INCONY is Committed to Sustainability
We believe sustainability is an integral part of the success of a digital transformation and thus very important for INCONY as a technological leader for PIM software. Sustainability contributes to the formation of long-term values among our customers, employees and other stakeholders and guarantees sustainable growth.
Actions with a Positive Impact on People and the Environment
When it comes to sustainability, the following aspects matter to us:
Operating as a responsible employer
Adding value for customers through sustainable and innovative solutions
Ethical and fair conduct throughout INCONY's sphere of influence
Best possible environmental management throughout the company
Various laws and guidelines on sustainability at European and national level apply to capital market-oriented groups, but are also gradually being applied to SMEs. These include the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU taxonomy of verifiable environmental, social and corporate governance criteria. The acronym ESG (Environment, Social, Governance), originally developed for the financial industry, is now well established. The EU has also published additional standards and reporting requirements. The European Commission has introduced the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to ensure that companies' reports are standardised and comparable. Key criteria are: (E1) Climate change, (E2) Pollution, (E3) Water and marine resources, (E4) Biodiversity and ecosystems, (E5) Circular economy, (S1) Workforce, (S2) Labour in the value chain, (S3) Communities affected, (S4) Consumers and end users, (G1) Governance.
Environmental Management at INCONY
Highly Energy Efficient Company Building Without Fossil Fuels
INCONY has built the most energy-efficient company building in the Paderborn Technology Park and moved into it at the end of 2023. Heating and cooling are regulated by an intelligently controlled heat pump and the ventilation system recovers energy from the heat in the stale air.
The heat pumps, ventilation systems, computers, electric cars and other technology are supplied with electricity from the building's own photovoltaic system. The building has PV modules with an output of around 60 kWp across the entire roof area. There are also electricity storage units in the battery room which store energy for the night or when there is little sunshine.
However, as the company's own electricity is not sufficient on some days, INCONY has an electricity contract with WestfalenWIND and also covers the additional electricity requirements with renewable energies. Our electricity provider mainly sources electricity from wind turbines in the Paderborn district. INCONY is therefore not only committed to sustainability, but also saves costs thanks to a special electricity tariff: companies and households from the Paderborn region receive a more favourable electricity tariff from this electricity provider.
Sustainability through Digitization
INCONY does not only support its customers in the digitalization of their processes with its own ANTEROS software, but has also implemented many forward-looking ideas within the company itself, thereby digitizing many things and promoting environmental protection:
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INCONY's Outdoor Biodiversity
While many other office buildings design their outdoor areas with bushes and lawns, INCONY board member and keen gardener Dr. Elke Radeke has opted for a perennial garden. It blooms in a variety of colors around the INCONY company building from the spring to the late fall, attracting not only insects, but birds as well. The birds also enjoy the four large trees that the city of Paderborn planted on the INCONY property facing the street 20 years before the new building was constructed, as well as the trees on the green strip behind the INCONY company building. And our employees and visitors to INCONY are delighted when one of the squirrels strolls along the archway in front of the conference rooms.
Company Cars: Only Electric Cars
INCONY has had an electric company car since 2013, and was one of the first electric drivers in the Paderborn district. Today, all company cars at INCONY AG are fully electric.
Innovative and Sustainable Customer Solutions
Innovative Software Creates Efficient and Sustainable Processes
In the course of digitalization, product data is becoming increasingly important, as purchasing decisions are often made on the basis of this data on websites or in web stores. PIM systems are therefore used by manufacturers and retailers to collect all product data centrally and to export it for various purposes, e.g. for their own stores, for export to retailers, partners and customers as well as for catalogs, price lists, data sheets, etc.
INCONY is one of the pioneers of PIM and has developed the technology-leading PIM system ANTEROS. With this system, product data can be maintained and used even more efficiently. Many processes can be significantly optimized, which counteracts the shortage of skilled workers, often relieves employees of tedious repetitive work and delivers significantly faster results, such as a complex catalog at the push of a button from selected product data and images. Digitized processes often also replace resource-intensive processes: For example, our customers now often create and distribute their catalogs electronically in PDF format, whereas they used to be printed in large print runs, which not only used a lot of paper but also made sending them via mail not particularly environmentally friendly.
Certified Hosting with Electricity from Renewable Energies
Our customer solutions are even hosted using electricity from renewable sources and are ISO27001 certified. Our customer servers are located in a highly secure data center at VegaSystems, which operates a green co-location data center in Paderborn and offers a professional infrastructure not only for INCONY's servers but also for many other companies in the region. Just like the new INCONY company building, this data center was built in a particularly energy-efficient manner by the Dreker construction company in accordance with the modern DIN EN 50600 standard for data centers. The electricity for the servers is sourced purely from renewable energy sources, including VegaSystems' own photovoltaic systems on site.
With a PUE value of 1.08, the green data center is one of the most sustainable data centers in Germany and has a modern heat recovery system using waste heat from servers. As a pioneer and lighthouse project in the field of sustainable circular economy, our server housing partner VegaSystems was awarded 1st place in the Sust-Award 2023 sustainability prize in 2023.
Positive Working Environment in the INCONY Team for Sustainable Success
Modern Company Building with Fitness Room, Roof Terrace, ...
The new INCONY building creates a pleasant working environment for all employees. This includes a good indoor climate. For this purpose, heat and cold regulation as well as controlled ventilation have been installed. A roof terrace on the 5th floor with a wonderful view of the city center of Paderborn provides additional comfort for our employees. Here we like to barbecue together - on our electric barbecue powered by our own PV energy. Our large common room adjacent to the roof terrace is well loved by the team, as is our fitness room.
Company Events Foster Team Spirit
Even though some of our employees work from home, it is very important for us to have a tight-knit team. Our agile way of working means that we have regular coordination meetings, often via Microsoft Teams. We also get together in the office for barbecues and birthday cakes, and hold summer and end-of-year parties. In addition, colleagues get together in the evenings or go out to Libori and more.
Democratic Processes at INCONY
It is important for INCONY's management to get feedback from employees and trainees on various aspects. Prior to the construction of the new building, the company specifically asked what was important to the colleagues, and so a fitness room, a roof terrace with a barbecue area and a large common room were not only added to the wish list, but also realized. The employees also had a say in the selection of the new furniture: They had the opportunity to try out different chairs. As a result, not only were uniform desk chairs purchased, but everyone was able to choose their preferred chair from a pre-selection - in INCONY's corporate colors.
During the coronavirus period, employees were also asked if and how much they would like to work from home. Experienced employees are very successful even with 100% home office. That's why INCONY has introduced a very flexible working time model. 100% office work is only mandatory during the introductory and training phase. After that, everyone can decide for themselves how to divide their time between office work and working from home. Those who are rarely in the office can use a portal to book an office workstation for the days they want to be in the office.
Another example of INCONY's democratic processes is the energy saving campaign launched in the summer of 2022. Various energy-saving measures were suggested in a brainstorming session, discussed in the team and implemented.