What is the Context of this First Pilot?
Since March 2021, we have been redesigning most of the features of amfori BEPI, in close partnership with a task force of 13 amfori members . The first major change is the introduction of a Risk Assessment tool that provides an environmental risk profile per production site, to support members in choosing the most relevant Improvement Activities. This Risk Assessment replaces the current amfori BEPI Self-Assessment-Questionnaire (SAQ) and required extensive IT development over the past 6 months. Now that these features are available, we are conducting a pilot with 10 committed members and 40 of their Business Partners in Bangladesh and China. They will use features already available in the Risk Assessment and provide their feedback. This approach helps us to minimise the risks and maximise the benefits for our members’ businesses.
What are we Testing with this First Pilot ?
The pilot is using the following features:
Site profile which allows Business Partners to add environmental information related to their site(s), such as their water stress situation, NACE Classification, and Product Process information. This data is essential for configuring the Risk Assessment and maximizing its relevance for the assessed site(s).
Risk Assessment for BEPI: This involves the Risk Assessment Questionnaire (RAQ) being configured and completed by the Business Partner as soon as the Member activates the questionnaire. The RAQ consists of 8 Performance Areas covering topics such as Energy & Climate, Waste, Water and Wastewater, etc. For this first pilot, the Business Partners will only be asked to fill in the PAs (Performance Areas) related to their profile. This will reduce the burden on the factory and ensure higher quality data! The BP will be able to complete the questionnaire and receive a score ranging from low to extreme risk for each Performance Area, so that the member knows which environmental areas to focus their Improvement Activities on.
Another important aspect is that the Risk Assessment Results are available to both BEPI and BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) users. In short, even if BSCI members do not participate in BEPI, they can still consult of the Environmental Risk Assessment results.
From a content point of viewt, the pilot will show us whether Business Partners feel comfortable filling in their profile and answering the new Risk Assessment questionnaire based on our guidance.
All this is possible thanks to the great contribution of the participating Members and Business Partners, and thanks to the great support of the amfori teams in Greater China and Bangladesh who train and help the Business Partners throughout the pilot.
What Comes Next ?
As this first pilot takes place from March to May 2022, IT development will continue with, for example, the display of the site’s Environmental Risk Profile on the sustainability platform, or more flexibility for members to determine the scope of the assessment. All these features will be tested in Q3 of 2022 through a second pilot involving the same members and Business Partners. The Improvement Activities, such as the Environmental Monitoring (on-site audit) will then be implemented so that the full amfori BEPI is operational on the sustainability platform by the end of 2022.
For a quick overview of what the new amfori BEPI will bring, please watch our new short video.