sustainability dialogue to update the EVVA strategy. The current key topics were developed in the Stakeholder Dialogue 2020.
2) Employee surveys relating to EVVA sustainability take place every 4 years, the last in 2020, the next in 2024
3) Partner survey also relating to EVVA sustainability. The existing partner surveys are to be expanded to include sustainability topics for the first time

Positive effects: EVVA maintains an intensive exchange with stakeholders. The various perspectives on the economic, environmental and social impact of and on EVVA help us to implement and adapt a successful Corporate Strategy.

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