- The EcoVadis assessment is more demanding than it looks: it's not just about doing CSR, but presenting it, ticking the right boxes and providing the right evidence and KPIs.
- Many companies lack internal expertise, so they bring in a specialized partner to reach a medal.
- A partner can run a gap analysis, manage CSR projects, document policies, build training and prepare the file.
- Ditto combines expert support and a platform that automates up to 80% of the work required to comply with EcoVadis.
EcoVadis allows companies to assess their CSR performance on all their sustainability issues. This assessment is very much appreciated by businesses and their partners, as it offers a clear and harmonized framework through a score of 0 to 100 and the award of a Bronze medal to Platinum.
The EcoVadis assessment system serves as proof for companies to convince their partners, investors and other stakeholders of their CSR commitments. This is why passing this assessment is a key challenge for a company!
A bit more complex than you might think, the EcoVadis assessment can be hard to understand. It's not just about implementing CSR actions, you need to know how to present it to EcoVadis, tick the right boxes, share the right evidence and show the right KPIs.
Many companies encounter these difficulties during the EcoVadis assessment process., as they lack internal expertise and experience in preparing this demanding questionnaire.
To support them in their approach, companies often use a specialized partner to help them get a medal.
In this article, we'll explore why it's important to get support and how to choose the right partner for succeed in your EcoVadis assessment
Why get support in your EcoVadis assessment?
Understanding EcoVadis requirements and how to respond effectively to them requires particular expertise. A good partner can support you throughout the assessment and guide you towards CSR compliance, or on more specific tasks, according to your needs. Here are some examples of projects:
Conduct a gap analysis
EcoVadis describes all the sustainability requirements to achieve a solid CSR management system. A gap analysis is a thorough review of your system against EcoVadis requirements to identify what may be missing. Your partner can do this analysis for you. We recommend that you conduct a gap analysis at the start of your compliance project to determine where you are, and then at least one more time later in the process to ensure that you are ready for the assessment. The partner can help you correct the discrepancies identified to get the best score.
Manage your CSR projects
Not all companies necessarily have a CSR department or a CSR manager. It may be that no person is identified to manage these topics or it may simply be a mission that is added to another position. In this case, work with a specialized partner can help you absorb this workload to structure and manage your CSR compliance project, from design and development to meet EcoVadis criteria. It can also help you implement sustainable actions and identify ways to strengthen your sustainability management system.
Evaluate your CSR performance
To know if your company is efficient on CSR topics according to EcoVadis criteria, you must carry out an assessment of your sustainability performance. A specialized partner can guide you through this process and help you set up an ongoing assessment process to maintain and improve your rating over the years. The desire to monitor and always aim for continuous improvement is valued by the EcoVadis evaluation.
Develop and document your policies
To obtain a good EcoVadis score, certain policies and protocols must be put in place and written in a specific format. A partner can help document, organize, and disseminate these policies so that they are in line with EcoVadis expectations.
Guide your training projects
To obtain a good EcoVadis score, you must offer training to all employees on environmental, social, ethical and responsible purchasing topics. A specialized partner can help you develop a training program and even to do the training for you.
Preparing for the EcoVadis assessment
A partner can also help you prepare for your assessment by collecting all the documentation and evidence needed to demonstrate compliance. Because they know what reviewers look for, they can help you increase your chances of success
EcoVadis pre-submission checklist
Whether you go solo or with a partner: make sure your file is complete, theme by theme
The advantages of a specialized partner
Hiring a specialized partner depends above all on the needs of your business. Whether due to a lack of an established team or expertise, some businesses find it more advantageous than others.
- Strengthen technical knowledge : A partner can provide organizations with the expertise of a compliance professional without having to hire a full-time compliance team.
- Optimize your compliance process : Your team may be able to reach the EcoVadis medal, but a partner will know how to do it more effectively and efficiently.
- Improve your evaluations : Increase the chances of your CSR assessment being successful with an expert who knows what reviewers are looking for.
Optimize your EcoVadis assessment
Book a 15-minute call with a Ditto expert to identify improvement areas and boost your chances of reaching your target medal.
What EcoVadis assessors check in your documents
Format, content, mistakes to avoid: exactly what an analyst looks at before scoring your file
Choose your EcoVadis partner according to your challenges and priorities
Ditto helps you structure your CSR approach while making you self-sufficient on sustainability topics to make it a strength for your business in the long term.
Our aim? To save you time.
By bringing The expertise of a team of consultants and an effective tool to prepare well, Ditto is the ideal solution to succeed in your EcoVadis assessment.
Our sustainability management platform offers a lot of what a consultant does, including conducting gap analyses, policy templates, guiding your impact assessment process, compiling documentation for your assessment, and tracking preparation in an integrated dashboard.
All this while streamlining and automating up to 80% of the work required to comply with EcoVadis criteria.
With the Ditto tool and support, your company can go beyond simple compliance and build a virtuous, sustainable and future-oriented approach. Your teams quickly become self-sufficient and proactive on these topics, equipped with the ideal platform, a partner of EcoVadis.
In summary, whether you choose to use a specialized partner or use a CSR platform like Ditto, it is essential to fully understand your needs and resources to ensure an effective and successful sustainability journey.
Getting Support for Your EcoVadis Assessment — Key Takeaways
| Key point | What to remember |
|---|---|
| Why the assessment is demanding | Beyond CSR actions, you need to tick the right boxes, provide the right evidence, and show the right KPIs. |
| Why get support | Many companies lack internal expertise, so they bring in a specialized partner to reach a medal. |
| What a partner brings | Gap analysis, policy structuring, training, and file preparation, without hiring a dedicated compliance team. |
| Benefit | An optimized preparation process and better odds of earning a medal. |
| Ditto's approach | Ditto combines expert support with a platform that automates up to 80% of the EcoVadis preparation work. |
