EcoVadis
EcoVadis sustainability assessment support
EcoVadis reviews corporate sustainability management through questionnaires, documents, and other assessment information. Vosurein helps companies to confirm the evaluated entities and sites, organize policies, execution records, and performance data according to the four key themes: environment, labor & human rights, business ethics, and sustainable procurement. Guidance sessions explain which responses are already supported by evidence, which items still need practical implementation, and arrange subsequent improvements according to the scorecard.
For Your Business
Who this service is for and when to start
When receiving a client assessment invitation or registering for the first time, first confirm whether the evaluated entity is the group, an individual company, or a specific operational unit, and the client’s expected timing for receiving the scorecard. This affects the scope of documents that can be cited, the departments that need to participate, and the preparation work.
Companies preparing for reassessment can first review the previous improvement areas, document expiry dates, and business changes in the current period. If data has already been accumulated, work can focus on updating and verification; if it involves employee training, grievance mechanisms, or supplier assessments, it should be arranged early to ensure sufficient records are available during response completion.
Existing sustainability reports or management systems can serve as initial materials. Next, each item still needs to be verified to see if it covers the evaluated entity and supports the current questionnaire requirements.
The Challenge
Common challenges faced by businesses
Start document preparation by confirming the assessment scope. Common gaps include group policies with no evidence that they apply to, or are implemented by, the subsidiary, and completed training with no record of its content or participants.
Management documents also need to be connected. For example, when a company sets environmental goals, it should explain what measures are taken and how they are tracked; after suppliers sign a code of conduct, the company may also need to organize evaluation and follow-up records according to applicable questions. These are project verification scenarios, but the actual data requirements are determined by the evaluated questionnaire.
During organization, items are separated into those ready for direct use, those needing updates, and those pending implementation, with responsible departments assigned. Subsequent assessments can then update along the same records, reducing the burden of collecting data from each unit again right before submission.
Our Approach
Methods and applicable requirements
EcoVadis examines sustainability management through policies, actions, and results, covering environment, labor & human rights, business ethics, and sustainable procurement. Its 21 criteria are selected according to corporate activities, scale, and operational locations, so the preparation scope should be confirmed based on the applicable questionnaire for the current period.
Evidence should be able to demonstrate actual practices.Documents must be authentic, complete, recent and relevant to the assessment scope. Vosurein checks approvals, dates, the entities or sites covered, and which answers each document supports. Materials created solely to complete the questionnaire, without evidence of implementation, must not be used to claim that management measures are in place.
Upload limits and document validity.A maximum of 55 documents can be uploaded for each assessment or reassessment; documents uploaded in previous assessments do not count toward this limit. Policy and action documents generally have a validity of 8 years, KPI performance reports 2 years, and must meet the requirements of individual questions and documents. Data that support the answers should be selected; documents should not be intentionally pieced together from unrelated files to bypass limits.
Medals are determined based on relative performance and eligibility.Currently, platinum, gold, silver, and bronze medals have thresholds at the 99th, 95th, 85th, and 65th percentiles respectively; any subject scoring below 30 points is ineligible for a medal. There are additional industry exclusions and 360° Watch conditions. The rules are confirmed according to the release time of the scorecard. Medals and badges apply only to the assessed entity and are not product certifications.
This service focuses on the improvement of actual systems and evidence; the assessment results are still determined by EcoVadis using the current methodology.
Process
Consulting scope and process
Review the assessed entity and questionnaire
Check the company, sites, activity classification, questionnaire and customer invitation, and review the previous scorecard. Before using parent-company or group documents in this assessment, confirm their scope and evidence of local implementation.
Gap analysis of the four main themes.
Review existing policies, execution records, and performance data item by item to identify whether the gaps are in documentation or actual measures. Confirm priorities and achievable timelines with each department, and include records that require long-term accumulation in improvement plans.
Evidence organization and answer verification.
