Business partner compliance

Successful long-term business operations require the careful selection of business partners and suppliers, who must then be informed of DB Group’s values and minimum requirements. DB Group has developed various formats to increase awareness among its business partners and incorporate sustainable business practices more firmly in the supply chain.

The revision of the e-learning module on the DB Code of Conduct for Business Partners was completed in 2021, and the module is freely available online. It provides information about integrity, binding legal standards, and ethical matters and sets out clear compliance requirements as reflected in our Code of Conduct for Business Partners. Real-world examples demonstrate how our principles should be applied.

Contracts and contractual partners are reviewed for compliance risks. Integrity clauses in the General Terms and Conditions of Purchase are used to counteract potential compliance risks. Other compliance regulations are agreed based on risks. This applies to the appointment of intermediaries, for example. If serious misconduct occurs, the group of decision makers shall decide to suspend the awarding of tenders on the basis of clear criteria that stipulate how to deal with the contractor or supplier. If a tender is suspended, the earliest that a business partnership can be reestablished or continued is after the suspension period expires or after the company takes action to clean up its practices, which the client deems to be sufficient and which can often take many years to complete.