Speeki Trust™

A targeted background check for suppliers focused on ESG and sustainability.

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Speeki Trust™ is an independent background check sourced from public research on a supplier's ESG and sustainability credentials.

New legislation in Europe and around the World expects you to conduct detailed due diligence on your suppliers with respect to several key ESG and sustainability risks.

Speeki Trust™ is a background check solution. It is part of the suite of products that makes up Speeki's solutions for supply chain selection, qualification and due diligence. Speeki Trust™ is designed only for suppliers. It is targeted at suppliers as opposed to other, more common due diligence targets: channel partners and distributors. Our focus on suppliers allow us to target our research into what matters for you.

What is Speeki Trust™?

Speeki Trust™ is a background check solution that will form part of your supplier qualification and due diligence.

Unlike most products in the market, the Speeki Trust™ research is targeted according to your instructions. You tell our team where across the ESG and sustainability areas you want us to focus. If you used other Speeki products like Speeki Path™ or Speeki Qualify™ you will easily be able to give those instructions because you will already know the areas that need to be focused for that specific supplier.

Is Speeki Trust™ a database check?

Speeki Trust™ is research based due diligence. It is far more than a simple database check.

Humans, combined with some research support from generative Ai, conduct research on a named supplier across up to 5 of 19 key risks areas within ESG and sustainability. The research spans from incorporation and corporate governance confirmation, financial, traditional and social media, online litigation or regulatory enforcement as well as identified previous issues of concern.

Our research is conducted in any country, delivered in a PDF report within 3 days of kick-off for a set fee.

Each Speeki Trust™ report comes with a three part trust barometer.

Data
trust barometer

When doing our research we form a view on the data available for this supplier. Did we expect more? Was it light? Was it complete and accurate?

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  • e.g For a company of this size, industry, and maturity the data available on ESG and sustainability was weak.

  • Only limited ESG and sustainability data was found which suggests to us wither low regulatory requirements, a relaxed view on compliance or value of ESG.

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Transparency trust
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We consider how transparent the supplier is about ESG and sustainability. This gives us a baramoeter on importance and focus.

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  • e.g The supplier had a very simple code of conduct on their website that was basic, only covered a few areas and lacked substance.

  • The annual report of the company did not discuss non-financial information and lacked any reporting on ESG and sustainability or key metrics.

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Engagement trust
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We look for active engagement with their stakeholders. We search for evidence of ESG and sustainability engagement.

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  • e.g The company discusses its stakeholders on its website and communicates key messaging.

  • The supplier was interviewed as part of its membership of a government working group on sustainability.

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Speeki Trust™ background checks can cover any of the key 19 risk areas within ESG and sustainability.

Bribery and corruption

Failure to manage bribery and corruption risks can lead to significant consequences, such as large fines, reputational damage, and internal and external investigations – just to name a few. Research as part of Speeki Trust™ will search for evidence of illegal conduct, engagement in bribery allegations or a propensity to do so.

Whistleblowing

Failure to support whistleblowing may lead debarments from public procurement in certain countries. A Speeki Trust™ due diligence engagement will check to see if the supplier has such a programme and see whether it is effective.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Failure to manage diversity, equity and inclusion risks can lead to reputational damage and difficulty in hiring and retaining staff. With a Speeki Trust™ engagement, your supplier will be reviewed to see what public information exists about their employment practices, approach to diversity and any key practices they have in place which can be accessed.

Human rights and modern-day slavery

Failure to manage human rights risks can lead to reputational damage, significant fines, debarments from public procurement, and internal and external investigations. The Speeki Trust™ reports assesses the risk of such activity and searches for any public evidence of employee mistreatment, employment issues, allegations of workplace or employee harassment, as well as positive signs that the company promotes human rights and takes steps to avoid modern-day slavery.

Compliance

Effective compliance programmes protect business and the return on investment could be significant, helping to avoid waste, fraud, abuse, discrimination, and many other practices that disrupt operations and put a company at risk. A Speeki Trust™ research project looks to see how the company has adopted compliance. We look for evidence of a compliance culture and see how the company uses compliance to reduce their own risks.

Supply chain and partner management

Supply chain and partner management is essential for the efficient and sustainable running of any business that uses third parties to either source or distribute its products and services. Your supplier also has suppliers and a Speeki Trust™ engagement can look for evidence that they actively manage supply chain issues that deliver value for all stakeholders, including you.

Health and safety

A lack of consideration for health and safety can increase absenteeism and negligence claims, affecting workplace productivity and morale.  It may also lead to a supplier's inability to produce you with products and services. With a Speeki Trust™ research engagement we search for evidence of health and safety issues and the steps that the supplier is taking to identify risks in their health and safety programme and how they demonstrate to their customers (including you) how they manage those risks.

