Factory Audit Services
Factory Audit Services in China | Supplier Audit | G&D
Independent Factory Audit Services in China. Assess supplier information, production facilities, equipment, capacity and quality control systems before placing an order. Receive an on-site audit report with photos and findings. From USD 160 per man-day.
Factory Audit Service in China
Assess a supplier's manufacturing capability, facilities and quality-control systems before placing an order.
A Factory Audit is an independent on-site assessment of a supplier's manufacturing location. It helps you understand the factory behind the quotation by reviewing its facilities, production equipment, organization, quality procedures, warehouse controls and available records.
Our auditor visits the factory according to an agreed scope, records what is observed on site, reviews available documents and discusses relevant processes with factory representatives.
You receive a Factory Audit report with findings and photos to support your supplier assessment and sourcing decision. The final decision to approve a supplier or place an order remains with you as the buyer.
Starting from USD 160 per man-day.
When Should You Arrange a Factory Audit?
A Factory Audit is normally arranged before placing a significant order with a new supplier or before increasing your level of cooperation with an existing supplier.
It can be particularly useful when:
- You are considering a new manufacturing supplier in China.
- The order is customized, high-value or difficult to rework.
- The product requires specific machinery, processes or technical capability.
- You plan to purchase tooling or commit to long-term production.
- You need a clearer picture of the factory's actual production setup.
- The supplier states that it can handle a large volume or tight delivery schedule.
- Some production processes may be subcontracted.
- You want to understand the supplier's quality-control procedures before production begins.
The audit scope should reflect the product and the information you need before making the next sourcing decision.
What We Check During a Factory Audit
The exact checklist depends on your product, order and concerns. A standard Factory Audit may cover the following areas.
Company & Factory Information
The auditor records the factory name, address, contact details, general company information and manufacturing activities presented during the visit. Available business documents may be reviewed and compared with the information provided before the audit.
This helps establish which site was visited and what type of operation was observed. It does not replace legal, financial or corporate due diligence outside the agreed audit scope.
Factory Facilities & Production Areas
The visit reviews the general site layout and the production areas relevant to the proposed order. This may include raw-material storage, processing areas, assembly lines, quality-control points, packing areas and finished-goods storage.
The report records the visible operating conditions, organization and use of space at the time of the visit.
Machinery & Production Equipment
The auditor records major machinery and equipment relevant to the product or manufacturing process. Where practical, the report notes whether the equipment was present, appeared operational and was being used during the visit.
The presence of machinery does not by itself confirm output capacity, maintenance quality or suitability for every future order.
Production Capability & Capacity
The audit reviews available production lines, worker organization, current workload, shift arrangements and production records where available. These observations can help assess whether the visible operation appears consistent with the proposed product and order volume.
Production capacity figures that cannot be independently verified during one audit visit are identified as supplier-provided information. Actual output can vary according to product complexity, staffing, material availability, equipment condition, other orders and subcontracting arrangements.
Quality Management & QC Procedures
The auditor reviews how the factory describes and applies its quality-control process. This may include incoming-material checks, in-process controls, final checks, defect handling, nonconforming-product control, corrective actions and quality records.
The review considers both available procedures and visible evidence of how those procedures are used. One audit visit cannot confirm that every procedure will be followed in the same way during all future production.
Testing & Measuring Equipment
Available measuring tools and on-site testing equipment relevant to the factory's production may be reviewed. The auditor may record the equipment type, visible condition, location and available calibration or maintenance information where included in the agreed scope.
This review does not replace independent product testing or confirm that equipment is suitable for every formal test requirement.
Warehouse & Material Management
The audit reviews how raw materials, components, work-in-progress and finished goods are identified and stored. The auditor may also observe segregation of accepted and rejected materials, handling of damaged goods, stock organization and basic traceability practices.
Storage conditions are considered in relation to the product, including visible exposure to moisture, dust, heat or other relevant risks.
Certificates & Documents
Available business licenses, certificates, production records, quality documents, equipment records or other agreed documents may be reviewed and photographed where permitted.
Reviewing a certificate or document during the audit does not mean that G&D officially authenticates it with the issuing authority. If independent authentication is required, it should be arranged as a separate check with an appropriate source.
Workforce & Organization
The auditor records the departments, management responsibilities and workforce information available during the visit. This may include production, engineering, quality-control, warehouse and administrative functions relevant to the factory operation.
Worker numbers that cannot be independently counted or confirmed during the visit are reported as information provided by the supplier.
Subcontracting & Outsourced Processes
The audit asks which production steps are carried out at the visited factory and which may be outsourced. Depending on the product, outsourced processes could include printing, coating, plating, heat treatment, sewing, packaging or specialized testing.
The report records the information available about how outsourced work is approved, received and checked. The audit does not automatically include a visit to a subcontractor unless that visit is separately agreed.
How Our Factory Audit Works
1. Send Us the Supplier Information
Share the supplier's company name, factory address, contact person, proposed product, expected order volume and any concerns you want the audit to address.
2. We Confirm the Audit Scope
We review the information and agree on the audit checklist, location, timing and any product-specific points that should receive additional attention.
3. Auditor Visits the Factory
The auditor attends the stated manufacturing location, confirms the site visited and begins the on-site review with the factory representative.
4. Factory Capability & Systems Are Reviewed
The auditor reviews the facilities, equipment, production organization, quality-control procedures, warehouse conditions, documents and other items included in the agreed scope. Relevant observations are recorded with photos where permitted.
