Customers want to know that our products are produced safely, responsibly, and ethically. But over the years, I’ve seen how companies assess suppliers evolve, and it’s clear that some methods are more effective than others.
Traditionally, supplier assessments have meant individual questionnaires. Lots of them. To give you some idea, we still receive around a hundred questionnaires each year. Each one is unique, often overlapping with information we’ve already published, sometimes the questions are unclear, and it takes time to figure out what is actually being asked. That’s why we encourage our customers and stakeholders to shift to a more streamlined and transparent approach.
Simplifying the process with Sedex platform
A few years ago, we developed a Responsible Supplier Statement to handle all the incoming requests we received. We already hold several externally verified certificates in quality, environment, food safety, energy, occupational health & safety, and the chain of custody, which provide external proof that we fulfill standardised requirements. It’s a single document that gathers key information about all of our operations, certificates, and policies. It’s designed to answer frequently asked questions clearly and consistently. However, some of our customers require more detailed information on ethical trade for their own assessments than we can provide in a single document. That’s where Sedex comes in.
Sedex is a global platform for managing ethical trade and responsible sourcing. Instead of filling out different questionnaires individually for every customer, we complete one detailed self-assessment on the Sedex platform. Linked customers can access this data at any time, allowing them to review our practices and compare them to other suppliers, without starting from scratch. It’s a more modern way of working, and from my perspective, a much more organised one.
The importance of SMETA audits
On top of the self-assessments, Sedex also offers third-party audits known as SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit). These are on-site audits that verify whether our practices align with ethical and social standards. The audits cover everything from employee welfare and safety to working conditions and compliance with labour laws.
When a SMETA audit takes place, auditors don’t just speak to managers; they dig very deep into the documentation and cover topics such as salaries and working times, and they verify the actual working conditions in the mill. They also randomly select employees at all levels for interviews. Some of the questions can feel a bit odd sometimes in a Finnish context. For example, questions like “Do you still have your passport?” or “Are you allowed to leave the site when you want?” often raise eyebrows here with our employees, but globally, these are important indicators of ethical working conditions. Even if the answers seem obvious to us, the audit provides an external confirmation that we meet expectations. And that assurance matters for our stakeholders.
Regular audits help us stay ahead
We’ve been a member of Sedex for over ten years, and our first SMETA audits date back to 2015. Recently, we’ve started a new audit cycle, targeting one mill per year to keep our data fresh and relevant. So far, we’ve completed new audits at our Kyro and Äänekoski mills, with another planned for this year. Each audit is an opportunity to prove compliance, but also to learn, improve our processes, and demonstrate our commitment to responsible operations.
One of the most common things I try to explain to customers is that using Sedex and trusting external certifications and audits, such as SMETA, isn’t about taking shortcuts, it’s about working smarter.
When a customer uses Sedex, they gain access to our reliable and comprehensive data. They can also compare suppliers using the same set of criteria. And if they want even more assurance, they can review our audit results or request additional documentation.
For our customers, it saves time and ensures consistency. And for everyone, it builds a foundation of trust based on shared standards.