To mitigate risks associated with new suppliers, conducting factory audits is essential for business owners. These audits help verify the legitimacy of suppliers and assess their ability to meet quality standards. In China, where manufacturing complexities are aplenty, it is crucial to scrutinize suppliers thoroughly.
Despite supplier claims, firsthand investigative reports provide invaluable insights before finalizing orders. This article offers an introduction to one of the most common types of factory audits, emphasizing the importance of diligence in supplier assessment to safeguard business interests.
What is a China Factory Audit?
In comparison to supplier audits, a third-party factory audit in China offers a more thorough assessment of a supplier’s capabilities. These audits usually concentrate on confirming that your supplier complies with legal requirements and that it can reliably manufacture goods that match your quality standards.
Independent third-party quality control businesses and other third-party organizations carry out these audits.
The following are a few important constituents of factory audits in China.
Getting the basic data
Typically, factory audits start by verifying the supplier’s basic information. Investigations are conducted into everything, including financial data, the location of the plant, contact details, the manufacturing area, and proof of previous customer orders during order monitoring.
An audit of this kind will confirm the factory’s export license if it ships goods overseas. Basic documents can be checked to confirm the factory’s existence and, more importantly, that it can manufacture the goods you require.
Facilities and factory production environment
This specific element of a factory audit involves actually inspecting equipment, documents, and processes (such as moulding, assembly, packing, etc.) to make sure the supplier is set up in accordance with globally recognized ISO 9001 standards.
This part of the supplier inspection also confirms that all of the machinery and equipment have the correct documentation and calibration. Even though it might not seem like a big deal to you, factories that are well-organized typically produce higher-quality goods than ones that function in a chaotic setting.
Auditing materials control
Auditors scrutinize raw materials’ quality control processes to prevent defects in final products. For instance, in furniture manufacturing, high moisture content in lumber can cause warping.
Audits assess if Incoming Quality Control (IQC) covers all materials and if the First-In-First-Out principle is followed in inventory management. They ensure proper labelling, segregation of defective units, and adherence to quality standards for consistent product excellence.
Auditing internal production inspection procedures
Factory audits in China ensure procedures are established to control finished product quality. Following IQC, production inspection is crucial. Capable factories employ internal QC staff at production lines to ensure products meet client specifications before packaging. This meticulous process guarantees adherence to quality standards throughout production.
Conclusion
If you want to smoothen the process of factory auding then it will be better to tie up with any reliable and trustworthy sourcing agent in China. Maple Sourcing Ltd has been helping several businesses from the western countries and has developed a good reputation in the market. If you are going for a long-term business relationship in China then you must tie up with this Chinese sourcing company.
