How EcoVadis uses AI technology in its assessment process

As a global leader in business sustainability ratings, EcoVadis leverages machine learning technologies to help tackle the complex sustainability challenges businesses face today. Our approach integrates AI to support our team of sustainability experts in delivering reliable ratings of companies' environmental, social, ethical, and sustainable procurement performance.

The role of AI in our assessment process

AI enhances our assessment process by assisting analysts in several key ways:

1. Information Retrieval: Machine learning algorithms efficiently scan vast amounts of data to identify relevant insights. This allows our analysts to access crucial information quickly and reliably, ensuring a comprehensive and accurate evaluation of a company’s sustainability practices.

2. Enhancing Consistency: AI helps standardize the assessment process, ensuring all companies are evaluated against the same criteria. This contributes to the accuracy and integrity of our sustainability ratings.

3. 360° Watch Findings: AI aids in collecting and detecting 360° watch findings, including innovative practices and potential controversies related to a company's operations. These findings contribute to a balanced and thorough assessment, which is then reviewed by our analysts.

The human component: ensuring reliability and quality

While AI plays a vital role in supporting our assessments, every EcoVadis rating undergoes human review. Each assessment is evaluated by at least two analysts to ensure reliability and quality. Our experts apply their knowledge of our methodology, provide critical context, and make informed decisions that AI alone cannot achieve.

This synergy between AI and human expertise ensures our assessments are both efficient and accurate. AI handles data-heavy tasks, while analysts validate findings and apply their judgment.

Speed and assurance

In some cases, EcoVadis can publish a scorecard within just a few days. However, this rapid turnaround does not compromise the quality or thoroughness of our ratings. Turnaround times depend on factors such as assessment volume and case complexity. Our global analyst team further accelerates the process while maintaining rigorous quality controls. Every assessment undergoes a thorough review to ensure it provides a complete and balanced view of a company's sustainability performance.

For more details on our commitment to quality assurance, please refer to How does EcoVadis maintain assessment integrity and quality?

By combining AI-driven efficiency with expert validation, EcoVadis continues to set the benchmark for sustainability ratings, empowering businesses worldwide to navigate and excel in their sustainability journeys.

For a detailed breakdown of our methodology, visit EcoVadis Ratings Methodology Overview and Principles.