Data privacy and information security

The protection and access of an individual’s private data is growing in importance as new international laws come into effect. Your supplier could be handling your private data and that of your customers. Most data leaks happen because of a supplier have a breach. A Speeki Trust™ engagement will search for evidence of recent breaches, gaps or compliance failures.  It will look for what evidence exists that the supplier has a data protection and information security programme and gain insight into both the technical and legal aspects of how they are managing privacy and data security.

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Environmental

  • Climate Stability
  • Natural Resources
  • Waste Management
  • Energy Innovation
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Social

  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Human Rights and Modern-Day Slavery
  • Health and Safety
  • Data Privacy and Information Security
  • Society
  • Supply Chain and Partner Management
  • Human Capital Management
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Governance

  • Compliance
  • Corporate Governance
  • Bribery and Corruption
  • Whistleblowing
  • Transparency
  • Risk Management
  • Board
  • Ethics and Integrity

Using Speeki Trust™ as your background check solution brings enormous value to your qualification process.

Using Speeki Trust™ adds significant value to your qualification and due diligence process. The following are some of the key elements of Speeki Trust™ that sets Speeki apart from other background check companies.

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Objectivity and credibility

Your Speeki team is objective, independent and comes from a long line of background check and due diligence experience. Lead by two of the best known leaders in the industry.

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Expertise and experience

We are experts in ESG and supplier due diligence. The Speeki Trust™ solution is one that is substantive and substance over form, allowing your team to focus on other matters.

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Resource management

We focus on timely delivery of our work and strive to exceed our stated time guidance. We manage these issues closely and report out to clients during regular reviews.

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Speed and Quality

Our committment to quality is certain. We demand our teams deliver the best posisbel research reports available. Speeki Trust™ reports should give you value and certainly.

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Trust Barometers

Speeki Trust™ includes some indicators in the form of barometers in our reports. It gives you perspective on our research depth and availability and accuracy of data.

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Relevance of research

Speeki Trust™ is focused on suppliers and a wide array of ESG and sustainability risks. Our research and reporting is always relevant and we strive to produce actionable insights.

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Our Focus

Our focus at Speeki is that every Speeki Trust™ report should provide you with essential information you need to make a decision on your supplier. Our focus is your focus. Building a strong supply chain that reflects your ESG and sustainability position.

What you can do with the Speeki Trust™ reports

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    Demonstrate to all your stakeholders the tangible commitment you have made to mitigating governance, compliance, and ESG-related risks in yur supply chain.

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    The barometers provided in the Speeki Trust™ reports, give additional guidance on the market and the supplier. It helps to give perspective to the data identified and how it relates to the particular supplier.

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    Evidence that your due diligence included a relevant review of public sources testing your suppliers' ESG initiatives and governance.

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    Use the Speeki Trust™ reports as a input to your negotiations with the supplier and how it may help drive better cost or performance from the suppliers.

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    Prove to your suppliers that they have met the expectations of being your supplier.

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    Analysis and summary that explain what your results mean for your understanding and for the understanding of your stakeholders.

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    Use the results of the Speeki Trust™ reports as an input to your contracting and audit process. Results of Speeki Trust™ can feed directly into Speeki OnBoard™ and Speeki Partner Integrity™ solutions.

Key Features of your Speeki Trust™ reports

  • On time Delivery

    We take our role seriously as a key part of your supplier qualification and on-boarding. We aim to deliver within three (3) business days form clear instructions and we commit to updating you if we see any delays.

  • Simple language and clear guidance

    While we always aim to have simple language, we also aim to give clear guidance. We do not see Speeki Trust™ as just a research paper with findings, it is a report with guidance and recommendations.

  • Simple to Read

    We aim to produce reports that are easy to read by anyone, anytime. No legal complexity, minimal disclaimers and no complex answers.

  • Targeted areas to focus

    Select one or up to 5 of the currently-available topics to focus our research. With more topics to come to address 19 ESG risk areas, we are always focused on the research that gives you the most informed guidance.

  • Collaborate internally and with your supplier

    While we keep the intellectual property in our Speeki Trust™ research reports, we allow you to share them internally and with your supplier. It is important to share this reporting with your supplier at your discretion.

  • Get your trust barometers

    We include three indicators in our Speeki Trust™ reports that help give you our perspective on the data we are reviewing and our views on what it is saying. Use these included barometers to help give perspective.

  • Easy follow-up and questions

    If something is unclear in your Speeki Trust™ report, or you need a quick follow up call to explain something, we can quickly schedule a call to walk through our findings.

