SEDEX & SMETA: Complete Training, Consulting and Certification Services in Vietnam

Understanding SEDEX: The World’s Largest Ethical Trade Platform

The Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex) was established in 2004 in the United Kingdom by a coalition of leading global brands seeking a shared solution to supply chain risk management. Today, Sedex operates as the world’s largest collaborative platform for sharing responsible sourcing data, connecting over 85,000 members across 180+ countries and storing more than 1.5 million supply chain datasets.

Sedex operates on a simple but powerful principle: “Audit once, share many.” Rather than hosting multiple separate inspections for each buyer, a supplier completes one SMETA audit and publishes the report on the Sedex Advance platform, where it becomes accessible to all linked Member A (buyer) accounts simultaneously. This dramatically reduces audit fatigue and duplication costs for both suppliers and buyers.

The Sedex Membership Structure

Member A	Buyers, brands & retailers (e.g. global FMCG, fashion, automotive). They access the platform to monitor supplier risk and review SMETA reports from their supply chain.
Member B	Suppliers & service providers — factories, warehouses, logistics companies. This is where Vietnamese businesses sit. Member B completes the SAQ and undergoes SMETA audit.
Member AB	Organisations that are both buyers of inputs and sellers of outputs — common in mid-tier supply chains.
AAC	Approved Audit Companies: independent third-party auditors authorised by Sedex to conduct official SMETA audits. Examples: Bureau Veritas, SGS, Intertek, Control Union, Staunchly Management & System Services.

⚠️ Critical Distinction: Sedex does NOT issue certificates like ISO. The outcome of a SMETA audit is a detailed audit report published on Sedex Advance — buyers read it and make their own commercial decisions. A clean report with strong Good Practices and all NCs closed on time is your competitive advantage.

What Is SMETA? A Deep-Dive into the Audit Methodology

SMETA — Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit — is the standardised audit protocol, measurement criteria, and reporting format that all AACs must follow when evaluating a supplier site. Currently at version 7.0 (SMETA Measurement Criteria v7.0), SMETA provides a globally consistent framework that allows a report from a warehouse in Ho Chi Minh City and one from a factory in Bangladesh to be read and compared on equal terms by the same international buyer.

The ETI Base Code: SMETA’s Ethical Foundation

All SMETA assessments are grounded in the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code — nine principles for protecting workers’ rights, safety, and dignity — cross-referenced against applicable local law (Vietnam Labour Code 2019, Law on Occupational Safety & Health 2015, Decree 145/2020/ND-CP, and current regional minimum wage regulations).

#	Nguyên tắc ETI / ETI Principle	Nội dung cốt lõi / Core Requirement
1	Lao động tự nguyện / Freely Chosen Employment	Không cưỡng bức, không giữ giấy tờ, không đặt cọc giữ việc
2	Tự do hiệp hội / Freedom of Association	Quyền gia nhập công đoàn, thương lượng tập thể
3	An toàn & Vệ sinh lao động / Health & Safety	Môi trường làm việc an toàn, PPE, đào tạo ATSK ⭐ Trọng tâm kho lạnh
4	Không lao động trẻ em / No Child Labour	Tối thiểu 15 tuổi (VN law + ILO), bảo vệ lao động trẻ (≤ 18)
5	Lương đủ sống / Living Wage	Lương ≥ mức tối thiểu vùng, hướng tới lương đủ sống
6	Giờ làm việc hợp lý / Working Hours	Tổng ≤ 60 giờ/tuần, OT tự nguyện, ≥ 1 ngày nghỉ/7 ngày ⭐ Rủi ro OT
7	Không phân biệt đối xử / No Discrimination	Tuyển dụng, thăng tiến, lương bình đẳng không phân biệt
8	Đối xử nhân văn / Humane Treatment	Cấm xúc phạm, đe dọa, quấy rối, phạt tiền kỷ luật
9	Hợp đồng lao động / Regular Employment	Hợp đồng văn bản, đúng loại, ký trước khi làm việc

The Higher Standard Principle: When Vietnamese law and the ETI Base Code differ on a specific requirement, SMETA always applies whichever offers greater protection to workers. Example: Vietnamese law caps overtime at 40 hours/month; if a worker actually worked 50 hours of OT, this violates Vietnamese law — and the auditor will record it as a Non-Conformance regardless of the ETI weekly cap.

