Sedex FAQ
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AskHow can you become more involved with Sedex? AAs a membership organization we thrive on the input from our members. We have a Board of Directors made up of A, AB and B Members and a number of working groups covering areas such as the Environment, Product Development and Auditing. If you would like to get involved in any of these groups please e-mail [email protected] or call (+44) 207 022 1900 AskHow can the Sedex Self Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) help my company? AnswerCompleting the SAQ can help illustrate the important issues when addressing ethical and responsible trade. For example it can be used to compile a company's code of conduct. AskWho pays for our membership? AWe try and keep Sedex membership fees to a minimum. Sedex is a means to prevent the duplication of information it can help save a company time and money. As a result we encourage that companies pay for their own account. AskMy company is conforming to local and national law why do I still need to conform to ETI, ILO etc? AnswerAlthough local and national laws provide the basis of company's policies, internationally recognized standards such as the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) Base Code and the International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions have been created to drive convergence in policies and principles. QIs Sedex just adding another level of bureaucracy? AnswerNo , Sedex is a means to prevent the unnecessary duplication of information. We are driving convergence in this field and believe that Sedex is means to actually lower bureaucracy. For example by becoming a member of Sedex you only have to fill out one questionnaire and share this with any number of your customers. Sedex also offers you the opportunity to share information about the good practices at your sites of employment. AskHow does Sedex differ from other organization like the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI)? ASedex is a web-based filing cabinet which allows companies to store and view data on ethical and responsible business practices. Sedex does not set any standards or determine the policy of its members. It is purely a tool for facilitating access to information. AskWhat codes is Sedex based on? ASedex stores information on ethical and responsible practices covered by ILO Conventions, ETI Base Code, SA8000, ISO14001 and industry specific codes of conduct. Sedex members can use the information on the system to evaluate suppliers against any of these codes or the labor standards provisions in individual corporate codes. Sedex itself does not specify a particular code or state that suppliers have 'passed' or 'failed' AskWhat happens if I don't join Sedex? AIf you have been requested to join Sedex by one of your customers it is likely that they see Sedex as an important part of their responsibility sourcing practices. It is becoming increasingly common that companies see Sedex membership as a condition of supply. You should see membership as something that can benefit not only your customers but also your own company. If you are unsure of how it can benefit you please contact us directly. QIs the information on Sedex accurate? AnswerThe rules of Sedex require members to use their best endeavors to ensure that the data placed on Sedex is true. However, the system itself cannot verify data. This will be done by members and through third party audits. QI'm a supplier and I already provide self-assessment and audit information to my customers - what are the benefits of Sedex for me? ASedex provides an efficient and cost effective way of communicating with your customers, by making one set of data available to multiple customers. QI'm worried about the security of information on my site – how will it be kept confidential? Answer Security of all data is of paramount importance to Sedex. The servers are hosted in award winning facilities with ISO9001 and ISO27001 accreditation. System access is controlled through usernames and passwords and all data is passed through a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Within the system each Sedex member controls who can view all parts of their data using a thorough security model which can be updated at any time. This ensures you have to give specific access to another member for them to view your information. We conduct an annual penetration test which can be found on our Security page https://www.sedex.org.uk/bc/cm/site.php?root=20115 QIf I'm on Sedex, does that mean I'm an approved supplier? Answer No. Being on Sedex does not mean that a company has met any ethical standards or is in compliance with any code but it does mean you have committed to continuous improvement. Sedex holds information on ethical and responsible trade which a company has chosen to share with its customers. It is up to each customer to assess the information and to decide whether suppliers meet their own standards. AskIf I join do I have to have an ethical audit? AnswerNo , It is not a requirement of becoming a member of Sedex. You may wish to have an ethical audit based on your internal policy or by the request of one of your customers. QCan sites amend third party audit reports which are put on Sedex? AnswerNo . When third party auditors upload audit reports and summaries directly these cannot subsequently be altered by the sites AskMy team works with suppliers to develop action plans – how will this work with Sedex? A Suppliers input agreed actions into Sedex and then use the system to report on their actions and progress. QWhat audit protocol does Sedex use? ASedex does not prescribe the type of audit. Sedex provides a place to store any and all ethical audit reports, with a summary of non-compliances held in a common format. Sedex has created the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA). Information can be found at https://www.sedex.org.uk/bc/cm/site.php?root=19951 Q: Does Sedex require approved auditors? Answer No. Sedex does not restrict who can carry out an audit, although some A or AB members may recommend certain auditors to their suppliers. The identity of the auditor is included on each audit summary and members can then decide whether or not the audit is acceptable to them. QDoes my production site have to pass an independent audit before joining Sedex ? Answer No. Sedex stores self-assessment data as well as ethical audit reports. You are not required to have an audit in order to join Sedex. But as and when you do have an audit carried out, you can make the audit report available on Sedex and use Sedex to communicate your corrective action plan and progress to your customers. Q: Who pays for the audit fees? ASedex does not specify who pays for audits. It is up to each site, supplier and retailer to agree who should bear the cost of auditing. However, Sedex seeks to minimize the cost of auditing by making a single audit report available to a number of different customers (see SMETA). Q Do I have to use a specific audit protocol in order for the information I provide to be accepted by Sedex? Answer No. Sedex does not prescribe the type of audit. Sedex provides a place to store any and all ethical audit reports, with a summary of non-compliances held in a common format. However Sedex does have a common audit methodology and report format that many Sedex members will expect. For more information please see https://www.sedex.org.uk/bc/cm/site.php?root=19951 QDoes Sedex provide a list of approved auditors? Answer No. Sedex does not restrict who can carry out an audit, although some companies may recommend certain auditors to their suppliers. The identity of the auditor is included on each audit summary and members can then decide whether or not the audit is acceptable to them. Ask my competitors be able to see my supply chain? AnswerNo . Members can only see information about other companies if they have been granted access. QIf I join Sedex, does that mean I don't need an ethical trading programme? A: No. Sedex provides a framework for collecting and sharing information, but everyone in the chain must ensure the accuracy of the information uploaded and act on it to continuously improve it. QI've already got an assessment system for my suppliers – why should I join Sedex? ASedex provides an electronic system for collecting and analyzing comparable information on ethical and responsible business practice. It can be accessed by any supplier or site, anywhere in the world, providing they are able to use the internet. It will allow you to access and analyze ethical assessments, action plans and corrective actions and to track progress over time. Because Sedex enables sites to share the same data with many customers, there is a strong incentive for suppliers to join. This will help to reduce the duplication of audits, both allowing you and your suppliers to concentrate on improvements, rather than on numerous self-assessments and audits. QI'm an agent and I can't be sure on any particular day which of my sites supplies which of my customers – how will Sedex deal with this? ASedex enables you to specify which of your supplier's supplies to each of your customers. You need to agree with your customer the best way of handling your supply chain, to ensure that they have access to the most accurate information possible. AskLots of my direct suppliers are agents – how will Sedex deal with this? AnswerAgents will need to register as B members on Sedex and to record their trading relationships. The agent is then responsible for making sure their suppliers register on Sedex and grant you access to their data. |
>>: SMETA--Sedex Member Ethical Trade Audit
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