SMETA audit

What is SEDEX and SMETA Audit?

The SEDEX audit and SMETA (SEDEX Member Ethical Trade Audit) are essential tools for businesses seeking to demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices throughout the supply chain. These audits are designed to assess compliance with international labor laws, environmental standards, and health and safety regulations, ensuring that companies uphold responsible business practices at every level.

Key Benefits of SEDEX Membership

Risk Management: Identify and manage potential risks in your supply chain by conducting a SEDEX audit.
Transparency: Gain deeper insights into working conditions, safety practices, environmental impact, and ethical business practices through a SEDEX audit.
Global Compliance: Adhere to international standards for corporate social responsibility with the help of the SEDEX audit.

By conducting a SEDEX audit, companies ensure their supply chains are transparent, ethical, and compliant with global standards, reinforcing their reputation and commitment to sustainability.

Understanding the Components of SMETA

The SMETA audit framework is based on four key documents that guide companies in assessing their ethical trade practices:

SMETA Best Practice Guidance: A detailed guideline for performing ethical trade audits. Learn more on the SMETA official page.
SMETA Measurement Criteria: Criteria to assess adherence to ethical standards.
SMETA Audit Report: A comprehensive report detailing the audit findings.
SMETA Corrective Action Plan Report (CAPR): A report outlining the corrective steps to address any non-compliance identified during the audit.

Types of SMETA Audits

The SMETA audit is available in two formats to meet the diverse needs of businesses:

SMETA 2-Pillar Audit: Focuses on Labour Standards and Health & Safety.
SMETA 4-Pillar Audit: Includes evaluations of Environment and Business Ethics in addition to Labour Standards and Health & Safety.

Why is a SEDEX/SMETA Audit Important?

SMETA audits provide critical transparency, allowing businesses to demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices and improve their reputation with stakeholders. These audits are particularly beneficial for large-scale retailers and global corporations like Walmart, Flipkart, and Amazon, as they ensure that suppliers adhere to internationally recognized ethical standards.

Comparison Between SEDEX and SMETA

Aspect	SEDEX	SMETA
Definition	SEDEX is a platform that facilitates the sharing of ethical data within the supply chain.	SMETA is a detailed audit methodology for evaluating ethical compliance within the supply chain.
Focus	SEDEX focuses on data sharing and ethical risk management.	SMETA audits labor, health & safety, environmental impact, and business ethics.
Audit Type	SEDEX is not an audit but a platform for sharing ethical compliance data.	SMETA is an audit methodology based on SEDEX pillars, focusing on comprehensive ethical trade evaluations.
Pillars Covered	SEDEX supports the four pillars but does not conduct audits.	SMETA focuses on labor, health & safety, environment, and business ethics.
Global Recognition	SEDEX is recognized globally for improving transparency in supply chains.	SMETA is widely accepted and respected for its comprehensive ethical audits.
Purpose	SEDEX enhances transparency by sharing supply chain data.	SMETA assesses compliance with ethical trade practices through in-depth audits.

Preparing for a SMETA Audit

Preparation: Ensure your organization understands the SMETA framework and the ETI Base Code, and review all compliance procedures.
Document Collection: Gather all necessary documents, such as contracts, payrolls, and training records.
Employee Education: Inform employees about the audit process and encourage active cooperation during the audit.
Audit Coordination: Assign a dedicated staff member to manage the audit process and coordinate with auditors.
Post-Audit Actions: Review the audit findings, implement corrective actions, and submit documentation of changes made.

Why Choose Legal4sure for SEDEX and SMETA Audits?

Legal4sure has extensive experience in guiding businesses through the SEDEX and SMETA audits, helping companies improve their ethical standards and meet international compliance requirements. We provide end-to-end support, from pre-audit consultations to post-audit corrective actions.

With a proven track record of successful SEDEX audit certifications for major corporations like Walmart, Flipkart, Amazon, and Adani, Legal4sure can help you achieve seamless compliance and open new business opportunities worldwide.

SEDEX Audit: Locations We Serve

Legal4sure offers SEDEX audit consultancy services in major cities across India and internationally, including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hubli, Belgaum, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Nepal, Bhutan, UAE, Middle East, Dubai, and more.

What is SMETA?

The Sedex audit framework assessment, particularly, the SMETA (Sedex Member Ethical Trade Audit), and are most used framework. They are meant to assess the extent to which business organizations implement the ethical principles of carrying out business. These audits are done under various standards such as; the ILO conventions and local laws hence making the Sedex audit a very effective way of checkpoint in the supply chain.

SMETA Members Benefit From The Following

Efficient Risk Management: Areas of improvement within the supply chain by Sedex audit process.
Transparency: To get a clearer understanding of labor conditions, health, and safety, environment, and business ethics by conducting a Sedex audit.
Compliance: Meeting global standards in corporate social responsibility by using Sedex audit

Sedex audit makes sure organizations conduct their affairs and their supply chain with integrity and follow healthy business practices.

Components Of SMETA Audit

SMETA consists of four core documents that guide the auditing process:

SMETA Audit Best Practice Guidance: This is a document that provides guidelines for practicing ethical trade audits.
SMETA Measurement Criteria: Criteria employed to assess conformity to ethical factors.
SMETA Audit Report: The Sedex audit report of the findings made during the audit exercise.
SMETA Corrective Action Plan Report (CAPR): A documentation detailing the procedures that will have to be followed to treat any non-conformity found in the Sedex audit.

SMETA Audit Coverage

A SMETA audit can be conducted in two formats:

Why Choose a SMETA Audit?

The role of SMETA audits is to increase the level of transparency in the company, and thus improve a company’s reputation among stakeholders. Such audits are valuable for companies involved in international commerce like Walmart, Flipkart, etc, and other large-scale retailers.

Aspect	SEDEX	SMETA
Definition	Sedex is a global platform for managing ethical data in supply chains.	SMETA is a detailed audit methodology for ethical compliance.
Focus	Sedex focuses on Data sharing and risk management in ethical practices.	Auditing labor, health, safety, environmental, and business ethics.
Audit Type	Sedex is not an audit method, but a platform for sharing data.	An ethical audit based on SEDEX pillars.
Pillars Covered	Sedex supports all four pillars but does not conduct audits.	Focuses on labor, health & safety, environment, and business ethics.
Global Recognition	Sedex is recognized for improving ethical data transparency.	Widely accepted for its comprehensive ethical audits.
Purpose	Sedex enhances transparency in supply chains.	Assesses compliance with ethical trade practices.

Best Practices For SMETA Audit

Prepare for the Audit: The candidate will need to show an understanding of the relating to SMETA and the ETI Base Code. Maintain the highest level of compliance with respect to your policies and procedures by reviewing and updating them.
Gather Documents: Gather all the documents such as contracts, payroll of the employees, and all the training documents. Make everything as precise and current as possible.
Employee Awareness: Give employees an Idea of the upcoming audit, their liberties, and the entire process. Encourage cooperation.
Assign a Coordinator: Choose one staff member and his/her job is to liaise with the auditor, make the access, and answer questions.
Post-Audit Actions: Check the findings and make sure that they are correct and make corrections of any non-conformities, submit proof of correction.

Before the Sedex audit, self-assess using the SMETA checklist to identify areas for improvement.

Why Choose Legal4sure?

SEDEX Audit Requirement expertise in Walmart, Flipkart, Amazon, Adani, and many more Legal4sure is here to help you with Sedex Audit.
Comprehensive support, starting with preparation for the audit before the auditor’s arrival, during the audit, and after the audit, when remedial control actions are planned and implemented.
Proven track record of helping businesses achieve SEDEX Audit Requirement smoothly and efficiently.

Are you willing to improve your company’s ethical compliance and open new markets for yourself? Apply for SEDEX Audit Requirement with Legal4sure now and see the transformation. We offer detailed SEDEX audit to guide you through every step of the certification process, from pre-audit consultation to corrective actions.

SMETA Audit: Locations We Serve

Legal4sure provides SEDEX Audit Consultancy services in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Junagadh, Surendranagar, Mumbai, Pune, Mehsana, Sidhpur, Palanpur, Gandhinagar, Nadiad, Anand, Kutch, Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Vapi, Valsad, Junagadh, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, New Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hubli, Belgaum, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Nepal, Bhutan, UAE, Middle East, Dubai etc.