SAS in the UK & Ireland
The SAS Difference
The SAS difference
At SAS, because adding value to our customers is central to our own success, we are committed to having the best people work for us. We often hear that it is not only our software but our people that sets us apart from our competitors. This difference is underpinned by:
- Our values
- Our working environment
- Our commitment to our communities
- Our commitment to the environment
- Our approach to suppliers
Working Environment
If you treat employees as if they make a difference to the company, they will make a difference to the company.
That has been the employee-focused philosophy behind SAS' corporate culture since it was founded. At the heart of our unique business model is a simple idea: satisfied employees create satisfied customers.
SAS fosters an environment that supports the personal needs of its employees, which helps us attract and retain the most talented people in the software business.
Industry-leading benefits are the norm, whilst the facilities at our headquarters on the banks of the river Thames near Marlow are unrivalled.
Wittington Estate
The SAS UK headquarters are situated on the beautiful 110 acre Wittington Estate on the banks of the river Thames near Marlow. Offices are situated in three buildings - the historic House, the Court (contained inside the original walled garden), and the newer Upper Wittington.
The grounds, maintained by SAS' own Estate staff, provide recreation facilities for staff ranging from kayaking on the Hurley Weir, to five-a-side football, jogging, walking or most recently, playing cricket on the restored cricket pitch.
SAS is justifiably proud of Wittington Estate. Many features of the Estate have been lovingly restored following extensive research into the history of the property. The Estate is also home to the Hurley Flash Lock Capstan, the last one of its type on the Thames, as well as an archaeological site currently being investigated by the local council and the British Museum.
Commitment to the community
SAS has built a successful business on the premise that one person can make a difference, and a team of motivated people can make their community a better place to live and work. At SAS we believe it makes good sense to be a good neighbour.
Being a good neighbour is more than just about supporting local charities. It is about providing a home for the local cricket club, who use our cricket pitch; it is about supporting local kayaking and just helping out whenever we can whether it is helping the local school's IT problems or organising a sports day in aid of one of our favourite charities.
Commitment to the environment
SAS UK has a strong record of environmental management and responsible consumption. As part of a Carbon Trust initiative, we reduced our energy usage by 35%. In 2007, SAS was one of only 20 companies in the UK participating in a special pilot study run by the Carbon Trust (Run by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)).
Whenever we can, we
- design our buildings in an environmentally friendly way
- use energy efficient lighting
- procure electricity efficiently
- eliminate unnecessary energy usage
- actively recycle office and garden waste
- invest in environmentally-friendly products and biological controls
- use recycled grey water for irrigation and restroom waste disposal
- reduce business travel.
SAS UK constantly reviews its environmental initiatives. Major initiatives currently being investigation range from certification of the demanding environmental standard ISO 14001 to turning old cooking oil from our restaurant into fuel for the machinery used on our estate.
Our software and the environment
Many organisations use SAS software in the fight to protect our environment.
SAS UK has been a supporter of Wildtrack for over ten years. Our software is central to the ongoing development of non-invasive monitoring techniques of endangered wildlife species such as rhino, tigers, tapirs, and the Iberian lynx - helping to preserve the species for the future.
The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the UK's Centre of Excellence for research in land and freshwater environmental sciences, has chosen SAS to help it in its work of proactively preventing and combating today's most pressing environmental problems.
Organisations around the world, such as Environment Canada and the US Environmental Protection Agency, amongst others, also use our software to monitor and assess what is happening in our world today.
Approach to suppliers
Our commitment to the communities in which we work includes ensuring that those who work for us are treated decently. We endeavour to treat our suppliers fairly and with respect and to ensure that they treat their employees in the same way. We actively manage any risk arising from our association with our suppliers and ensure that they conform to our corporate standards and local laws.