Factory Audit in China

What an audit day looks like on site

One auditor spends most of a day at the registered production address. The visit opens with a document review — business licence, export record, organisation chart — then moves to the workshops, where machines, assembly lines and warehouse space are compared against the sales story you were told.

In between, the auditor interviews managers about incoming material control, in-line checks and calibration practice, watches how workers handle rejected units, and counts actual staffing on each line, because headcount is the most honest measure of real capacity. Photos are taken throughout, since memories fade faster than production schedules.

What the audit report tells you

• Whether the supplier manufactures in-house, subcontracts, or acts as a trading company
• Realistic monthly output compared with the volumes quoted in your negotiations
• Condition of key equipment and whether it suits your product's processes
• Strengths and gaps in the quality system, each finding backed by a photo
• A risk score and prioritised recommendations before you release a deposit

When is the right moment to audit a supplier?

Ideally between the first serious quotation and the deposit transfer — late enough that the supplier is committed, early enough that you can still walk away cheaply. Audits also make sense when an existing partner's quality slips and you need to understand what changed on the floor, and a repeat audit every one to two years keeps the picture current.

Is social compliance included?

The checklist covers working hours, dormitories, fire exits, wage records and the use of underage or unregistered labour, at a level suitable for pre-order screening. Buyers who need a certified social audit can request a deeper format adapted to their own code of conduct.

CGF Inspection has been based in Hangzhou since 2017; its auditors draw on 15+ years of team inspection experience across 3,000+ QC projects nationwide. After an audit clears a supplier, product inspection takes over during production — and if you are still building the shortlist itself, start with our guide on finding and verifying a manufacturer in China.