Supplier Sustainability Performance Assessment (SSPA)

Germany’s Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) or the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) – regulations like these make it compulsory for companies to comply with human rights and environmental standards across their whole supply chain. It’s essential to thoroughly explore any potential risks when it comes to human rights and environmental requirements – and to put effective counteractive measures in place, if needed.

TÜV Rheinland’s Supplier Sustainability Performance Assessment (SSPA) provides you with a clear understanding of your suppliers’ working conditions on site. The goal of these audits is to create a realistic and holistic picture of your suppliers’ compliance with environmental requirements and fair working conditions. In case of deviations, follow-up audits can be carried out to check the effectiveness of any corrective measures implemented.

Sustainable suppliers, sustainable business: Get in touch with the experts and start your SSPA now!

TÜV Rheinland’s Supplier Sustainability Performance Assessment (SSPA) process consists of 12 steps within three project phases:

1. Pre-audit activities

After you have chosen the supplier(s) you’d like to audit, TÜV Rheinland will give you an estimate of the project’s scope and conditions. Once we get your approval, we’ll start off by scheduling the audit and contacting the suppliers.

2. Audit execution

TÜV Rheinland’s experienced APSCA auditors will inspect your supplier’s production sites to check the compliance with the predefined standards. Using proven tools and carefully reviewing relevant sources of information, our auditors will apply tried-and-tested triangulation models to paint a holistic, yet conclusive picture of the conditions on site.

3. Post-audit activities

The result of each audit marks a detailed report about the identified non-conformities and potential areas for improvement – the so-called Corrective Action Plan (CAP). At the end of the audit, a report ("corrective action plan") is created, which includes the identified deficiencies and potential areas for improvement. Findings are classified by the auditors into "critical non-conformity", "major non-conformity", "minor non-conformity" and "other non-conformity“. The final CAP is shared with the supplier at the end of the audit. After an internal review, the CAP together with an extensive report is shared with the client.

Depending on the audit results, TÜV Rheinland recommends checking back with your supplier to make sure the corrective action measures are promptly and properly implemented. This can be done by conducting a follow-up audit: either another short on-site visit or – if no additional information needs to be verified in personal interviews – a desktop audit.

Need more details? Check out all 12 steps of TÜV Rheinland’s SSPA process.

We are the companion for responsible supply chains. Along the entire value chain, we enable individuals and companies of all sizes to conduct their business in a responsible manner. To do so, our expert team provides our customers with the precisely right solution they need – with industry-leading knowledge, long-term experience and customized methods. By guiding our clients in all dimensions of responsibility (e.g. safety, ethics, integrity and environmental sustainability), we drive their business success. It is our dedication and excellence that creates added value, competitive advantage and economic development – ultimately shaping the supply chain audit industry and building a more responsible future for society.

We are a founding member of the APSCA initiative. APSCA is the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors. This organization was created to increase the value and effectiveness of independent social audits by defining and verifying the qualifications of auditors. Many companies and audit initiatives only recognize audits that have been conducted by APSCA-certified auditors. As a matter of policy, TÜV Rheinland only conducts social audits with APSCA auditors. APSCA requires a compliance audit fee of USD 15 per audit, which we invoice on behalf of APSCA.