Ethical Audits of SEDEX - SMETA
SMETA (SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audit) is a widely recognized audit to assess the social and ethical performance of suppliers and manufacturers in global supply chains.The purpose of SMETA is to assess a supplier's compliance with ethical business practices and international labour standards and to identify opportunities for improvement.
Audits typically cover four areas: labour standards, health and safety, environment and business ethics. The fields of labour standards and health and safety are mandatory. And the areas of environment and business ethics are part of an extended audit. The range can be tailored to some specific requirements.
The audit goes through four stages: planning and preparation, site audit, report generation, and corrective action plan. During the on-site audit, the audit team will review documentation and records, conduct interviews with management and workers, and observe working conditions. It will then compile a report summarizing the findings, including any discrepancies and opportunities for improvement. A corrective action plan will also be proposed based on the audit findings, which will be reviewed and monitored by the auditor. A follow-up audit may be conducted to verify that corrective actions have been taken. Once the audit is complete, the site audit report will be uploaded to the SMETA database, which is available to SEDEX members.
SMETA helps companies demonstrate their commitment to ethical and social compliance, improve supply chain transparency and identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency gains.
We should note that SMETA audits are not certificates, but rather a tool that helps companies assess and improve their social compliance performance. Audits are performed by third-party auditors recognized by SEDEX, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting ethical and responsible supply chains.
Consejo consultants help your organization:
- when collecting and structuring the information and reviewing the existing processes and management systems;
- with guidance on how SMETA audits are conducted and will prepare you for them in advance;
- with a pre-audit for compliance in your organization and will help you maintain ethical business practices so that no violations or problems are detected in the audit report.
- with the corrective action plan after you have received it from the auditor to take the necessary measures in the areas noted.
Implementation of management standards
CONSEJO Ltd. is a consulting company with over 20 years of practical experience in the development, implementation and maintenance of management systems in accordance with international standards and regulatory requirements. The company provides consulting services in the areas of quality management, environmental management, occupational health and safety, food safety, information security, cybersecurity, risk management and sustainable development. Our expertise covers standards and schemes such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO/IEC 27001, IFS Food, BRCGS and HACCP, as well as consulting services related to NIS2, DORA, GDPR and EcoVadis.
The CONSEJO team has been involved in over 1,500 projects for organizations across various sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, construction, energy, information technology, transport, trade, the food industry and services. Our approach focuses on developing management systems that work effectively in practice, tailored to the specific characteristics and needs of each organization. We work closely with our clients, providing consulting support, staff training and assistance during implementation. We strive to deliver high-quality services within the agreed deadlines and solutions that support successful certification and create long-term value for businesses.
