The current global changes and regulations in sustainability have a direct impact on suppliers to the automotive industry. Therefore, it is crucial for suppliers to the automotive industry to proactively monitor developments to avoid risking their competitiveness. This involves an increased focus on documentation and compliance with sustainability policies and certifications.

Company X is a family-owned company located in Gnosjö, operating for nearly 80 years and supplying products to the automotive industry, among other sectors. The company specializes in industrial work and focuses on machining (turning and milling). To remain competitive and, above all, relevant for at least another 80 years, they strive for continuous development to meet customer demands. The guiding philosophy is to operate within the ”Global Automotive Sustainability Guiding Principles”, which clarify the automotive industry ́s expectations regarding sustainability efforts from their suppliers. In late 2022, Drive Sustainability, responsible for creating and maintaining the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), raised the requirements from SAQ 4.0 to SAQ 5.0. The consequence of not being approved before June 2023 is the inability to initiate new business as a supplier to Scania.

The thesis was conducted at Company X with the aim of investigating what is required for Business X to upgrade from SAQ 4.0 to SAQ 5.0. This involved identifying any gaps in the company’s environmental and quality management systems in relation to the SAQ portal. The project also aimed to examine whether the current quality and environmental management system needs adjustment to better reflect data in the SAQ portal. The main task of the author was to explore possible solutions to help Company X and other SMEs implement the SAQ process in a resource-efficient manner.

To achieve the study ́s purpose, an analysis of the documentation in the company ́s environmental and quality management systems in relation to the SAQ portal was conducted. This analysis was used to identify the resources required to meet the requirements in the SAQ. Based on the formulated research questions, gaps in the company ́s environmental and quality management systems were identified concerning the SAQ portal. Additionally, proposals and arguments were provided for adjustments to the current management system.

The result of the thesis was that Company X acted on the suggestions and was approved in SAQ 5.0 with a fulfillment rate of 81%, compared to the previous score 79% in SAQ 4.0. The model presented in the analysis of the SAQ scoring system can also be utilized by other SMEs to implement the SAQ process in a resource-efficient manner.