SMETA 2-Pillar vs SMETA 4-Pillar

Assessment Dimension	SMETA 2-Pillar
Pillar 1 – Labour Standards (ETI 1–9)	✅ Included
Pillar 2 – Health & Safety	✅ Included
Pillar 3 – Environment (Extended)	❌ Not included
Pillar 4 – Business Ethics	❌ Not included
Typical audit duration	1 – 1.5 days
Relative cost	Lower
Buyers typically requiring	Most brands & retailers
ESG data generated	S & G (basic)
Recommendation for first-time audit	✅ Start here

NC Classification: How Auditors Grade Findings

Every finding is classified into one of five severity levels. Understanding this system is essential for prioritising pre-audit preparation and post-audit remediation:

Mã	Tên	Mô tả / Description	Hành động / Action
BC	Business Critical	Nguy cơ ngay lập tức tới tính mạng, an toàn hoặc nhân quyền NLĐ. Imminent risk to life, safety or human rights.	Xử lý ngay + CAP trong 7 ngày / Immediate + CAP within 7 days
CR	Critical	Vi phạm nghiêm trọng Bộ quy tắc/luật, cần xử lý khẩn. Serious breach requiring urgent action.	Ưu tiên cao / High-priority remediation
M	Major	Vi phạm rõ ràng Bộ quy tắc hoặc luật. Clear breach of code or law.	Khắc phục ≤ 90 ngày / Remediate ≤ 90 days
C	Core / Minor	Sai lệch nhỏ hoặc thiếu hệ thống quản lý. Minor deviation or management-system gap.	Theo kế hoạch / Planned remediation
S	Screening	Câu hỏi xác định phạm vi — không xếp hạng NC. Scope-defining — not ranked as NC.	Không áp dụng / Not applicable

Key Insight: A Business Critical (BC) finding such as a blocked fire exit or unresolved refrigerant leak must be addressed on the day of the audit. Buyers are notified immediately and may suspend orders until the BC is closed and verified.

The SMETA Audit Process: Three Phases

Pre-Audit (Preparation): Sedex registration → SAQ completion → gap assessment → document preparation → site improvement → worker awareness

On-site Audit: Opening meeting → site walk → worker interviews (confidential) → records review (triangle cross-check: timesheet ↔ payroll ↔ interview) → closing meeting → preliminary CAPR

Post-Audit (Follow-Through): Report upload to Sedex → Publish → CAPR implementation → Desktop Audit or Follow-up Audit → NC closure → ongoing annual SAQ maintenance

Typical Total Timeline: 3–6 months from first preparation to published report. A well-prepared site can complete the full cycle in 10–12 weeks. Annual SAQ update required every year to keep the account “In Date”.

SMETA and the Regulatory Landscape: Why It Is No Longer Optional

A combination of buyer pressure and binding legislation is making SMETA participation effectively mandatory for Vietnamese exporters:

Germany’s Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz / LkSG, effective 2023): German companies with 1,000+ employees must conduct human rights and environmental due diligence across their entire supply chain — and document it. SMETA is a widely accepted evidence standard.
EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD, 2024): Extends similar obligations to EU companies, cascading requirements down to all tiers of supplier relationships.
UK Modern Slavery Act & EU Forced Labour Regulation: Require proactive identification and remediation of forced labour risks — directly mapped to SMETA ETI 1.
Buyer Scorecards (EcoVadis, CDP, GRI-aligned questionnaires): International buyers increasingly score suppliers on ESG — and SMETA audit evidence provides some of the strongest possible documentation.

ISC Global’s SEDEX & SMETA Services: A Four-Layer Model

At ISC Global, our SMETA offering spans four integrated service lines, designed to address every stage of the compliance journey:

Service 1 — SMETA Awareness & Compliance Training

Our training programmes build internal capacity so your team understands what auditors are looking for — and how to demonstrate compliance confidently.

