Together for Sustainability (TfS) | Assessments with DQS

TfS audit as proof of your CSR activities

Do you want to supply chemical companies that are members of the Together for Sustainability (TfS) initiative? Then you may have to undergo a TfS audit. The requirements of the audit catalog are based on uniform assessment criteria relating to management and environmental aspects, occupational health and safety, employee and human rights, and responsible corporate governance.

Secure market access as a supplier to the chemical industry

Mutual recognition of the audit results of all members

Neutral recording and evaluation of your sustainability activities

Systematic further development of your sustainability performance

Together for Sustainability - What is it?

The Together for Sustainability (TfS) initiative was launched in 2011 by the six chemical companies BASF, Bayer, Evonik Industries, Henkel, LANXESS and Solvay. The goal of the founders was to make the awareness and actions of their suppliers within the entire supply chain transparent with regard to sustainability and to continuously improve them.

Any company in the chemical industry can become a member of the TfS initiative. As a supplier to a TfS member company, you can be asked by the company to participate in an online self-disclosure via the EcoVadis platform and/or in a TfS audit according to a catalog of requirements developed specifically for suppliers to the chemical industry.

The procedure is based on a checklist or audit format with a total of 120 requirements. The focus is on process safety and occupational health and safety. The audits are carried out exclusively by TfS-accredited certifiers such as DQS.

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Why does Together for Sustainability (TfS) make sense for your company?

The TfS assessment enables TfS member companies to evaluate their suppliers' performance throughout the supply chain in the areas of environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. This drives and implements tangible, measurable improvements in supplier performance, as well as their own sustainability performance.

To be eligible to bid, the potential supplier must be listed with TfS and have a Supplier ID.

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What is the process of a TfS audit?

As a supplier of a TfS member company, you may be invited by the company to participate in an online self-disclosure via the EcoVadis platform and/or in a TfS audit by an accredited certifier.

In the next step, you will exchange information with us as your certifier about the requirements of a TfS certification. Based on these discussions, you will receive an individual offer tailored to the needs of your company.

Prior to the audit, the potential supplier must receive a supplier ID from his customer and TfS member and agree in writing to the audit results being passed on to the TFS members. In the TFS audit, your on-site DQS auditor evaluates the implementation of the requirements based on the TFS checklist. The audit result may also result in a Corrective Action Plan. (Major) nonconformities must be tracked. The requirements catalog covers the topics of management processes, environment, occupational health and safety, employee and human rights, and governance.

The audit results are then uploaded to the TfS OASIS platform and are valid for a maximum of three years. With your approval, the audit result is made available to all TfS members. The audit result is recognized by all TfS members. This process prevents another TfS audit within the valid period by another TfS member.

What does a TfS audit cost?

The cost is set by TfS and is based on the number of employees in the organization. Sites must always be audited individually. We will be happy to provide you with an individual quote.

What you can expect from us

Only four certification bodies worldwide are approved for TfS assessment - DQS is one of them.
Decades of experience and competence in all industries
Meaningful audit reports include recommendations for action
International presence, local service

Personal, smooth support by our specialists - regionally, nationally and internationally
Individual offers with flexible contract terms without hidden costs

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