Check document dates, coverage, and relevance to the questions, mark the positions that can support answers, and remove invalid or contradictory versions. After the company confirms the content and sharing settings, assist in completing the pre-submission check as agreed.
Score feedback and management improvement.
Following the scorecard, specify strengths and areas for improvement, distinguishing between document supplementation, measure implementation, and performance tracking. Agree on work and review schedule with the responsible units so that the next assessment can update completed improvements based on actual data.
Preparation
What documents do companies need to prepare?
- Assessment details:Company and site scope, activity classification, current questionnaire, invitations and deadlines, existing scorecards and improvement areas.
- Management Policy:Applicable environmental, labor and human rights, ethics, and procurement policies, along with coverage, approval, and revision dates.
- Implementation Evidence:Existing training, risk assessments, grievance handling procedures, supplier evaluations, and action records, indicating who carried them out and the scope of coverage.
- Performance and Tracking:Applicable environmental and social indicators, progress against targets, internal checks and relevant certificates, with reporting periods, companies or sites covered, and validity dates.
Data should first be provided according to existing management records, then filtered according to the questionnaire. For sensitive information regarding personnel or suppliers, first confirm the necessary scope and masking method, retaining enough content to verify the applicability and reliability of documents.
Project Planning
Estimating time and cost
Before estimating the work, we review the questionnaire, previous scorecard and document list to establish whether the project mainly involves checking evidence or also developing management measures. More assessed entities and more dispersed data increase the work needed for departmental coordination and document checks.
If supplier evaluation, education and training, or cross-site performance tracking are needed, the schedule should include implementation and record organization. Assessment is arranged by EcoVadis, and the drafting by consultants, submission by the company, and scorecard release occur at different times.
Confirm consulting, system implementation and platform subscription costs separately. The company should check reassessment entitlements and sharing settings under its current plan before agreeing on the assistance required.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is EcoVadis a corporate certification?
It is a sustainability management assessment. Scores, medals, and badges reflect the applicable assessment results and qualifications, and should not be claimed as sustainability certifications for all products or services.
Is it necessary to prepare all 21 criteria?
Use the criteria and questions activated for the company's assessment. Check the questionnaire and industry risk information before deciding what data to prepare.
Can group policies be used directly?
Check whether the policy covers the assessed entity and whether local implementation is documented. A headquarters document does not automatically apply to every company in the group.
Can we start the questionnaire if there is no formal system?
You can start by reviewing current practices, but the response must reflect actual conditions. Missing policies and measures need to be developed, approved and implemented. Do not backdate documents or fabricate historical records.
Can a gold or silver medal be guaranteed?
No. Evaluations are conducted by EcoVadis according to the current rules. Improvements should focus on actual management and quality of evidence; evaluation results and external information may also affect eligibility.
Does providing more attachments to EcoVadis result in higher scores?
No. EcoVadis stipulates that for each assessment/re-assessment, a maximum of 55 new documents can be uploaded, and documents uploaded in previous assessments do not count toward this quota. Documents must be related to the questions answered and the scope of the assessment; the quantity limit is not a scoring criterion. Formal policies, implementation records, and performance data that support the responses should be selected; unrelated documents should not be combined intentionally to bypass the limit.
Can a newly issued policy immediately count as a complete improvement achievement?
Approved policies are part of management and still require applicable implementation and outcome evidence. The new system should record the actual effective date, with ongoing accumulation of implementation data thereafter; documents added today cannot claim completion last year.
How long are EcoVadis scorecards and medals valid?
Scorecards and the medals or badges issued based on them are valid for 12 months. The actual validity dates are as shown on the platform; re-assessment will evaluate based on current evidence and rules, and previous scores or awards are not automatically retained.
Related
Related services and enquiries
Please provide the assessed company, current questionnaire, existing scorecard and deadline so we can distinguish document checks from management improvements.Consult with Vosurein
Content checked: . Applicable versions and requirements depend on the company’s circumstances.
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