The Indirect SAQ is a Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Indirect Suppliers. Indirect suppliers are those companies or entities that provide goods or services to RBA member companies but are not directly involved in the manufacturing or production process. 

These suppliers may include providers of components, materials, logistics, or other support services that contribute to the overall supply chain of RBA member companies. Indirect suppliers play an essential role in the supply chain ecosystem and can impact RBA member companies' social, environmental, and ethical performance. A service provider could be a Security guard, waste disposal company, cafeteria operator, cleaning service, landscaper, or safety equipment provider.

A supplier is considered a member's Major Indirect Spend Supplier if it is ranked within the top 80 percent of indirect suppliers by indirect spending and contracted to provide service or material not intended for a member's finished goods. 

Who Can Initiate the Survey?

The Indirect SAQ is available as a survey for RBA Members to deploy to suppliers’ facilities registered in RBA-Online. To deploy a survey, the supplier must first be registered in RBA-Online and establish a trading relationship with their customer. 

RBA members in the Regular or Full category must complete an SAQ for all major indirect spend suppliers identified as high-risk according to the member’s risk assessment. The Indirect Spend SAQ has been created to help members meet this requirement.

How to Complete the Indirect SAQ?

If you are an indirect supplier to an RBA member company, you may receive an Indirect SAQ from your customer. The questionnaire will address several topics related to social, environmental, and ethical performance. You will be required to provide information about your company, its policies, procedures, and performance concerning these topics. The questionnaire may also include requests for supporting documentation or evidence to verify your responses.

It is important to complete the Indirect SAQ accurately and honestly. The RBA member company will use your responses to assess the social, environmental, and ethical performance of its supply chain. If you have any questions about the questionnaire or need assistance in completing it, please contact the RBA Help Desk. 

How to Claim the Indirect SAQ:

To claim the Indirect SAQ, please follow the steps below:

1. Log in to RBA Online and locate the Available/Pending tasks on the main page. You can find this by either clicking on the bell icon at the top of the page or scrolling to the bottom of the main page. 

2. Once you have found the Available/Pending tasks, look for the Indirect SAQ and claim it by following the instructions as shown in the image below.

Next choose to ‘Approve’ or ‘Decline’ the questionnaire and provide a reason before hitting submit

Click ‘Yes’ to confirm submission.

How to Answer the Indirect SAQ Questions

log on to RBA Online and on the left, find my SAQs and select ‘Indirect Spend’

Next, look to the right and locate the most recent Indirect SAQ questionnaire. Click on Options on the right and then select Edit to start providing answers to your questions. 

On the following page, you will notice three distinct tabs prominently displayed. These tabs include: the Score Card, the Risk Questions, and the Control Questions. 

To begin navigating through the questionnaire, please click on the tab labeled 'Risk Questions.' This selection will provide you with essential information and considerations regarding potential risks that may need to be addressed.

Once on this page, you can start answering the questions directly within the platform. However, we recommend that you click the save button at the bottom of the page every 3-5 minutes to ensure your answers remain saved. Alternatively, you can choose to press the Download to Excel button. This will download the questionnaire in Excel format. 

Find the file in your Downloads folder and open the Excel file. Next, click on Enable Editing and enter the questions' answers in the appropriate cells. The Risk SAQ is a dynamic questionnaire that may update questions based on the answers provided. 

To ensure that no errors occur during the upload of this file, avoid adding special characters or modifying the file. Once all the answers are provided, save the file and prepare to upload it to RBA Online. Once back on RBA Online click on “Upload from Excel”

Next, click "Yes" on the confirmation pop-up message that will appear afterward.

Then, click " Upload a File " in the next window." This will help you locate the file you saved earlier.

You can confirm that the file has been uploaded because the file name will be shown in the window, as illustrated in the image below:

Click on Close to return to RBA Online. Review the Risk Questions tabs and ensure that all have been answered thoroughly. The last step is to click on Release to finish the process for the Risk questions. Once that’s done, repeat the same process with the Control Questions. 

Email Support:

HelpDesk@ResponsibleBusiness.org