Supplier ESG Audit Burden & Improvement Survey

Welcome to the Supplier ESG Audit Experience Survey. This survey explores the operational effort and challenges your organization faces during customer-requested ESG audits. Your responses will help identify practical improvements to the audit process. • Participation is voluntary and you may stop at any time. • There are no right or wrong answers — we are interested in your honest experience. • All responses are confidential and will be reported in aggregate only. • Estimated completion time: 6–8 minutes. Please proceed to begin.

In the last 12 months, has your organization completed any customer-requested ESG supplier audits?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

What are the main reasons your organization has not completed a customer-requested ESG audit in the last 12 months? (Select all that apply.)

• Customers have not requested audits
• Limited internal resources
• Unclear audit requirements
• Costs or fees are a concern
• ESG data not readily available
• Low perceived value of audits
• Audit is in progress but not yet completed
• Other

Approximately how many customer-requested ESG audits did your organization complete in the last 12 months? (Include on-site, remote, and hybrid.)

• 1
• 2–3
• 4–6
• 7–10
• More than 10

Which audit formats did your organization complete in the last 12 months? (Select all that apply.)

• On-site assessments
• Remote/virtual audits
• Document-only reviews
• Hybrid (mix of on-site and remote)
• Other

Approximately how many internal person-hours did a typical customer ESG audit require from start to finish?

• Fewer than 10
• 10–24
• 25–49
• 50–99
• 100–199
• 200 or more
• Not sure

How burdensome was the preparation and document collection phase of a typical audit?

How burdensome was the on-site or remote assessment phase of a typical audit?

How burdensome was the corrective action and response phase of a typical audit?

How burdensome was the final reporting and close-out phase of a typical audit?

Which systems or sources did your organization use to provide ESG data during audits? (Select all that apply.)

• ERP system
• EHS/HSE management system
• Customer supplier portal(s)
• Spreadsheets
• Third-party ESG platforms (e.g., EcoVadis, Sedex)
• Manual/paper records
• Other

To what extent did different customers' audit requests overlap in the information or evidence they required?

Which ESG standards or frameworks were most frequently referenced in your customers' audit requests? (Select all that apply.)

• ISO 14001
• ISO 45001
• SA8000
• SMETA/Sedex
• RBA Code of Conduct
• GRI Standards
• SASB/ISSB
• CDP
• Not sure
• Other

Overall, how valuable are customer-requested ESG audits to your organization?

How likely are you to recommend that your organization continue participating in customer ESG audits?

Please rank the following improvements by how much they would reduce your audit burden. (Drag to reorder; top = most helpful.)

1. Fewer unique questionnaires across customers
2. Standardized evidence library accepted by multiple customers
3. Pre-assessment to scope effort in advance
4. Clear lead times and schedules from customers
5. Shared acceptance of audit results across customers
6. Digital integration (APIs/portals) for data submission

What single change would most improve the ESG audit experience for your team?

Based on your survey responses, please share more about your ESG audit experience. Our AI moderator will ask a couple of brief follow-up questions.

Which of the following best describes your primary role?

• Operations/Plant management
• Supply chain/Procurement
• Quality
• EHS/HSE
• Sustainability/ESG
• Compliance/Legal
• Executive/General management
• Other

How many employees does your organization have in total?

• 1–49
• 50–249
• 250–999
• 1,000–4,999
• 5,000–9,999
• 10,000+

In which region is your organization's main facility located?

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• Latin America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• North America
• Oceania

Which manufacturing sector best describes your organization?

• Automotive
• Electronics
• Industrial equipment
• Chemicals
• Consumer goods
• Food & beverage
• Textiles/Apparel
• Pharma/Biotech
• Other

How many production sites does your organization operate?

• 1
• 2–3
• 4–6
• 7–10
• More than 10

How many years has your organization been involved in supplier audits or ESG reporting?

• Less than 1
• 1–2
• 3–5
• 6–10
• More than 10

Thank you for your time and insights. Your responses are confidential and will be used in aggregate to help improve future ESG audit requests and processes.