VS standard or your own report? Choosing the right voluntary sustainability standard for your business
Not every mid-sized company needs the same approach. Some do better with a lean, standardised structure, others need flexibility for…
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Not every medium-sized company needs the same approach. Some get further with a lean, standardized structure, while others need flexibility for industry-specific metrics. This decision-making aid categorizes the three realistic options.
Comparing the Three Options
Option | Advantage | Disadvantage | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
VS Standard (formerly VSME) | Recognized, EU-wide structure; directly compatible with customer inquiries and EcoVadis | Less flexibility for very specific industry metrics | Most SMEs, especially with recurring external inquiries |
Own, Custom Report | Full flexibility, individual focus areas possible | No standardized comparability, must be "re-translated" for each new inquiry | Companies with a very specific story or without recurring external inquiries |
Doing Nothing | No effort | With the next customer inquiry, tender, or bank request, any foundation is missing | Only justifiable if there is currently absolutely no external pressure |
When VS is Worthwhile
VS is the right choice if you regularly expect external inquiries – customers, banks, tenders, EcoVadis. The big advantage: because VS is a recognized standard, an auditor or purchasing agent does not have to understand your structure first. This saves time on both sides and increases credibility.
When an Own Report Makes More Sense
A custom report can be worthwhile if your sustainability story deviates significantly from standard metrics due to industry-specific reasons – such as with highly specialized production processes – and external inquiries are (still) rare. The disadvantage: as soon as a customer or EcoVadis does ask, you have to translate your data into their structure retrospectively, which means double the work.
When Doing Nothing is (Still) Justifiable
If neither customers, banks, nor tenders are currently demanding sustainability data from you, a full report is not urgent. It still makes sense to continuously record basic data (energy and resource consumption) – so that you do not start from scratch with the first inquiry.
Typical Misconceptions in Choosing
"An own report looks more individual and thus more convincing." In practice, the opposite is usually true: a recognized standard like VS appears more credible to auditors and buyers than a self-designed structure because it is already known.
"VS is only relevant for large medium-sized businesses." With the new micro-enterprise regulation in VS 2026, the standard is now also practical for very small businesses.
"Doing nothing is always the cheapest option." In the short term, yes, but in the medium term, it is often more expensive if a sudden customer inquiry has to be processed under time pressure instead of being prepared.
Decision Criteria in Detail
Criterion | Speaks for VS | Speaks for Own Report | Speaks for Doing Nothing (for now) |
|---|---|---|---|
Frequency of external inquiries | Regular, multiple customers | Rare, one key customer with special requirements | Currently none |
Comparability desired | Yes, with industry/competitors | No, own story in focus | Not relevant |
Internal capacity | Low to medium | Higher, for custom preparation | Minimal |
Time horizon until first inquiry | Short to medium | Doesn't matter | Unclear/long |
This table does not replace an individual decision, but it provides a quick initial orientation as to which direction your own situation is leaning.
What to Consider When Switching Between Options
A later switch is possible in both directions, but involves different levels of effort:
From doing nothing to VS: The easiest, provided basic data has already been continuously recorded – then it is pure structuring work.
From own report to VS: Usually unproblematic, as individual metrics can generally be transferred into the VS structure.
From VS to own report: Rarely makes sense, as the compatibility with customer inquiries and EcoVadis is lost as a result.
Three Practical Examples
System catering with multiple locations, regular tenders: VS is almost always the right choice here – the inquiries are standardized enough that a recognized structure brings the greatest time saving.
Specialized mechanical engineering company with few, very close customer relationships: A custom report can make sense if the individual major customer already sets their own specific requirements that go beyond VS – VS can then be used as a basis and supplemented individually.
Small craft business with no current external inquiries: Doing nothing in terms of a full report is justifiable, as long as basic data is continuously recorded in parallel – so that the first external occasion does not turn into a cold start.
The Pragmatic Recommendation
For most medium-sized businesses with recurring customer contact, VS is the standard route – not because it fits every industry perfectly, but because it takes care of the translation work between your data and your customers' inquiries. (Step-by-step guide: VSME is now called VS – 5 steps to your report.)
How strait helps with every option
Regardless of which option you choose: the underlying raw data – energy and resource consumption – is the same for all three options. strait records this continuously via IoT sensors, so you remain flexible later, whether you feed it into the VS structure, a custom report, or initially just into internal controlling.
Unsure which option fits you? The Sustainability Readiness Check gives you a concrete recommendation based on your situation.
Find the right option for you
Take the Sustainability Readiness Check – or book a demo.
[→ Start Readiness Check] · [→ Book Demo]
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