Sedex platform and tools update

We’re over halfway into 2022, and wanted to recap the highlights so far this year around Sedex’s new platform build, and outline the exciting development plans for the remainder of 2022 and how they support you with your business goals.

This year, we have continued to successfully build on the foundations of our next-generation platform and begun to test and improve even more of our tools and services. Here are some of the highlights:

• Improved supplier account registration and simplifying workforce profile questions (SAQ): New suppliers invited to join Sedex now have a simpler registration process with the supplier dashboard. This gives them the ability to complete their site and company details, complete their workforce profile questions and begin their Self-Assessment Questionnaire more quickly than before. We’ve also improved the design and wording of the workforce profile questions taken from the SAQ, making it easier for new suppliers to understand and complete.
• Issue titles improvements to SMETA audits: Updating our Issue titles means it’s easier to understand issues identified with a SMETA audit.
• New e-Learning: We launched our new and improved e-Learning portal, with an interface that’s easier to navigate, and a wider variety of content that’s easier to find and share.
• Easily set-up and manage links: You can now easily request to link to your customers and suppliers, enabling you to view or share Site, Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and social audit information quicker than before. This helps you gain visibility of your supply chain and enhance your responsible business journey effectively and efficiently.
• New Site Compliance Report: Allows you to quickly see an overview of your compliance information in one place, including Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) completions, membership status, audit status, number and criticality of non-compliances, and Radar risk scores – saving our you time and resource managing your supply chain.
• Release of our first customer API: Automate the transfer of your sites’ and suppliers’ data, such as non-compliances, audit information and Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) completion, from Sedex’s platform directly into your internal systems with our customer API.
• Radar annual update: Our industry leading risk assessment tool to help you identify labour, human right and environmental risks across your business and supply chain received an annual update of the underlying third-party data sources that contributes to the country risk score. This means you can be confident that global risk data is up to date to help you prioritise your resources effectively.

Our focus for the remainder of the year

Throughout the year we have been speaking to many of our you to understand how to support you in solving the complex challenges you face. From this feedback we have decided to prioritise three key areas:

1. Improving the audit workflow

We’re working on a new digital audit process that will allow auditors to initiate and complete full initial audits through the new platform. Data captured during the audit will pre-populate all relevant areas of the digital SMETA Corrective Action Plan Report (CAPR) and SMETA report. This will improve consistency and reduce the time it takes to complete an audit.

We’re also working closely with you to develop our SMETA standard so we can better detect issues, create simpler reporting, and provide clear data outputs. We’ll be piloting the new SMETA standard with our Early Access Group, with input from our Advisory Group later this year, with the aim of launching early next year.

2. Making it quicker and easier to assess risks in your supply chain

We know gathering all information to complete the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) can sometimes be a challenge, so we’re focusing on simplifying the entire SAQ while still delivering all the valuable data you need. We will be piloting this new SAQ with an Early Access Group (EAG) this year, with the aim of launching next year. The changes will involve:

• A much shorter questionnaire – depending on company size and site characteristics
• Ensuring the language of each question is simple and translatable
• Improving the tool tips to help suppliers understand why the questions are being asked
• Learning how suppliers can gain more value from the data they provide.

We will also be adding the improved registration journey for new suppliers when they join Sedex via sedex.com. This means all new suppliers will be able to create a Sedex account and register much quicker through the new platform.

3.Improving how you manage your supply chain within the platform

Later this year we will be moving functionality from ‘My Relationships’ in Sedex Advance into the new platform, enabling you to:

• Search for all your linked customers or suppliers
• Edit their details
• Accept or reject link requests
• View supplier site information and audit history.

Moving this functionality to the new platform will make it quicker and easier for you to manage your commercial relationships.

Buyers who operate within the agriculture industry will benefit from our upcoming partnership with Global GAP. This partnership will allow you to view selected Global GAP certification and SMETA data within the Site Compliance Report. This will make it easier to manage your global supply chain.

Looking ahead to 2023

To ensure we can deliver the most value to you throughout 2022 we’re focusing on the above improvements. We know there are other areas important to our members, so we’ll be prioritising these areas in 2023, alongside others:

• A supply chain visibility tool to give you a greater understanding of your supply chain by understanding your relationships with your suppliers beyond two tiers
• Ability to assess service providers with Sedex
• Capability to do a follow-up audit in the new platform
• Allowing suppliers to renew their membership in the platform.

How can you keep up to date with the changes?

We’ll continue to keep our you notified of any changes via email, platform notifications, Built for you webinars and social media. You can also see the latest changes we’ve made to the new platform.