Audit methodology
SMETA is Sedex's widely used social audit methodology, designed to structure how labor, health and safety, environment, and business ethics issues are reviewed.
SMETA is an audit methodology rather than a certification standard. It gives auditors and companies a shared way to review sites against common social compliance themes.
The method is closely associated with Sedex and is used widely across consumer, retail, and apparel supply chains because many buyers recognize the format and terminology.
Teams encounter SMETA constantly in supplier programs, customer requests, and third-party audit portfolios, so understanding what it does and does not prove saves time.
It matters operationally because the methodology influences how findings are framed, what evidence is collected, and how remediation plans are written.
Teams often talk about a 'SMETA-certified factory,' but SMETA is an audit methodology, not a certification regime.
A SMETA audit can be useful, but it does not by itself demonstrate a mature management system or sustained worker outcomes.
The presence of a SMETA report says more about one review event than about overall program maturity.
Sources
SMETA Audit Overview
Sedex · methodology
Used here for how SMETA describes audit scope, records review, worker interviews, findings, and corrective action plan (CAP) follow-up.
OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct
OECD · guidance
OECD's core guidance on how companies identify risk, prioritize, respond, track follow-up, and communicate what changed.
