How Novograf turned responsible business into business opportunity
| Organisation | Novograf |
| Location | East Kilbride, Scotland, UK |
| Sector | Signage, branded environments, and surface solutions |
| Employees | 50 |
| Ownership | Employee-owned since 2016 |
| Sedex member since | 2017 |
| Sedex tools used | Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), Management Controls Assessment, benchmarking, community events, and training and e-learning |
At a glance
4.1/5
Advanced Management Controls Assessment score, valid until 15 July 2027
Top 12%
of UK suppliers in its sector, outperforming 88% of benchmarked peers
100–150
annual customer conversations, strengthening Novograf’s credibility and tender submissions
1 profile
simplifying customer assurance and reducing repetitive paperwork
Background
Novograf delivers end-to-end design, manufacture, and installation of branded environments, signage, graphics, and surface solutions. From a single 35,000 sq ft site in East Kilbride, its 50-strong team serves national brands across retail, banking, and hospitality. Customers include Greggs and the John Lewis Partnership.
This year marks a double anniversary for the business, as Novograf is celebrating its 40th year of trading and its 10th year as a fully employee-owned company.
Few companies in Novograf’s market offer the full journey from concept to installation: a restaurant chain can bring its ideas, have Novograf design and produce the materials, and rely on Novograf’s own installers to fit them. That end-to-end model now reaches international projects too, including Greggs’ first branch outside the UK at Tenerife Airport.
The challenge
As Novograf grew its customer base, responsible business credentials became not just a compliance requirement, but a commercial expectation. Buyers wanted clear, credible evidence that standards were in place – and they wanted it in a format they could recognise and trust. Large buyers now expect smaller suppliers to meet the same standards they apply to themselves.
Paul Twiss, Head of Marketing at Novograf, explains:
There is no leeway, particularly when you’re supplying the blue-chip companies, because their governance is implicit and, in some cases, legally a requirement.
This is especially true in regulated sectors. One of Novograf’s banking customers expects every supplier to match its rigour on security, privacy, and brand protection.
At the same time, assurance requests arrived from many directions and in many different formats. Public sector tenders, customer purchasing portals, and annual supplier reviews all asked for evidence of policies, ethics, and management approach. These requests covered areas such as anti-bribery, modern slavery, health and safety, and sustainability.
The information already existed within the business, the task was presenting it consistently and credibly, without rebuilding the same answers for every buyer.
Why Sedex
Novograf was first introduced to Sedex by the John Lewis Partnership, a fellow employee-owned business and long-standing Sedex member. When the opportunity arose to do more with its membership, Novograf saw clear value in taking that step.
Novograf already holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, but Paul sees Sedex as offering something different:
ISO 9001 is basically a specification you write yourself. This has significantly different intrinsic value, particularly for a smaller company and an employee-owned company, because it demonstrates ethics and rigour in an area which is fundamental to how you operate.
That rigour matters because of a common perception about smaller businesses. Paul notes that buyers often assume large organisations have strong structures, while smaller firms may have “a little bit more flex”. An independent benchmark gives Novograf a clear way to show its standards match those of much larger organisations.
How Novograf uses Sedex
Novograf completed its (SAQ), covering working conditions, health and safety, business ethics, and environmental management. From that data, it received its Management Controls Assessment and benchmarking result at no cost beyond membership.
Alan Marshall, Operations Director and Head of Health and Safety, leads Novograf’s day-to-day compliance activity on the platform. Paul leads on how the result is used commercially, building it into the way the business presents itself to buyers.
When a customer purchasing portal asks how Novograf demonstrates its standards, the answer is now simple. As Paul describes it:
It’s a tick. We tick the box, say yes, we have this evidence, and the evidence is our Sedex membership and our Sedex scoring.
The result also features in tenders, pre-qualification questionnaires, and pitches to prospective customers. Across the year, it supports conversations with an estimated 100 to 150 customers and prospects.
Result and impact
A result that sets Novograf apart
Novograf achieved a Management Controls Assessment score of 4.1 out of 5, earning an Advanced rating. This places the business in the top 12% of UK suppliers in its sector, ahead of 88% of benchmarked peers.
For a 50-person company competing alongside much larger organisations, this result carries real weight. It gives buyers a clear, comparable signal of how well Novograf manages its business.
Being in that upper quartile from a supplier point of view is a very positive message, and it just helps build credibility in a fairly crowded market.
One consistent answer for every buyer
Novograf now has a single, documented, and structured position it can share with customers and prospects. Instead of assembling evidence from scratch, the team points every buyer to the same trusted source.
This consistency also helps with buyers who may not ask for Sedex directly. As Paul explains, “while they may not specifically ask for Sedex because they may not be aware of it, to have it and to promote it and talk about it is a positive.”
Proof that travels into every pitch
Novograf shared its benchmarking result on LinkedIn, making it one of the first suppliers to publicly celebrate its management controls score. The post turned a behind-the-scenes achievement into visible proof for customers, prospects, and the wider market.
The result now forms part of how Novograf introduces itself to new businesses. It sits alongside the company’s capabilities as clear evidence of the standards behind its work.
Pride across an employee-owned business
For an employee-owned company, the result has particular meaning. Every colleague is a co-owner, so an external benchmark recognises standards that the whole team helps to maintain.
Novograf treats its score as both proof of current strength and a baseline for future progress. The assessment highlights where practices are already strong and where systems can be developed further.
Learning that strengthens the wider business
Membership has delivered value beyond the benchmark itself. Alan takes part in Sedex community events and uses the e-learning available through the platform.
Paul describes this learning as “extraordinarily useful” for the business as a whole:
Alan’s involvement has been very useful, not only because it informs him on how Sedex can be applied, but it also rolls over into how we manage our quality and health and safety. It transfers principle and methodology into other parts of the business.
Advice for other suppliers
Novograf’s experience shows that smaller suppliers can compete on equal terms with much larger organisations. The key is turning existing good practice into evidence that buyers can easily understand and trust.
For suppliers considering their own assessment, Novograf’s approach offers three practical lessons:
- Start with what you already do: Your existing policies and practices form the foundation of a strong result.
- Use your result actively: Add it to tenders, portal submissions, and pitches so it supports every buyer conversation.
- Share your progress: Publishing your result builds credibility with customers and prospects in a crowded market.
For Alan, the value of Sedex reaches well beyond meeting buyer requirements:
Anyone dealing with tenders, pre-qualification questionnaires or SSIP assessments knows just how demanding the questions have become, particularly for SMEs. Sedex helps us go beyond simply ticking boxes. It gives us a better understanding of our supply chain, encourages open conversations with suppliers and helps us build stronger, more responsible partnerships.
See Sedex in action
Your next customer could already be looking for you. Find out how Sedex membership helps you show buyers the standards behind your work, stand out from your peers, and build lasting customer relationships.
