Factory Audit Before You Place the Order
One day on site, one report that tells you whether the factory can make your part the way its sales office says it can. We check the floor, the machines, the QC system and the paperwork, photograph everything and flag the risks. Report within 5 working days.
Before the first PO, before a bigger one, or after a bad lot
- A new supplier found at a trade show, on Alibaba or by referral, before the first purchase order
- An existing supplier before you move from samples to volume, or from one part number to a family
- After a failed lot or a missed date, to find out whether it was a one-off or the system
- A factory that claims a process you have never seen it run
Six areas, on the floor and in the files
| Facility and equipment | Machines against the list the factory sent you, age and condition, maintenance records, measuring equipment and its calibration |
|---|---|
| Capacity and load | Shifts, headcount on the line, current orders on the floor, realistic lead time for your quantity |
| QC system | Incoming, in-process and final inspection in practice, not only on paper; who signs what; how a non-conformance is handled |
| Document trail | Material certificates, inspection records of a recent order, traceability from material lot to shipped carton |
| Capability against the claim | The process you need, done on the floor by their own people, or subcontracted out of sight |
| Export readiness | Packing, labelling and export documents from a recent shipment to your market |
A report you can act on without a call
Each area gets a finding, a photo and a risk flag: red, amber or green. The last page is a plain verdict on your part and your quantity, the open questions to put to the factory, and what we would watch on the first order if you go ahead.
Audit reportExample format
- Factory
- Name withheld, Dong Nai, aluminium machining and anodising
- Part and quantity
- Housing, 6 part numbers, 1,800 pcs per month
- Equipment
- Matches list sent; two of nine machining centres idle, one CMM calibrated 2025
- QC system
- Final inspection records kept; in-process check sheets not used on two lines
- Document trail
- Material certificates on file; lot traceability stops at machining
- Capability
- Anodising subcontracted to a plant 40 km away, not disclosed in the quote
- Risk flags
- Amber: in-process records. Red: undisclosed subcontracting
- Verdict
- Suitable for the first PO with in-line visits at first article and before anodising
- Photos
- 64 attached
Illustration of the format. Not a report on any real factory.
One audit, one contract
One day on site for most factories, two for a plant with several processes. Scope, travel and fee are set in the contract before the visit. If you go on to order control, the audit becomes its baseline.
Questions about audits
Is this a social compliance audit?
No. This is a quality and capability audit: can this factory make your part to your drawing, on time, with records to prove it. For amfori BSCI, Sedex SMETA or similar, we point you to an accredited audit body and can coordinate the visit.
Will the factory know who the buyer is?
Only if you want. Most buyers introduce us by name as their quality contact. For a factory you have not committed to, we can audit as a prospective buyer’s representative without naming you.
Can you audit a factory I have not contacted yet?
We need an introduction from you first. We do not visit factories unannounced or on our own initiative.