Prior to placing an order with the manufacturer, an importer may request a factory audit, which is a physical inspection carried out on behalf of the importer at the manufacturer's manufacturing facility. Using Factory Audit, you can avoid getting yourself into trouble by working with the wrong factory. Not to be confused with quality management system auditing, which includes not only the quality management system but also the auditing of the auditing of the auditing of the auditing of the background of the company in question, as well as the auditing of the company's industrial experience and history of exporting.
The selection of the most appropriate factory with which to conduct business is a critical step in the development of a successful business venture. More and more Chinese manufacturers are closing their doors on a daily basis as a result of rising pressures from poor rice production and an unstable labor market throughout the country. If you want to avoid being caught off guard when a critical issue arises, it's best to identify it as soon as possible and address it as soon as possible.
How do you know which aspects of Factory Audit Services are the most important, especially when you are looking to source products from a new supplier and factory?
1. Verify that the supplier is legitimate.
When a factory audit is performed by a reputable quality control firm, the risk of working with a supplier is reduced. This is especially important for first-time suppliers. Early on, it's critical to obtain all of the required certifications and licenses so that you can begin selling and exporting your products. According to Chinese law, the business license will include information about the date on which the company will be registered, in addition to the scope of its operations and activities. This indicates that the factory is not eligible for manufacturing if the manufacturer's business license does not include production language. It is also necessary to obtain a rental agreement or a certificate of ownership in order to determine whether or not the building is legitimate for use in the production of goods.
2. Conduct an inspection of the manufacturing process?
Is it important to consider the manufacturing process when conducting a new factory audit? The production process provided a great deal of information about the expertise and capability of the team members who were involved in the production of the product. Having only one production process, such as an assembly line, or combining a number of simple production processes into a single larger production process is very common among small businesses. In the case of a factory with a straightforward manufacturing process, it is likely that the factory will have difficulty controlling the vast majority of quality aspects on its own. The likelihood of a quality issue occurring will increase as the number of production processes that are subcontracted to other suppliers grows.
3. Machines and equipment, as well as measuring instruments, are included.
If you gather information about machinery and equipment, it will be easier to determine whether or not your production capability and production process control will meet your expectations. Currently, I'm working with a client who is looking to purchase children's rainboots from a variety of different manufacturers and retailers. It is possible to work with two suppliers, one of whom has an in-house mold-making workshop and an Italian injection machine, and another who does not have an in-house mold-making workshop and a domestic injection machine. When it came to doing business with a factory that didn't have a mold-making workshop, the client initially sought a partnership with one of these factories because the costs of doing business were lower. Because of permanent defects in the outsole that cause shrinkage, the factory is unable to control the quality of the product during the production process. As evidenced by their failure to properly design a mold as well as construct a reliable injection machine, the factory was shut down. The client finally decides to end his or her business relationship with the factory.
4. Check to see if there are any human resources available.
The verification of human resources is also critical for the Factory Audit Service process to be successful. It is possible to determine how many workers are required for production and how many people are required for product design when you have a clear understanding of your company's human resource structure. Therefore, a factory that only has a production department and no quality assurance department will be unable to maintain the necessary control over the quality of the products produced in the factory. If a product development and engineering department is available, it indicates that the company possesses engineering capabilities that will be extremely beneficial to the manufacturing process.
5. Confirm that the company has the ability to manufacture.
According to the audit report's information on production capability, the vast majority of the information is incorrect. What is the reason for this? For reasons of time constraints, the auditor only requested that the manufacturer provide the data and keep a copy of the data on file. What methods do you use to gather trustworthy information? In my opinion, the data will be more reliable if the manufacturer is able to provide an annual report on manufacturing operations. If we cannot obtain this type of annual production report from the manufacturer, we can ask him to provide us with a copy of an annual contract from a large client.
6. Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the quality management system. 7.
When the auditing team arrives on site, they will assess the effectiveness of the factory's Quality Management Systems (QMS). They will evaluate them in accordance with the ISO 9001 quality management system standard. You'll also have a much clearer picture of whether or not there are any quality risks in your supply chain after you've completed the analysis, which will be extremely helpful.
