2011 involvement actrivities were the following:
- The new suppliers' portal (Vendors Hub) was launched during the year to improve communication and optimise operational processes, applying social networking systems to a business context.
- Suppliers are able to access a private area to view important data and events connected to their relationship with Telecom Italia and manage all their own details, thus improving the smooth operation and transparency of the relationship. The Vendors Hub also includes a public area containing information for potential suppliers. Documentation is exchanged electronically (e.g. offers, purchase orders, contracts, qualification documentation, surveys), thus reducing the environmental impact resulting from the use of paper and transporting of documents. The Vendors Hub has also been used to manage the self-assessment questionnaire (see Sustainability initiatives).
- For the fifth year in a row, the Group’s main suppliers have been involved in satisfaction surveys regarding the Supply Chain & Real Estate department and, more generally, Telecom Italia. The online questionnaire, consisting of 27 questions, remained active for 3 weeks. The survey involved 1,132 suppliers with access to the Vendors Hub with a 48% response rate. The overall assessment of the supply relationship with the Telecom Italia Group achieved a score of 73/100, which is consistent with 2010 and shows a consolidation of the improvement recorded by the previous survey and the generally positive trend in the level of satisfaction recorded since 2008. The analysis of the distribution of satisfaction among the various classes shows an upward trend in the percentage of suppliers who state they are "satisfied" or "very satisfied".The two e-communities set up in previous years for suppliers in the civil infrastructure and network operations sectors, aimed at improving dialogue mainly regarding social and environmental sustainability, remain active.
- The activities of the e-communities mainly take place through a platform known as “TelecHome”. Developed in Web 2.0 logic, it contributes to the exchange of information and experiences within the e-community, in order to:
- integrate the best operational practices adopted in specific subject areas;
- publish the results obtained, in terms of the environmental/social certifications attained;
- support voting campaigns on various initiatives.