SAQ training is aimed at suppliers that have received a sustainability self-assessment request from their automotive OEM customers.
SAQ (Sustainability Self-Assessment Questionnaire) is a standard self-assessment question set developed for the automotive sector. It was developed by the Drive Sustainability initiative and is used jointly by many OEMs. The question set is delivered by the service provider NQC Ltd. via the supplierassurance.com platform.
At the Volkswagen Group this assessment is run under the name S-Rating, and it has a direct commercial consequence: for the relevant supply volumes, a positive S-Rating is a precondition of the business relationship. A negative result can go as far as new business not being awarded.
This training addresses the logic of the question set, the evidence expectations and the minimum requirements needed for a positive result, in a hands-on way.
How do SAQ and S-Rating work?
The assessment is location-based. The assessment is not carried out for the organization as a whole, but for the production site or the location where the last value-adding process takes place. At multi-site organizations, each location is assessed separately.
Evidence is mandatory. SAQ is a document-based assessment; the answers given to the questions are expected to be supported by uploaded documents. A statement on its own is not sufficient.
Verification is carried out by an independent party. NQC reviews the uploaded documents and evaluates the accuracy of the answers.
The minimum requirements are a separate gate. There are minimum requirements that are expected to be met independently of the total score; a positive result cannot be obtained without meeting them.
An on-site check follows in high-risk cases. An on-site check may be carried out at locations seen to have a high risk profile. Even when an on-site check is carried out, the SAQ result retains its validity in the assessment.
The result can be improved. Outside the verification stage, answers can be updated; improvement is possible after an on-site check through a corrective action plan.
One questionnaire, multiple customers
The most practical aspect of SAQ is that it is a common question set. Many OEMs work through the same platform, and a supplier can fill in the questionnaire once and share the result with different buyers.
This means a properly prepared SAQ meets not just a single customer’s request but also other requests that will come in the future. The reverse is equally true: a poorly prepared SAQ creates a problem simultaneously with more than one customer.
Who should attend?
- Quality and sustainability officers at manufacturers operating in the automotive supply chain
- Project teams that have received an SAQ invitation and will run the process
- Management system officers working within the scope of IATF 16949
- Human resources, occupational health and safety, and environmental officers
- Purchasing and sub-tier supplier management teams
- Ethics and compliance officers
- SQA/SQD teams managing supplier sustainability on the OEM side
Training Content
Framework and stakeholders
- The Drive Sustainability initiative and the logic of the common question set
- The role of NQC Ltd. and the supplierassurance.com platform
- The place of S-Rating in the Volkswagen Group purchasing process
- The Business Partner Code of Conduct and contractual bindingness
- The regulatory background behind the request: supply chain due diligence obligations
The headings of the question set
- Human rights and working conditions
- Health and safety
- Environmental management and environmental performance
- Business ethics and anti-corruption
- Supplier management and cascading requirements to the sub-tier
- Responsibility in raw material sourcing and critical raw materials
Minimum requirements and the scoring logic
- The nature of the minimum requirements and their importance for a positive result
- Weighting of the questions and how the result is formed
- The effect of a missing or rejected document on the result
- Reading the result statuses
Evidence management
- The document types expected for each question heading
- The distinction between policy, procedure, record and certificate
- Using existing IATF 16949, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and SA 8000 records
- Document currency, scope and language requirements
- The path to follow for rejected documents
Process management on the platform
- DUNS number and location matching
- Preventing duplicate records
- Submitting for verification and the verification stage
- Sharing the result with customers
- Update and renewal management
Preparing for an on-site check
- The logic of what triggers an on-site check
- Field expectations and frequently encountered findings
- Preparing and verifying the corrective action plan
Practical exercises
Participants match evidence against sample questions, assess the adequacy of their existing document sets and build a gap list. In in-house programmes the work is carried out using your own records.
Learning Outcomes
- Grasping the SAQ question set and the S-Rating process end to end
- Identifying the minimum requirements and assessing whether they are met
- Selecting the right evidence for each question and identifying gaps
- Linking existing management system records to the assessment
- Running the process on the platform without errors
- Preparing for an on-site check and the corrective action process
Duration and Participation Options
Duration: 1 day in open-enrolment programmes. In in-house programmes, planned as 1–2 days including a review of the existing records.
Level: Practitioner.
Participation type: Open enrolment or in-house. Group briefing programmes for OEMs and large suppliers, aimed at their own suppliers, can be arranged.
Training method: In person, live online, on-demand recording.
Dates: Set according to demand.
Certificate of Attendance
Participants who complete the training receive a certificate of attendance.
Note: Norma Systems is an independent training and consulting organization; it is not an authorized representative or approved training provider of NQC Ltd., Drive Sustainability or the Volkswagen Group. This programme is an independent training prepared for the purpose of preparing for the SAQ and S-Rating process.
- EcoVadis Preparation Training
- SA 8000 Social Accountability Management System Training
- IATF 16949 Training
- VDA 6.3 Process Audit Training
- CQI-19 Sub-Tier Supplier Management Training
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Training
Beyond Training: Implementation Support
- Current-state and gap analysis based on the SAQ question set
- Assessing whether the minimum requirements are met
- Preparing the missing policies and procedures
- Building the evidence file on a per-location basis
- Support for process management on the platform
- Preparation before an on-site check and corrective action follow-up
For details, see our EcoVadis / SAQ S-Rating Corporate Preparation Consulting page.
Frequently Asked Questions About SAQ and S-Rating
Does SAQ only apply to Volkswagen? No. SAQ is a common question set developed under the Drive Sustainability initiative and is used by many OEMs. S-Rating is the name the Volkswagen Group gives to this assessment.
Do we need to fill in the questionnaire separately for each customer? No. An SAQ completed on the common platform allows the result to be shared with different buyers. This removes duplicate work.
Is the assessment company-wide or site-based? It is location-based. If you have more than one production site, a separate assessment applies to each.
Is registering on the platform paid? Registering on the platform and filling in the questionnaire are not charged to the supplier. The cost of the process arises on the side of completing missing documentation.
What happens if the result is negative? A positive S-Rating is a precondition of the business relationship for the relevant supply volumes; a negative result can prevent new business from being awarded. The result can be updated by improving the answers and evidence.
Is an on-site check carried out at every supplier? No. An on-site check comes up in cases seen to have a high risk profile. Even when carried out, the SAQ result retains its validity in the assessment.
We have an IATF certificate — are we exempt from SAQ? No. IATF 16949 is a quality management system certificate; SAQ assesses sustainability performance. Your existing certificates can be used as evidence but do not replace it.
Are firms below a certain number of employees out of scope? In practice, an exception assessment can be made for locations below a certain employee-count threshold. You need to get confirmation from your customer’s sustainability unit for your own situation.