Sustainability reporting rules will be tightened globally, creating big challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While large companies had resources, processes, and systems in place to manage these changes, smaller firms struggle to meet the new requirements. To help its members, amfori envisioned a digital solution to simplify the process step by step with the support of icapps. This idea became amfori SustainaPass.
Sustainability reporting can feel overwhelming, packed with complex rules, changing standards, and a steep learning curve. Imagine an Asian shoe manufacturer trying to outline its environmental and social practices for European markets. Where do you even start?
Businesses faced questions about stakeholder management, materiality assessments, and more, but few resources online offered clear guidance. amfori set out to change that. Their goal? Build a simple, user-friendly solution that would help businesses meet these requirements and allow them to focus on making a real impact.
The project began with a deep dive into the needs of all amfori members (i.e., the future users) with the help of a cross-functional team, strategists, designers, and developers. Together with amfori, we set clear goals, roles, and working methods. Regular demos, feedback sessions, and refinements kept everyone aligned throughout the process.
By laying this groundwork, we ensured everyone involved understood the purpose behind the solution, not just how to build it, but why it mattered.
amfori SustainaPass is a game-changer for sustainability. The solution helps SMEs:
Break down complex regulations into simple steps.
Save time on paperwork so they can focus on real sustainability efforts.
Stay aligned with evolving standards while keeping their big-picture goals in mind.
Research & strategy
We started with surveys, interviews, and workshops to understand the challenges amfori members faced. This research shaped the solution’s design, ensuring it met the needs of users with little experience in sustainability reporting.
Key takeaway: Complicated tools scare off SMEs. We focused on plain language and intuitive workflows to make the process as easy as possible.
Modular design
The solution is built around modules, making the reporting process straight-forward and easy to navigate..
Materiality Module: The first and most challenging step, helping businesses identify their key sustainability priorities.
Risk & Impact Management: Additional module that builds on the first, guiding businesses through the rest of the process. Each module integrates with amfori’s existing solutions, like supply chain mapping, and uses local data to provide tailored support.
Reporting: The last module enables companies to communicate more easily how they address risks and impacts in their value chains by providing a template inspired by CSRD that is automatically populated with information captured in the other two modules.
Agile development
We used React for a smooth user experience and PHP for backend stability. The project started with the Materiality Module, laying the groundwork for data validation and navigation features.
When changes in legislation shifted the scope, we adapted by cleaning up technical debt and strengthening the solution’s foundation. This flexibility ensured that amfori SustainaPass could handle future updates with ease.
Creating a solution for brand-new regulations came with a lot of uncertainty. Early user testing gave us valuable insights, but predicting how businesses would use the solution was tough, since no benchmark was set in the industry for sustainability reporting. This required a flexible, innovative approach and a willingness to learn as we went.
Results that matter
amfori SustainaPass is revolutionizing how SMEs approach sustainability reporting by delivering meaningful outcomes:
Streamlined Processes: Members can spend less time on paperwork and achieve their sustainability goals more.
Empowering Education: Instead of relying on costly consultants to handle sustainability reporting, we guide every member through the HREDD process (Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence). This ensures resources are directed where they make the greatest impact.
Our partnership with amfori doesn’t stop here. We’re already developing exciting new features to improve the solution further.
With amfori SustainaPass, amfori transformed a regulatory challenge into an opportunity, demonstrating that thoughtful design and collaboration can simplify even the most complex tasks.
