#Key steps for implementation Sedex

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SEDEX Certification – SEDEX Benefits - All You Need To Know | 4C Consulting

SEDEX Certification – All You Need To Know

The supply chain is one of the most important links when a business depends on outsourcing. It becomes quite necessary to ensure that the supplier with whom we are partnering is functioning in an ethical manner. A standardized framework hence becomes one of the most effective ways to monitor functioning at the supplier’s site and also helps build a transparent supply chain. Let us get a deeper understanding of what SEDEX is.

What is Sedex - Supplier Ethical Data Exchange

SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a global non-profit organization that enables businesses to work together to better manage their social and environmental performance, and improve working conditions throughout the supply chain globally.

Founded in 2001 by a group of retailers, it aims to simplify the path burdening the suppliers by providing a web-based database, which enables suppliers to share ethical data, such as ethical audit reports, with their customers. Likewise, customers can keep track of their suppliers and view the ethical reports shared with them.

For a standardized framework of audits, SEDEX uses its own social auditing methodology named SMETA (SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audit). SMETA enables businesses to assess their sites and suppliers to understand working conditions in their supply chain. During an audit the site is assessed based on the organization’s standards of labor, health and safety, environment and business ethics. These 4 factors are considered the foundational elements of SEDEX.

For a standardized framework of audits, SEDEX uses its own social auditing methodology named SMETA (SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audit). SMETA enables businesses to assess their sites and suppliers to understand working conditions in their supply chain. During an audit the site is assessed based on the organization’s standards of labor, health and safety, environment and business ethics. These 4 factors are considered the foundational elements of SEDEX.

There are 2 types of audits one can opt for under SMETA: 2 Pillar Audit & 4 Pillar Audit

A SMETA-2 Pillar Audit comprises of

Labour Standards

Health and Safety

A SMETA-4 Pillar audit comprises of

Labour Standards

Health and Safety

Environment Ethics (detailed)

Business Ethics

All four pillars count on legal requirements, international standards and good practice. The added 2 pillars may not be required by all, hence it is very crucial for the auditors to know when these additional modules are required.

There are 3 categories of SEDEX memberships which one can opt for, based on their functioning:

Key steps for implementation Sedex

Implementation of SEDEX will mean that you comply with the following criteria which includes:

Legal Compliance and Management

Forced Labour

Wages & Benefits

Hours of Work

Freedom of Association

Child Labour

Discrimination

Abuse of Labour

Health & Safety

Environment

Bribery & Corruption / Business Practices

CSR activities & Community Involvement

SEDEX Benefits

There are many benefits of having a SEDEX certification. Some of the many are as follows:

Recognition as a socially compliant organization

Receiving the status of SEDEX-approved supplier and being updated in the SEDEX directory

An opportunity to expand through export

Compliance with legal, contractual and regulatory compliance

Management of multi-tier data done simply and effectively

Improved structure and focus with respect to business ethics

Reduced workload and greater employee involvement

[4cconsulting]

SEDEX Certification – Key steps for implementation SEDEX

The supply chain is one of the most important links when a business depends on outsourcing. It becomes quite necessary to ensure that the supplier with whom we are partnering is functioning in an ethical manner. A standardized framework hence becomes one of the most effective ways to monitor functioning at the supplier’s site and also helps build a transparent supply chain. Let us get a deeper understanding of what SEDEX is.

SEDEX: An Overview

SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a global non-profit organization that enables businesses to work together to better manage their social and environmental performance, and improve working conditions throughout the supply chain globally.

Founded in 2001 by a group of retailers, it aims to simplify the path burdening the suppliers by providing a web-based database, which enables suppliers to share ethical data, such as ethical audit reports, with their customers. Likewise, customers can keep track of their suppliers and view the ethical reports shared with them.

For a standardized framework of audits, SEDEX uses its own social auditing methodology named SMETA (SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audit). SMETA enables businesses to assess their sites and suppliers to understand working conditions in their supply chain. During an audit the site is assessed based on the organization’s standards of labor, health and safety, environment and business ethics. These 4 factors are considered the foundational elements of SEDEX.

There are 2 types of audits one can opt for under SMETA: 2 Pillar Audit & 4 Pillar Audit

A SMETA-2 Pillar Audit comprises of

Labour Standards

Health and Safety

A SMETA-4 Pillar audit comprises of

Labour Standards

Health and Safety

Environment Ethics (detailed)

Business Ethics

All four pillars count on legal requirements, international standards and good practice. The added 2 pillars may not be required by all, hence it is very crucial for the auditors to know when these additional modules are required.

There are 3 categories of SEDEX memberships which one can opt for, based on their functioning:

SEDEX is Applicable to

SEDEX is applicable to all the industries irrespective of their processes, but it is most useful in industries where a lot of man power is employed & there are possibilities of social injustice. Some of such industries are as follows:

Garments and Textile Industries

Pharmaceutical Industries

Oil and Natural Gas Industries

Heavy Machine Manufacturing Industries

Automobile Manufacturing Companies

Construction Industries

Key steps for implementation

Implementation of SEDEX will mean that you comply with the following criteria which includes:

Legal Compliance and Management

Forced Labour

Wages & Benefits

Hours of Work

Freedom of Association

Child Labour

Discrimination

Abuse of Labour

Health & Safety

Environment

Bribery & Corruption / Business Practices

CSR activities & Community Involvement

SEDEX Benefits

There are many benefits of SEDEX certification. Some of the many are as follows:

Recognition as a socially compliant organization

Receiving the status of SEDEX-approved supplier and being updated in the SEDEX directory

An opportunity to expand through export

Compliance with legal, contractual and regulatory compliance

Management of multi-tier data done simply and effectively

Improved structure and focus with respect to business ethics

Reduced workload and greater employee involvement

How to Implement SEDEX?

Define the scope of implementation, where we need to identify for which SMETA audit to opt for

Perform Gap Analysis

Awareness Training

Documentation & Implementation with respect to defined scope

Perform internal audit

Submit a self-evaluation form in SEDEX

Audit conducted based on SMETA criteria

Generate a Report & submit the same in SEDEX