Achilles’ Supplier assessment is unrivalled in its thoroughness and has helped Buyers procure with confidence for over 30 years. The Achilles Sustainability Score distils this assessment to allow easy Supplier comparison and risk tracking. The score comprises environmental, social and governance (ESG) pillars, in addition to financial. It is accompanied by a dedicated Health & Safety risk dial.
Consistent approach, rigorous assessment
The Achilles Sustainability Score drives continuous improvement by displaying a scorecard for each of the four pillars we assess against. This allows Buyers to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, while Suppliers can understand where they need to improve. As a risk-based procurement tool, the score enables Buyers to better understand their supply chain risk, improve ESG performance within their own business and bolster due diligence activities.
The Achilles Sustainability Score algorithms have been developed by Achilles’ data scientists and have been tested on over 50,000 Suppliers. Our industry experts and network partners continuously assess our scoring methodology and its outputs against internationally-recognised frameworks.
Interpreting the Achilles Score
Companies with Excellent scores of 81+ are in the top 85% of all Suppliers in Achilles’ networks. Companies with a score of 61-80 are classed as Good and are generally above average. A score of 45 or below would indicate that we would strongly encourage Buyers to investigate. The Supplier may require improvement and active engagement from Buyers. In all cases, Achilles seeks to empower companies by providing clear examples of ways scores can be improved.
Scoring Metrics
The Achilles Sustainability Score has four pillars. There is also a dedicated Health & Safety risk dial.
- Environmental
- Social
- Governance
- Financial
Each pillar is scored between 0 (high risk) and 100 (low risk). The overall score is calculated by taking the average of all scored pillars for that company.
Companies only receive an Achilles Sustainability Score where sufficient data has been provided. This varies according to their level of subscription. Companies subscribed to the Achilles Silver, Silver+ or Gold tier of at least one network will receive a score. Suppliers with lower-level packages who have added detailed carbon and/or transparency and due diligence products can also be scored.
Health and Safety performance influences the Social and Governance pillars. However, we also provide a dedicated view of Health and Safety via the separate risk dial. This takes into account factors such as accidents, fatalities, near misses, health and safety convictions and improvement notices, policies, documentation, management systems, and other processes. It also includes adherence to standards such as ISO 45001.
Score Methodology
A high volume of data points collected via the Supplier questionnaire are used to calculate the score for each pillar. Defined rules determine how much each Supplier response subtracts from a ‘perfect score’.
Evidence of a high level of compliance, such as a certified management system or valid insurance policies will drive a strong score. Where data provided by a company has expired, there will be a deduction due to the greater potential risk. The same is true if no evidence is provided.
NB: Scores are unaffected by questions and evidence expiry dates where a company has not been asked, or where a question is optional.
Sub-Data Scoring Example
The Financial Score
The financial score is primarily driven by third-party credit scores and ratings gathered through API integrations. Where these ratings are on a restricted scale (e.g. four points), Achilles incorporates analysis of key financial ratios to provide a more refined picture. In the absence of third-party credit information, the financial score is calculated directly from financial ratios.
Scoring Functionality
The Achilles Sustainability Score is available to all users via the Supplier Profile. For Buyers, this is accessed by clicking on companies you find in Supplier Search. For Suppliers, their own Profile is available from the main menu. The overall score is shown in the circular dial on the left, and the four pillars in the bars on the right. For each there is a parallel grey line that shows the average scores for Achilles Suppliers. The colour of each score’s bar reflects the associated rating range (see chart above).
Click on a pillar bar to see the scorecard of strengths and weaknesses identified for each. Tabs allow you to filter by type.
Buyers can also access the Achilles Sustainability Score in Supplier Search and in Analytics. In Search, switch to Table View and select the Achilles Score column under the settings cog. This allows you to download the score for multiple Suppliers into an Excel.
In Analytics, the score is shown in the main Buyer dashboards. Click on Score Alerts to see which Supplier scores have changed recently. There is also a detailed scoring dashboard allowing you to see more detail about the individual components and trends over time.
Continuous Improvement
The Achilles Sustainability Score facilitates continual improvement by identifying specific risk areas and opportunities for development that both Buyer and Suppliers may wish to act upon. Where improvements have been implemented, these will directly impact the score of a company.
Upgrade assurance levels: By opting for a higher level of assurance, Suppliers will undergo closer scrutiny from Achilles and can become eligible for higher scores. Upgraded assurance ranges from additional data points in their questionnaire to in-person audits. Buyers can contact Suppliers directly through the Achilles system to encourage them to upgrade.
Act on identified weaknesses: Suppliers will see the areas for improvement behind their score and will be incentivised to address these. Buyers can assist by highlighting the areas they would like to see improved. Documentation gaps are highlighted in the Supplier Profile.
Non-Conformance functionality: For Suppliers undergoing audits, Achilles offers a non-conformance workflow, where issues raised in the audit are highlighted and Suppliers are invited to propose Corrective Action Plans to resolve them. The functionality allows Buyers to track Suppliers’ progress in real time. To understand more about this and to find out which audits offer this workflow, please contact your Account Manager.
Custom Scoring Methodologies
In addition to the Achilles Sustainability Score, we offer buying organisations and entire Networks the ability to configure their own bespoke scoring. Scoring algorithms are developed in conjunction with Achilles, drawing on the full range of data we hold for Suppliers across our Networks, including Buyer Specific Questions. The Achilles Sustainability Score and its framework can be used as part of a custom scoring methodology.
Presentation of custom scoring follows the same model as the Achilles Sustainability Score, with an overall rating and bespoke scoring components. If you are in a Buyer organisation and interested in adding custom scoring, please speak to your Account Manager.
Trust and Transparency
The Achilles Sustainability Score is underpinned by vast quantities of individual company data points, collected from thousands of companies within our networks. All data is painstakingly collected and thoroughly validated prior to its publication. Achilles employs dedicated Data Validation Teams that scrutinise data submitted by companies. Our systems and Data Validation Teams actively alert companies where specific documents or evidence is due to expire. Our Data Science Department runs continuous analysis of our datasets to identify trend outliers or reporting anomalies.
For over three decades The Achilles questionnaire has been carefully refined in conjunction with industry experts to ensure that the data collected is precise and relevant to the needs of our customers. Questionnaire content is automatically tailored based on a range of sector and supply chain characteristics; one size cannot fit all.
Our expertise in different sectors is bolstered by the long-standing Community Network Model. This close partnership with key industry bodies, buying organisations and international experts enhances our ability to develop questionnaire and assessment approaches, and to manage relationships within the supply chain.