A factory audit is not a ritual and it is not a logo on a website. It is a structured attempt to answer three questions: is this a real business, can it make your product, and will the process hold when you are not watching?
You do not need a 200-page template to start. You need a scope, a document list, a route through the site, and a record that someone else can read. This guide gives you that, plus an interactive checklist you can print and use.
What an audit can prove
An audit can confirm that a legal entity exists, that a production site exists at a stated address, that equipment and staff are present, and that some quality process is documented. It can also reveal whether the seller is a trading company rather than a factory, and whether a step is subcontracted.
It cannot prove that your specific order will be made correctly. It cannot guarantee fabric weight, colour consistency, on-time delivery, or ethical labour conditions beyond what you actually see and verify. Those are product- and order-level checks: the approved sample, the measurement sheet, in-line checks, and final inspection.
Scope before you travel
Decide whether you are checking identity, capability, quality process, or all three. A two-hour visit cannot cover everything. Agree the scope in advance and tell the factory what you need to see, so the visit is not a tour of the showroom.
Documents to request
| Document | What to check |
|---|---|
| Business licence | Legal name, registration number, address, business scope, and validity. |
| Production address evidence | Lease, property document, or utility bill that connects the entity to the site. |
| Export or registration records | Whether the entity can export directly, and who is the exporter on the documents. |
| Equipment list | Machines relevant to your product, quantity, and decoration method. |
| Capacity statement | Lines, shifts, monthly output, current load, and the proposed production slot. |
| QC records | Incoming material checks, first-article approval, in-line checks, final inspection, and rework logs. |
| Certificate evidence | Certificate number, issuer, scope, expiry, and the product or process it actually covers. |
| Payment-account evidence | Account name matching the legal entity; no unexplained third-party wallet. |
Ask for the documents in advance, then verify a sample of them against the physical site or a live call. A PDF can be edited. A licence number can be checked with the issuing register where one is available.
What to see on site
A showroom tells you what the factory wants you to see. Ask for the production route: fabric store, cutting, sewing lines, finishing, QC stations, packing, and dispatch. Walk it in order, even if the route is inconvenient.
- The entrance and address: does the site name match the documents? Is the address the one on the invoice?
- The production floor: are the machines running the process you need, or is the floor set up for a different product?
- The lines: how many, how staffed, and what is currently in production? Ask what is yours and what belongs to another buyer.
- Materials: where is the fabric stored, how is it identified, and can the factory show the lot for your order?
- Work in progress: are cut pieces, bundles, and trims tracked by order? Is there a reference sample on the line?
- QC: where are the checkpoints, who owns them, and what records are kept? Ask to see a recent record, not a blank form.
- Packing and dispatch: how are cartons labelled, how is the packing list checked, and who releases the shipment?
Ask before taking photos or filming. Respect worker privacy, and do not photograph people without consent. A factory that refuses all documentation may have a reason; a factory that refuses any evidence of the production floor is a different signal.
Questions by area
Identity
- What is the legal name of the company, and who owns it?
- Is this site the production site for every step, or are some steps subcontracted?
- Who will issue the invoice, and what name is on the payment account?
Capability
- Which machines will make this product, and how many pieces per day can they produce?
- What is the current load, and when is my production slot?
- Which fabrics and trims are in stock, and which need booking?
Quality
- Who checks incoming fabric, and what happens when it fails?
- When is the first-article check done, and who signs it off?
- What are the critical defects for this product, and what is the rework process?
Records and people
- Can I see a completed measurement record and an inspection report from a recent order?
- Who handles my order day to day, and who has authority to approve a change?
- What is the escalation route if the schedule slips?
Evidence to keep
An audit that produces no record becomes a memory. Collect evidence that can be attached to the project file and reviewed by someone else:
- Photographs or video of the site entrance, production floor, equipment, QC station, and packing area, taken with permission.
- Copies of the documents you checked, with the date and the name of the person who provided them.
- A short signed or emailed audit note: what you saw, what you did not see, and what remains unverified.
- The capacity statement and the proposed production slot in writing.
- The names and roles of the people you spoke to, and the channel for follow-up.
Store the evidence with the supplier record and the order file. See thebroken-link guide for a record structure.
Remote verification
If you cannot visit, a live video call is better than a photo gallery. Ask for a walkthrough in one continuous call, starting at the entrance and moving through the production route. Ask the person to show the address, the machine nameplates, the current work in progress, and a recent QC record.
- Live, not pre-recorded: ask for a call at a time when production is running.
- Unedited route: do not accept a highlight reel; ask to see the store, the line, and the packing area in sequence.
- Cross-check documents: hold the licence and the invoice next to the site name during the call.
- Measure something: ask the person to measure a garment or a carton on camera and compare it with the written specification.
- Ask who is speaking: name, role, and authority to confirm capacity or a change.
A remote audit can confirm identity and capability signals. It is weaker on working conditions, hidden subcontracting, and the parts of the site the factory does not want to show. State those limits in your record.
Interactive checklist
Use this as a working tool during a visit or a live call. It saves progress in your browser and can be printed. It is not a certificate, and a full score does not replace a sample approval or a final inspection.
12-point factory audit
Pass, conditional, or fail
Avoid a binary “good factory / bad factory” conclusion. Use three outcomes:
- Pass: identity, site, capability, and quality process are consistent; the remaining risks are product-level and covered by sampling and inspection.
- Conditional: the factory is credible but a material gap remains — an undisclosed subcontractor, an unclear payment account, an unverifiable certificate, or a capacity claim without a slot. Proceed only if the gap is closed in writing.
- Fail: the entity, site, or payment account does not match; the factory cannot show the process it claims; or the answers change under questioning. Do not send a deposit.
A conditional pass is not a softer fail. It is a list of conditions with a deadline. If the conditions are not met, the outcome is fail.
Re-check the identity and payment details before every new order. Factories change ownership, bank accounts, and production sites. The audit you did last year is evidence about last year.
FAQ
Does a factory audit guarantee quality?
No. An audit is a snapshot of identity, capability, and process at a point in time. It reduces the chance of working with an intermediary or an unprepared site, but it does not guarantee the quality of your specific order. The approved sample and final inspection remain the product-specific checks.
Can I audit a factory remotely?
You can verify a lot remotely: documents, a live video walkthrough, equipment, production flow, and records. What you cannot do as reliably is confirm the address, see the whole site unedited, or judge working conditions. A remote check is useful, but it is not the same as an on-site visit.
What documents should I ask for first?
Start with the business licence, the production address, the payment-account name, an equipment list, a capacity statement for your order, and a sample of the QC records. The documents should agree with each other and with the invoice.
Should I pay for a third-party audit?
It depends on the order value and the risk. A third-party audit can be useful when you cannot visit, when the order is large, or when the factory is new to you. Agree the scope, the standard, the evidence you will receive, and whether the auditor is independent of the factory before booking.
How often should a factory be re-audited?
Re-check identity and payment details before each new order, and repeat a fuller audit when ownership, site, equipment, or key staff change. A factory that passed two years ago is not the same evidence as a current check.
What is the most common audit finding?
In our experience, the most common issue is a mismatch between the seller, the production site, and the payment account. The second is a capacity claim that cannot be tied to a production slot. Both are reasons to pause before a deposit, not details to sort out later.