Aico: Building a strong CSR Framework to aim for Excellence

An introduction to Aico and its business

Aico is a UK-based company specializing in home safety and smart home technologies. With 150 employees and an annual turnover of  £207,201,067, Aico partners with major players in the electrical distribution sector, including City Electrical Factors (CEF) and Rexel. In response to rising expectations from these stakeholders, Aico has recently stepped up its sustainability efforts, aiming to formalize best practices, align with EcoVadis standards, and build a robust, scalable CSR management system.

CSR roadblocks before working with Ditto

In 2022–2023, Aico was awarded a Bronze EcoVadis medal. Determined to progress, the company set its sights on achieving Gold. But several obstacles stood in the way: document management was mostly manual, with files often uploaded multiple times across different sections, and supporting evidence lacked consistent structure. Data centralization, task distribution, and response validation were also inefficient, making it hard to track indicators effectively.

CSR policies sometimes lacked clear objectives, performance indicators were not always robust enough, and the overall structure didn’t allow for clear, compliant responses to evaluators. These challenges were not technical or organizational in nature, but stemmed from the need for a more structured, guided approach.

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How Ditto helped structure Aico’s sustainability efforts

Aico chose Ditto to organize its CSR reporting, streamline document management, and receive tailored guidance. The project kicked off in mid-January with a clear roadmap: data collection, policy drafting, then review and validation of measures - each step taking about a month.

Ryan, the lead contact at Aico, worked closely with his Ditto Customer Success Manager. Together, they followed a rigorous methodology supported by ready-to-use templates, expert guidance, thorough reviews, and chapter-by-chapter validations. Any hurdles were quickly overcome thanks to the project team’s responsiveness and Ditto’s effective tools. Within four months, the entire process was completed and submitted on the EcoVadis platform.

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Tangible benefits from Ditto’s support

Thanks to Ditto’s guidance, Aico earned a Platinum EcoVadis medal - gaining 18 points in its score. The team drafted five CSR policies, validated 24 documents, collected over 80 indicators, and leveraged five customized templates.

The submission process became more efficient, data collection was faster, and the platform helped engage teams more effectively. In just 32 hours spent on Ditto, Aico gained clarity, efficiency, and independence. Its CSR governance is now more collaborative, outcome-oriented, and capable of continuously monitoring performance.

Aico now plans to expand Ditto’s use to other standards like ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001, as well as new commitments such as the UN Global Compact and ILO conventions.