SMETA Audits

SMETA Audit Expertise

SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is an ethical audit methodology that encompasses all aspects of responsible business practice. SMETA is the most widely used social audit in the world. It was designed to enable businesses to evaluate working conditions within their supply chain.

QIMA is a certified Sedex partner and is approved to carry out SMETA audits. Our qualified and experienced auditors can help you achieve compliance with ethical standards in every step of your supply chain.

We specialize in providing you with the standards and frameworks for monitoring your suppliers. Our SMETA social and ethical audits help brands reduce human rights abuses such as forced labor and increase the general health and safety for their workers.

We offer four SMETA tools to help you secure your supply chain, including:

1. Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) - You may have your supplier submit a self assessment.

2. Sedex Virtual Assessment - A remote assessment of workplaces.

3. Third Party SMETA Audit - An in-person examination as per Sedex protocol.

4. Corrective Action Plans - Provided as needed after an in-person audit.

The SMETA Audit Methodology

QIMA is proud to be one of only 51 APSCA members that can carry out official SMETA audits.

SMETA audits use the ETI Base Code, founded on the conventions of the International Labor Organization, as well as relevant local laws. SMETA audits can be conducted against two or four auditing pillars. The two pillars mandatory for any SMETA audit are Labor Standards and Health & Safety. The two additional pillars of a 4-pillar audit are Business Ethics and Environment. They were introduced to further deepen the social responsibility aspect of SMETA audits.

SMETA 2 Pillar Audits

The SMETA 2-pillar audit gives you an indication of your supplier’s adherence to ethical working standards. It includes two of the four auditing pillars, Labor Standards and Health & Safety. The SMETA 2-pillar audit comprises the following modules:

• Labor Standards

• Health and Safety

• Additional Elements:

  • Management Systems

  • Entitlement to Work

  • Subcontracting and Homeworking

  • Environmental Assessment (shortened)

A 2-pillar SMETA audit may be a good introduction for your auditing and correction within your supply chain.

SMETA 4 Pillar Audits

A SMETA 4-pillar audit covers the Labor and Healthy & Safety standards of the 2-pillar audit, as well as Environmental Assessment and Business Ethics. This is the full SMETA audit and includes:

• Labor Standards

• Health and Safety

• Environmental Assessment (extended)

• Business Ethics

SEDEX Virtual Assessment

We are approved to conduct Sedex virtual assessments and can help you take the right actions to strengthen your supply chain even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sedex Virtual Assessments are a remote alternative to the standard SMETA Audit. The Sedex Virtual Assessment is based on the SMETA audit methodology and utilizes video conferencing technology to remotely connect an auditor with the factory site.

The virtual assessment initiative was launched in July 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in audits taking place due to difficulties gaining physical access to factories.

While a Virtual Assessment may be a suitable solution to reduce risk when physical access to a factory is not possible, it should not replace a complete in-person audit to verify social and labor conditions. An in-person audit should always be performed where possible.

To conduct a Virtual Assessment, a factory site must be checked for suitability prior to the assessment taking place. This includes reviewing internet connectivity, checking that there are suitable facilities for the assessment and worker interviews to take place, verifying that all areas of the site can be accessed, and assessing if the site is running at sufficient capacity to assess true conditions.