The importance of a supplier audit in China

Supplier audit in China is the best way to assess capabilities of a manufacturer before placing an order.

When self-searching for suppliers in China on Alibaba, 1688, etc., you can only rely on the information, stated in the listings. Supplier audit is meant to verify whether he is able to make a specific order according to your requirements. It implies the following steps:

Supplier profile verification

Suppliers in China sometimes turn out to be no more than reseller companies. After receiving an order for production they pass it to some factory. Such situations are quite common in China, it is just one of their ways of doing business.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, but in certain cases it may complicate relations with a supplier. For example, the lack of direct communication with the factory can seriously complicate product customization. You will have to explain everything to a middleman manager, so that he passes this information to the factory.

The thing is that he specializes in wholesales, and it is unlikely that he will go into all the details concerning your product manufacturing. Language barrier and the peculiarities of Chinese mentality can make things even more complicated.

This is why supplier audit in China implies business profile verification.

Supplier manufacturing capabilities assessment

• Factory management assessment

How long the enterprise exists, the location and interaction between production lines, warehouses and offices.

• Manager’s competence assessment

Your manager has to have sound understanding of the manufacturing process and production techniques to be able to respond quickly and effectively to any potential technical issue.

• Suppliers of raw materials and components

This information helps to evaluate stability of supplies and possible deviations in the quality of the finished product.

• Factory internal quality control assessment

Verifying the presence and efficiency of the internal quality control department. This allows to draw a conclusion about possible defects in the finished products.

• Key markets analysis

Verifying in which markets and in what volumes the factory sells its products.

Figuring out if there are there any differences in product quality for different markets.

• Equipment inspection

The availability of the required equipment, its age and performance.

• Staff competence audit

Verification of staff responsibilities and qualification requirements.

• The presence of required licenses and certificates

It is highly advisable to make sure the factory has all the required documentation beforehand in order to avoid possible problems at customs clearance later.

LIVE supplier audit in China

FBAHELP conducts factory audits in China in LIVE mode. They are performed with your remote presence, which allows you to take full control over the inspection process, if such need arises.

You can communicate with the inspector via a messenger application (Whatsapp or Wechat) and receive audio, photo and video data in real-time.

Check out our Facebook page for more information about doing business with Chinese suppliers.

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