What is 360° Watch?
In EcoVadis certification, 360° Watch (360) Findings are an external monitoring mechanism that detects risks, alerts or incidents related to ethics, human rights, the environment or responsible purchasing, using public and third-party sources that you do not declare in the Ecovadis questionnaire and that appear published in some media.
What exactly is 360° Watch?
It is a continuous monitoring and surveillance system that EcoVadis uses to search for negative signals about a company in: the press, digital media, social media, sanctions databases, NGO reports, exclusion lists, court rulings, regulatory bodies, or verified public sources.
These signals become findings that directly impact your EcoVadis assessment.
What kind of things does 360° Watch detect?
Some typical examples of 360° findings are:
- Environmental or administrative penalties
- Fines for spills, emissions or waste
- Cases of corruption or bribery
- Labour or human rights violations
- Serious accidents with environmental impact
- Documented reputational conflicts
- Relevant legal proceedings
The result of 360° Watch does not depend on what you declare. For it to affect you, a final conviction is not necessary; it is sufficient for the source to be reliable.
How do they affect the EcoVadis assessment score?
It affects the Ecovadis audit result much more than people realise. It can significantly lower the score, directly deducting points. Thus, it can prevent you from obtaining the Ecovadis medal (Platinum/Bronze/Silver/Gold) and block improvements even if you have good documentation. A single serious finding can ruin the Ecovadis assessment.
What should be done to manage 360º Watch?
Negative signals detected by 360° Watch can be refuted, but it is not easy. To do so, you must provide documented clarifications on the Ecovadis platform, or demonstrate that: the case is closed, it is not applicable, it was corrected with real actions, it belongs to another company in the group, or that the information is out of date. EcoVadis does not remove findings without solid evidence.
360° Watch can be managed, but not ignored. To manage negative signals well, with our Ecovadis consultancy, you must:
- Anticipate Ecovadis. This involves reviewing sanctions, files, and old litigation. Document corrections well. Based on the root cause analysis, corrective actions and improvement plans must be established and implemented. Once completed, the effectiveness of the corrections must be evaluated and formally closed.
- Explain contexts. This may include inherited incidents, mergers, or changes in ownership.
- Do not hide anything, as EcoVadis will usually detect it anyway.