Understanding the Global Index
Learn how the Global Index provides instant, automated supplier segmentation at the point of data upload to help you determine the most proportionate due diligence pathways.
What is the Global Index?
Organisations require immediate, non-intrusive visibility across multi-tiered supply chains. Serving as an abstract, high-level indicator, the Global Index delivers a real-time indicator directly within the supplier data upload workflows on the NQC platform. Built on the OECD Due Diligence framework, this approach fulfills regulatory due diligence requirements while maintaining full operational discretion.
When supplier data is uploaded into the platform, automated entity and location resolution takes place. Once a supplier entity is successfully validated, the Global Index is triggered, instantly overlaying an abstract indicator (High, Medium, or Low) directly in the user interface. If an entity cannot be validated from the input data, the flag remains unassigned until data quality is resolved. This automated pre-engagement signal enables procurement and sustainability teams to segment global supplier lists at a glance, allocate internal resources efficiently, and determine the appropriate and proportionate due diligence pathways.
Simplified Methodology: Precision without Complexity
The Global Index evaluates suppliers against 59 ESG indicator dimensions, converting complex global reference datasets into a clear, single abstract score from 0 to 100:
- Location Baseline: Evaluates regional and national ESG background context.
- Industry Profile: Maps specific sector profiles directly to supplier NACE industry codes.
- Proportional Scaling: Adjusts scores based on EU enterprise size definitions (weighted 0.7 to 1.0) so smaller entities are not held to disproportionate corporate standards.
- Smart Indicator Matching: Ensures location context is only applied where relevant to the supplier's actual industrial activities.
- Critical Priority Focus: Rather than letting strong performance in one area mask severe exposure in another, the calculation prioritises the most critical indicators associated with a supplier.
Actionable Insights Across Platform Modules
The Global Index serves as a clear decision-support flag to guide compliance teams on the appropriate follow-up pathway across our interoperable modular ecosystem on the NQC platform:
- 0 – 33 (Low Index Flag): Recommended for continuous monitoring and global news screening with SURVEIL.
- 34 – 66 (Medium Index Flag): Recommended for continuous monitoring combined with targeted supplier assessments, such as the SAQ or regulatory-specific compliance questionnaires.
- 67 – 100 (High Index Flag): Recommended for monitoring, analyst-verified evidence due diligence using targeted supplier assessments, and deep product supply chain mapping using predictive AI trade intelligence or supplier-led cascading mapping to achieve upstream visibility.
For a shareable overview of this methodology, please download the PDF one-pager: