Home
Services
Sedex Certification
Sedex Certification &
SMETA Audit Support
Your buyer has asked for a Sedex audit. We get your unit ready for it, from Sedex registration to a closed-out report, so the order isn’t held up on compliance.
- 2-Pillar and 4-Pillar
- On-site mock audit
- Sedex registration & SAQ
- CAPA closure included
Request A Free Consultation
Fill in the details below and our team will get in touch with you.
Typical prep time
3 – 6 weeks
Audit on site
1 – 2 days
Result
SMETA report on Sedex
Repeat cycle
Usually yearly
On This Page
Overview
What Is Sedex, and What Is SMETA?
Sedex is an online platform where suppliers share information about working conditions with the brands and retailers they sell to. Buyers use it to check who they’re sourcing from without sending their own auditors to every factory.
SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is the audit format Sedex created. An approved audit firm visits your site, checks records, walks the floor and interviews workers. The report is then uploaded to your Sedex account, where your buyer can see it. Strictly speaking, Sedex doesn’t issue a “certificate”. What you get is an audit report and, once findings are closed, a record your buyers accept. People still call it Sedex certification, and that’s fine.
SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is the audit format Sedex created. An approved audit firm visits your site, checks records, walks the floor and interviews workers. The report is then uploaded to your Sedex account, where your buyer can see it. Strictly speaking, Sedex doesn’t issue a “certificate”. What you get is an audit report and, once findings are closed, a record your buyers accept. People still call it Sedex certification, and that’s fine.
Worth knowing: we prepare you for the audit, but we don't conduct it. The audit itself has to be done by an independent, Sedex-approved audit company. That separation is what makes the report credible to your buyer.data.
Audit Scope
2-Pillar or 4-Pillar: Which One Do You Need?
Check your buyer’s email or supplier manual first. If they haven’t said, 4-Pillar is usually the safer pick because it satisfies a wider range of customers.
SMETA 2-Pillar
The core social audit.
- Labour standards
- Health & safety
- Environment
- Business ethics
Good fit when your buyer only asks for a social audit and you want to keep it simple.
Most requested
SMETA 4-Pillar
The full picture most UK and EU retailers now expect.
- Labour standards
- Health & safety
- Environment
- Business ethics
Good fit when you supply several buyers or plan to take on new ones soon.
Who It's For
Who Usually Gets Asked For Sedex
If you make or pack anything for a large retailer or brand, particularly in the UK or Europe, there’s a good chance Sedex is on their supplier checklist.
Garment & home textile exporters
The most common group we work with.
Food & beverage suppliers
Often alongside BRCGS or FSSC 22000.
Packaging manufacturers
Supplying cartons, labels and trims to brands.
Pharma & personal care
Contract manufacturers for global labels.
Handicraft & home decor
Including units that use home-based workers.
Engineering & components
Suppliers to European industrial buyers.
Why It Matters
What A Clean SMETA Report Does For You
01
Orders don't get held up
Many buyers won't release a PO, or even onboard you, until the report is on Sedex.
02
One audit, many buyers
Several customers can view the same report, so you're not audited separately for each.
03
Fewer surprises on labour law
The prep work tends to catch PF, ESI, overtime and wage issues before an inspector does.
04
Easier to win new buyers
An existing report shortens onboarding when a new retailer asks for ethical compliance.
How We Work
Our Sedex Process, Step By Step
01
Fewer surprises on labour law
Days 1–3
We set up your Sedex account, link it to your buyer and fill in the Self-Assessment Questionnaire properly. A careless SAQ is often the first thing buyers notice.
02
Gap analysis visit
Week 1
We go through wage and attendance records, licences, fire safety and the shop floor, then give you a written list of what needs fixing, in order of priority.
03
Documentation & fixes
Days 1–3
Policies, registers, grievance mechanism, committee minutes and worker training. We write them to match how your unit actually runs.
Your team: physical fixes like exits, signage and first-aid kits.
04
Mock audit
1 week before
A full dry run in SMETA format, including worker interviews, so your team knows what to expect on the day.
05
Audit booking & audit dayw
1–2 days
We help you book an approved audit firm and stay available on the day to support your team.
06
CAPA & closure
After audit
For any non-compliance raised, we help with root cause, corrective action and evidence until the auditor closes it and the report is final on Sedex.
From The Audit Floor
What Auditors Usually Pick Up
These come up in Indian factories again and again. None of them are hard to fix if you start early.
Common finding
How we fix it
- Overtime over legal limits or paid at single rate
- Set up an OT approval process and double-rate payroll, with records that match gate entry.
- Attendance and wage records don't match
- Reconcile registers and move to a single source of truth before the audit window.
- Blocked exits or expired fire equipment
- Floor walk with a fix list, evacuation plan, signage and a recorded drill.
- Contract workers without PF / ESI
- Contractor compliance checks and monthly challan collection built into your process.
- No working grievance or anti-harassment system
- Committee formation, complaint box, training and minutes workers can speak to.