5. Receive Your Factory Audit Report
You receive a report describing the site visited, information reviewed, findings, photographs and relevant limitations. The report provides evidence for your assessment; it does not make the final supplier approval or order decision for you.
What Information Should You Provide Before the Audit?
Clear information helps the auditor focus on the supplier capabilities that matter to your proposed order.
Useful information may include:
- Supplier name and factory address
- Factory contact person and contact details
- Product description and reference photos
- Expected order quantity or annual purchasing volume
- Important manufacturing processes
- Required machinery or production capability
- Known subcontracted processes
- Quality-control requirements
- Certificates or documents you want reviewed
- Your own audit checklist or supplier questionnaire
- Previous concerns or information that needs clarification
If you do not have a detailed audit checklist, we can review the available information and confirm a practical scope before the visit.
What Will You Receive in the Factory Audit Report?
The Factory Audit report typically includes:
- Supplier and audit information
- Factory location and date of visit
- General factory profile
- Facilities and production-area observations
- Machinery and equipment information
- Production capability and supplier-provided capacity information
- Quality-management and QC observations
- Testing and measuring equipment observations
- Warehouse and material-control findings
- Certificates and documents reviewed
- Workforce and organization information
- Subcontracting information where available
- Photographs and relevant remarks
- Limitations affecting the audit scope or available evidence
The report separates on-site observations from supplier statements where this distinction is relevant. It gives you a documented view of the factory at the time of the visit.
Factory Audit vs Product Inspection
A Factory Audit evaluates the supplier's manufacturing site, resources, systems and operating practices. It helps answer whether the factory appears to have the setup and controls relevant to the proposed order.
Product inspection checks actual goods from a specific order. A During Production Check reviews production progress and available products while manufacturing is under way. A Final Random Inspection (FRI) checks randomly selected finished goods before shipment.
A factory with suitable equipment and documented procedures can still produce goods with defects. In the same way, an acceptable product sample does not provide a full assessment of the factory's capacity or management systems. Factory Audit and Product Inspection answer different questions and should not be treated as substitutes.
Factory Audit vs Supplier Verification
Supplier Verification normally focuses on basic questions about the supplier, such as company identity, stated address, available registration information and whether the business information broadly matches what has been provided.
A Factory Audit is more extensive because it includes an on-site assessment of manufacturing operations. It reviews production areas, equipment, capacity information, quality-control systems, warehouse practices, workforce organization and subcontracting within the agreed scope.
The two services may overlap in some areas, but they do not provide the same depth of operational information.
What Can and Cannot Be Verified During a Factory Audit?
A Factory Audit provides independent information about the factory conditions, equipment, processes, documents and management practices observed during the visit. It can compare visible evidence with information provided by the supplier and record inconsistencies or limitations.
The audit is a point-in-time assessment. It cannot guarantee future product quality, delivery performance, financial stability or that the factory's conditions will remain unchanged after the visit.
It also cannot confirm the quality of a future shipment. Actual order quality must be assessed through product inspection at the appropriate production stage. Material composition, safety performance and other formal test requirements may require independent laboratory testing.
Capacity figures, employee numbers or other information that cannot be independently confirmed during the visit remain supplier-provided information. Certificates and documents can be reviewed, but they are not officially authenticated with the issuing authority unless separate verification has been arranged.
The final decision to approve the supplier, place an order or require further checks remains with the buyer.
Factory Audit Cost in China
Starting from USD 160 per man-day.
The final cost depends on the factory location, audit scope, product complexity, number of facilities and expected time required on site.
A standard audit at one manufacturing location can often be completed within one man-day. Additional time may be required for larger sites, multiple facilities, specialized checklists or extensive document review.
Travel costs may apply when the factory is outside our normal auditor coverage. We confirm the scope, timing and cost before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Factory Audit?
A Factory Audit is an on-site assessment of a supplier's manufacturing facilities, equipment, production capability, quality-control procedures, warehouse practices, organization and available records within an agreed scope.
When should I arrange a Factory Audit?
It is normally arranged before placing a significant first order, purchasing tooling, increasing order volume or starting a longer-term relationship with a manufacturing supplier.
Does a Factory Audit guarantee that a supplier is reliable?
No. The audit reports the conditions and evidence observed during the visit. It cannot guarantee future quality, delivery, financial stability or unchanged factory conditions.
Can a Factory Audit confirm the supplier's production capacity?
The auditor can review visible production lines, machinery, staffing information, current workload and available records. Capacity figures that cannot be independently verified during the visit are clearly described as supplier-provided information.
Does G&D authenticate factory certificates?
Certificates and documents may be reviewed and recorded during the audit. This does not mean that G&D officially authenticates them with the issuing authority. Separate verification should be arranged when formal authentication is required.
Does a Factory Audit check my finished goods?
No. A Factory Audit evaluates the manufacturing site and its systems. Finished goods from a specific order should be checked through an appropriate Product Inspection, such as FRI before shipment.
Is a Factory Audit the same as Supplier Verification?
No. Supplier Verification generally focuses on basic company and supplier information. A Factory Audit includes a broader on-site review of the supplier's manufacturing operations, equipment, capacity information and quality-control systems.
Who decides whether to approve the supplier?
The audit report provides independent information and photographs for your review. The final supplier approval and order decision remains with you as the buyer.
Need a Factory Audit in China?
Send us the supplier name, factory address, proposed product, expected order volume and the questions you need the audit to answer.
We will review the information and confirm the audit scope, timing and cost before booking.
Starting from USD 160 per man-day.