Social Compliance Audit Program

Strengthening Responsible Supply Chains Through a Shared Audit Approach

The SCAN Social Compliance Audit Program is a standardized social compliance assessment designed to help companies gain greater visibility into labor, workplace, human rights, and management system practices throughout their supply chains. The program provides a consistent framework for evaluating supplier performance while supporting continuous improvement and reducing duplicative audit activity.

Built on SCAN’s collaborative approach to compliance auditing, the Social Compliance Audit Program allows members to manage both social and security compliance efforts through a centralized system, creating greater efficiency and consistency across global supply chains.

Why SCAN Is Launching This Program

Supply chains face increasing expectations from customers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders regarding responsible business practices and working conditions. Members have expressed a need for a more consistent and scalable approach to social compliance assessment and corrective action management across global supplier networks.

The Social Compliance Audit Program was developed to:

Provide a standardized approach to evaluating social compliance performance.
Support responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency.
Improve consistency in audit findings and corrective action management.
Reduce duplicative audit activity and supplier audit fatigue.
Give members the ability to manage social and security compliance programs through a single platform.
Encourage continuous improvement throughout global supply chains.

The Social Compliance Audit Program is being introduced through a pilot phase during Q4 2026. The pilot will help SCAN validate program processes and methodology, gather participant feedback, and identify opportunities for enhancement before full program launch.

The pilot is open to suppliers globally and participation is entirely voluntary. Feedback from suppliers, members, auditors, and other stakeholders will help shape the final program.

What the Audit Covers

The SCAN Social Compliance Audit evaluates supplier performance across key social responsibility, labor, and management system requirements. Areas assessed include:

Ethics, Integrity, and Audit Access
Management Systems
Child and Young Labor
Forced Labor and Foreign Migrant Workers
Disciplinary Practices, Harassment, Discrimination and Inhumane Treatment
Recruitment, Employment, and Termination
Wages, Benefits, and Working Hours
Health, Safety, and Building Safety
Environmental Protection and Waste Management
Freedom of Association & Right to Collective Bargaining
Subcontracting

The program also includes standardized scoring and corrective action management to provide a consistent framework for evaluating performance and supporting ongoing improvement efforts.

Benefits for Suppliers

Participating suppliers receive:

A full SCAN Social Compliance Audit
A detailed audit report
A standardized corrective action and follow-up process, where applicable
Reduced audit fatigue
Greater visibility into social compliance strengths and improvement opportunities
Support for continuous improvement initiatives

Benefits for SCAN Members

The program helps members:

Increase visibility into social compliance performance within their supply chains
Support responsible sourcing and ESG objectives
Promote greater consistency across supplier assessments
Reduce duplicate audit requests and supplier audit fatigue
Streamline oversight of social and security compliance activities
Access standardized audit reporting and corrective action management processes

Get Involved

Organizations interested in learning more about the Social Compliance Audit Program are encouraged to contact SCAN for additional information.

Whether you are a member seeking to enhance supply chain visibility or a supplier interested in participating in the program, SCAN welcomes your engagement as we continue to develop a standardized and scalable approach to social compliance assessment.

Contact SCAN:

Fabiola Montes De Oca, SCAN Program Analyst

fabiolamontesdeoca@scanassociation.org