Training programmes available:
SMETA Awareness (half-day or full-day) ETI Base Code, NC classification BC/CR/M/C, audit phases, site walk expectations, worker interview protocols — for all staff: HR, EHS, warehouse, payroll
SMETA Internal Auditor Training (2 days) Conducting mock audits, completing internal checklists, triangle cross-check technique, preparing CAP documentation with 5-field root-cause analysis
Sedex SAQ Completion Workshop (half-day) Guided completion of all five SAQ sections; common data errors; GHG inventory alignment; policy upload to Sedex
SMETA 4-Pillar Environmental Specialisation (1 day) Environmental permit status, GHG inventory, energy data, waste manifest, refrigerant management (MSDS + inventory)
SMETA 4-Pillar Business Ethics Specialisation (half-day) Anti-bribery policy drafting, whistleblowing channel setup, data protection, contractor due diligence

All training delivered on-site at your facility, or live online. Bilingual Vietnamese–English materials provided as standard.

Service 2 — Internal Audit Service (Conducted by ISC Global)

Beyond training your team, ISC Global also performs the internal SMETA audit on your behalf — acting as your internal audit function for pre-audit readiness verification. This service is ideal for:

Companies that do not yet have trained internal auditors on staff
First-time Sedex registrants preparing for Initial audit under tight timelines
Sites with complex risk profiles (cold storage, agency workers, hazardous chemicals) requiring expert review
Management teams that want an independent, impartial pre-audit evaluation before inviting an official AAC

What our Internal Audit Service delivers: Full on-site audit mapped to every SMETA 7.0 requirement code (00 through 11)Confidential worker interviews following SMETA protocol — conducted by our certified consultantsRecords review: triangle cross-check (timesheet ↔ payroll ↔ interview), contract sampling, agency worker documentationSite walk covering: cold store, fire exits, forklift operations, chemical storage, welfare facilities, notice boardsWritten Internal Audit Report with findings classified by NC level (BC / CR / M / C)Prioritised Corrective Action Plan (CAP) with deadlines, responsible persons, and evidence requirementsDebrief session with management presenting all findings and remediation prioritiesOptional: Follow-up verification visit to confirm NC closure before the official SMETA audit

Service 3 — Pre-Audit Consulting & GAP Assessment

Our consultants conduct a structured GAP Assessment benchmarked against SMETA 7.0 Measurement Criteria. Deliverables include:

Written GAP Assessment Report mapped to each requirement code (01.01.001 through 11.01.004)
Prioritised CAP with BC/Critical items flagged for immediate remediation
Document checklist and evidence preparation guide
Sedex SAQ review and data reconciliation (including GHG inventory alignment)
Mock worker interview preparation — ensuring workers know their rights without coaching

Service 4 — Certification Support & Post-Audit NC Closure

Liaising with Sedex-approved AACs (including our affiliate Staunchly Management & System Services) for official audit scheduling
CAPR drafting support with 5-field corrective action documentation
Root-cause analysis using 5 Whys methodology to prevent NC recurrence
Evidence compilation and Sedex Advance upload (policies, certificates, GHG reports)
Annual SAQ maintenance to keep the account audit-ready year-round

SMETA and EcoVadis: Maximum ROI on Your Compliance Spend

Labour & Human Rights: SMETA report + closed CAPR = verified implementation → maximum EcoVadis scoring
Environment: SMETA 4-Pillar data + GHG inventory = comprehensive environmental evidence package
Business Ethics (hardest to score): SMETA Pillar 4 ABC policy and whistleblowing documentation closes this gap

Why ISC Global?

SMETA 7.0 Currency	Benchmarked against the latest Sedex Measurement Criteria — not outdated checklists
Bilingual Vietnamese–English	All training, documentation, and consulting delivered bilingually
Industry-Specific Expertise	Cold storage, garment, food, electronics, furniture — customised to your risk profile
Integrated ESG Advisory	SMETA + EcoVadis + GHG/Net Zero + ISO 14001 + ISCC EU — a coherent compliance roadmap
Affiliated AAC Partnership	Through Staunchly Management & System Services — full journey from internal prep to official audit
24/7 Urgent Support	Buyer deadlines do not wait — our team is available around the clock

Hotline: +84 933096426 – +84 868 591 260

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