  • Easily step into Speeki OnBoard™

    Based on the findings in our Speeki Trust™ report, we can easily provide contractual provisions as part of our Speeki OnBoard™ solutions. Speeki OnBoard™ gives you contractual addendums that requires suppliers to take certain steps in accordance with the risks identified in the Speeki Trust™ reports and the result of any Speeki Qualify™ assessments.

The benefits of a background check vs. a simple database or internet search.

Most internet searches done internally lack language checks.

If you have a large research team and they speak all available languages, then great. Most companies don't have this capacity. Research needs to be done in the local language of the location in which the supplier mostly operates.

Local knowledge researchers add value

Our researchers are trained on research. They know where to look what to focus on and how to digest large amounts of information. They invest the time in chasing down leads and know where to find information in certain countries. They also know when to stop and look at alternative branches of research.

Databases normally cover money landering and PEP's

There is no such thing as a 'ESG and sustainability database'. There are databases to check for known money launderers, people under sanction and politically exposed persons. However, these databases are highly unlikely to help with ESG and sustainability issues. Rely on them at your peril.

Some research sources are only available to specialists.

In some countries to conduct a litigation search, you need to be a lawyer. In other countries, conducting live searches of the corporate companies office can only be done by registered people. The research team are in the right places with the right skills.

Access to multiple sources

Managing some research in-house often lacks the multiple sources that a research company can access. Save money in subscribing to multiple systems and leverage the subscriptions of your research company.

Relying on consolidation news sites or databases is risky.

If anything has taught us in the last five years, the media reporting on issues may not always be reliable or free from opinion. Relying on media databases solely for research would be a mistake.

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Speeki Trust™ FAQ's

  • How much information do I need to tell you to kick off a request for a Speeki Trust™ report?

    We don't need a lot of information. Name of the supplier, identification numbers, address and the ESG areas (up to 5) where you want us to focus is normally sufficient.

  • How do you charge for your Speeki Trust™ reports?

    Speeki Trust™ reports are a fixed price. Our clients buy a package of a minimum of 10 reports which are billed and paid upfront. As each Speeki Trust™ rpeort is ordered and delivered, the oustanding package is reduced.

  • Do you have different versions of the Speeki Trust™ reports and is the pricing different in different countries or industries?

    There is only one form of Speeki Trust™ report and the pricing is set per report. The pricing is the same in any country and the price is fixed.

  • How long does it take to deliver a Speeki trust™ report?

    While it is not guaranteed, we aim to deliver reports within three (3) business days in most cases. If there are delays, we will do our best to let you know and provide you with some guidance on expected delivery. Delays are most likely caused by the inability to locate data on the company.

  • Can I share the Speeki Trust™ report with my suppliers?

    Yes. Athough Speeki keeps all of the intellectual property in our Speeki trust™ reports, Speeki provides a licence to use the content of the report for internal purposes which includes sharing with your supplier for their own review.

  • How do we target different risk areas in your research?

    Speeki Trust™ considers 19 different risk areas as part of our ESG and sustainability reports. You get decide for each engagement up to 5 areas of focus. It doesn't mean that we don't look generally at all 19 areas, but we double down on the named 5 areas.

  • Are there any areas or countries where we do not provide reports.

    Yes. There are areas where we might, from time to time, decide not to conduct research and produce Speeki Trust™ reports. This might be due to regulatory restrictions or safety and security reasons. We reserve the right to not accept a request or instruction at our discretion or to provide a reduced version of the report based on the data that we can access legally and safely.

  • Can I order and pay in any currency?

    Speeki Trust™ is a product contracted and delivered by a Speeki subsidiary in Hong Kong, Speeki (Hong Kong) Ltd. That being the case, our currency is HKD, USD or EUR as our principal currencies for contracting and payment.

What information might you obtain from a Speeki Trust™ report?

  • You will be able to confirm ownership, management, and their key locations. You are likely to confirm much of the data you have collected through the RFP or other application process that you use in sourcing.

  • You will be able to see their public position on ESG and sustainability issues. Any public comments, public policies, notes in annual reports or the result of any public investigations. Anywhere where these issues are mentioned and important to report, will be included.

  • Details about awards or other positive actions take by the company will be disclosed which will help to identify the commitment to ESG and sustainability. This might include certifications or other assessments or ratings.

  • You might see public regulatory investigations, charges, allegations or findings of public reports issued by courts or investigative bodies about topics covered by ESG and sustainability. This might include disputes with unions, allegations of executive misconduct, health and safety issues or issues with corruption.

