Trade & Supply Chain
Factory Audit
A factory audit should answer a defined sourcing or risk question. Legal identity, production capability, capacity, process control, quality systems, subcontracting and management evidence need to be tested against the product and volume the buyer expects, rather than scored through a generic visit checklist.
Testing Whether a Factory Can Deliver the Requirement
01
Define the approval question
State which products, processes, volumes and risks the audit must address. The scope should distinguish facts required for supplier approval from improvements that can follow later.
Audit brief: Product / Process / Volume / Critical risks / Approval owner
02
Verify identity and operating reality
Confirm the audited entity, site, key equipment, workforce and production activity. Documents, interviews and floor observations should support one consistent picture.
Verification record: Entity / Site / Equipment / People / Production
From Audit Scope to Corrective Action
03
Test control at critical points
Follow material, production and quality records through the processes most likely to affect the product. Sampling evidence is more useful than accepting policy documents alone.
Process test: Input / Operation / Inspection / Record / Release
04
Convert findings into a decision
Classify findings by business consequence, assign corrective actions and define what must be closed before approval, trial order or higher volume.
Decision record: Finding / Risk / Owner / Due date / Approval condition
Audit Decisions Before Supplier Approval
Guide
Guidance on audit scope, factory verification, capability, capacity, process control, quality evidence, subcontracting and corrective action.
Comparison
Comparisons of desktop, remote and on-site audit approaches across evidence quality, cost, speed, scope and decision value.
Review
Reviews of legal identity, production assets, process discipline, quality controls, capacity claims, subcontracting and management follow-up.
FAQ
Answers to buyer questions on audit timing, scope, evidence, capacity, corrective action, re-audits and approval decisions.
Resources
Audit briefs, evidence requests, site records, finding registers, corrective-action plans and approval documents.
Tool
Tools for risk-based audit planning, evidence scoring, corrective-action tracking and supplier approval.
Case
Examples of how buyers used factory audits to challenge assumptions, condition approvals and improve supplier controls.
News
Developments affecting manufacturing operations, audit access, supplier transparency and factory-assessment practice.
How to Use the Factory Audit Hub
Use Guide to frame the work, Comparison and Review to test alternatives and risk, and FAQ and Resources to prepare the working file. Tool and Case support the management recommendation; News confirms whether the underlying assumptions remain current.
Before the visit, management should approve the audit question, critical risks and evidence standard. Supplier approval should then refer to verified findings and closed conditions, with unresolved material risks recorded rather than buried in an overall score.