ERSA 4.0: advancing supplier audit standards - update and consultation launched

In response to the growing complexity of supply chain risk, EiQ is launching a public industry consultation to develop the next generation of its Enhanced Responsible Sourcing Assessment (ERSA) framework – ERSA 4.0.

This update comes as responsible sourcing teams face an uncharted landscape amidst tariff changes, technology advancement, industry disruptions – all which require a more efficient way to deliver audit and a refined risk assessment approach.

Being proactive and agile in this new environment requires more flexibility, more actionable insight, and more efficiency in how our clients manage responsible sourcing issues and data demands. The update we are introducing is in direct response to those needs.

The original ERSA standard

ERSA was originally designed to capture more holistic supplier risk data, as well as strengthen responsible sourcing approaches and supply chain visibility. ERSA includes both audit and self-assessment frameworks for responsible sourcing, environment, carbon maturity, as well as incorporates worker sentiment data to gain a more comprehensive view of working conditions onsite. The standard is tailored for critical sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, food and beverage, and has been adopted by more than 100 retailers, brands and companies globally and implemented in over 10,000 workplaces.

The new ERSA 4.0 framework aims to build on this, reflecting emerging challenges including geopolitical disruption, evolving labour regulations and increasing expectations around supply chain transparency. Importantly, this is not a new scheme. It is a natural evolution of what already works well. Building on that foundation allows us to enhance what stakeholders value while maintaining continuity for suppliers and partners. EiQ will consult businesses, auditing firms and other stakeholders over the coming months to provide input on the updates to the standard, with the official ERSA 4.0 being released in September this year. 

Key updates to ERSA

ERSA 4.0 will place a stronger emphasis on modularity and governance, including the release of an ERSA‑specific assessment manual and formal quality assurance metrics to enhance consistency, transparency and auditor calibration across regions. The update will also strengthen the Worker Sentiment Survey framework, capturing worker data more effectively, and enhancing the overall data quality. 

While stakeholder feedback will be integrated following the consultation, consistent themes suggest that ERSA 4.0 will provide more precise, country‑level insights with built‑in guidance aligned to real‑world operating environments (through deeper integration with EiQ), enhanced flexibility, a stronger focus on CAP, as well as more flexibility, value and ownership for the suppliers that are being audited. There will also be a stronger focus on pre-audit intelligence for auditors, more rigourous finding logics, built-in quality controls and more actionable recommendations.

This update represents a thoughtful, data-driven and technology forward step forward that strengthens usability, increases efficiency, and deepens the insights available to our clients. All results, benchmarking and analytics will be reverse compatible to support your year trending.

Why this matters to responsible sourcing teams

• Interoperability: Mutual recognition enables broader and, in some cases, formal, acceptance of ERSA assessments across markets.
• Consistency: Formal QA metrics, regional guidance and an assessment manual improve audit reliability.
• Practical adoption: Modularity lets teams adopt only the components they need while maintaining alignment with the full standard.
• Influence: The open consultation gives practitioners a direct channel to shape ERSA 4.0.

How to get involved

From March through June, we will run an open consultation to gather input from the responsible sourcing community and our clients. We invite responsible sourcing teams to participate in the March–June consultation. You are welcome to fill out the form to provide your input for the update. Alternatively, you may contact your EiQ or LRQA representative directly or register for one of the upcoming events where consultation will also be open. This includes EiQ World Series roundtables, taking place at various locations around the world. 

ERSA 4.0 will be officially launched at the EiQ New York Summit in September. 

Fill out the form to provide your input here.