  • Depending on what is available through corporate filings, you may get access to some public financial information.

  • It is also normal to see the social media focus on ESG and sustainability issues. If members of the community, customers, employee or executives discuss issues on social media, they can be identified.

Who in the business can leverage the Speeki Trust™ report?

Supply Chain Management

  • Determine weaknesses in ESG risk areas and see where you have risk in the supply chain

  • Reduce the risk of sustainability related losses through insight-driven improvements to ESG initiatives.

  • Improve the organisation’s reputation by communicating the fact that you are a company with strong, innovative and continuously evolving ESG programmes in your supply chain.

why does your business need a rating?

Content Owners

  • The head of HR can benefit to see that the main suppliers have strong workplace policies and programmes in place. They can have comfort that there is no risk of modern day slavery or reputational issues impacting the company.

  • Legal and compliance will benefit from knowing that their risks of governance, whistleblowing, corruption and other integrity issues are being well managed in the supply chain. They will need to see that the supply chain is well managed with due diligence, contracts and audits of key suppliers to ensure risks are managed.

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ESG Owners and ESG reporting executives

The executives that manage the ESG reports and filings will need to see the collective datasets across the supply chain and include any information from the supply chain in their overall reporting.

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Employees and other stakeholders

Increase feelings of value as a part of a company that has a strong sustainability culture and good governance in addressing ESG risk areas in the supply chain.

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What makes Speeki Trust™ different from other background check providers?

Speeki is a mix of content experts, assurance and audits, technologists and communicators.

We know how best to build systems, programmes, and tools engage people to drive ESG and sustainability solutions. We are focused on building the best solutions for companies to manage supply chain risk in ESG and sustainability.

What makes Speeki different?

How Speeki Trust™ fits in with other Speeki supply chain qualification and due diligence solutions

  • You can request a Speeki Trust™ background check as part of your due diligence efforts at any time. While it is best to do so when you know a little about the role of the supplier so you can target the background check research, it is not always necessary.

  • Knowledge gained from the Speeki Path™ risk assessment on the supplier can help to direct the targeted research in a Speeki Trust™ background check.

  • While the supplier is completing the self disclosed Speeki Qualify™ assessments (would you ask them to complete one or more of these assessments), you can be instructing us to start the Speeki Trust™ background check as this can be in parallel. That way, there is no time lost in sequential work while the supplier is doing their assessments.

  • Once you get all the data from Speeki Qualify™ and the results of the Speeki Trust™ background check report, you have a very strong indicator of their approach to ESG and sustainability. These two sources of data, along with any data the supplier provided you as part of the application or RFP process should be sufficient to make a go/no-go decision with on-boarding.

  • Speeki has other services to help companies draft contract clauses ready to insert into an addendum to contractually require the supplier to meet certain gaps, build certain programmes or establish reporting of their ESG and sustainability efforts. Speeki OnBoard™ is focused on supplying specifically drafted contractual clauses based on the risks identified in the Speeki Qualify™ assessments and Speeki Trust™ reports.

  • Speeki OnBoard™ is an option service that moves the supplier fom being a participant in the due diligence process into being a contracted party. It is building specific contract requirements for the supplier to follow rather than just 'standard boilerplate clauses'.

  • Using the suite of Speeki services in supplier qualification, assessment, onboarding and due diligence will grealy enhance the management of supply chain risk as it applies to ESG and sustainabilty.

  • To learn more, reach out to Speeki business development and sales to set up a meeting to discuss your needs and schedule a workshop.

  • An overview of other Speeki solutions around supply chain qualification and due diligence:

Speeki Path™:

Conduct a near immediate risk assessmet on a specific supplier across all ESG and sustainability risks.

Speeki Qualify™:

Have your supplier complete ready made Speeki Qualify™ assessments where the supplier has to provide Speeki with answers to questions, upload documents and provide evidence of the specific ESG and sustainability risk areas. The supplier receives a scorecard as a result that is valid for one year.

Speeki OnBoard™:

Speeki OnBoard™ creates contract terms that can act as an addendum to your contract with the supplier. These contract terms drafted by Speeki will reflect the risks identified in the Speeki Qualify™ assessments or the Speeki Trust™ background check reports and contractually commit the supplier in agreeing to build porgrammes, fill gaps or deliver reports.

Speeki Partner Integrity™:

Validate compliance with contractual and other requirements with an independent assurance review completed by Speeki.


Reach out to learn more about Speeki Trust™ background checks

Speeki regularly holds workshops with clients to discuss their needs for supplier qualification, assessment, due dilignece and auditing. We are experts are mapping out solutions thatr make sense and add value to your business. Contact us to learn more.

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