SERVICE 02 · VETTING
Know who you are paying before you pay
A licence is a piece of paper. An audit is evidence. We check the entity, the floor, the equipment, the quality system and the commercial record — then tell you, plainly, whether this factory can make your order.
AUDIT TYPEDesk, video or on-site
REPORTScored, photo-annotated
TURNAROUND2 working days after visit
A report you can make a decision with
An audit is not a photo album. Every section is scored, every claim is evidenced, and the conclusion is written in the language of risk: what could go wrong on your order, how likely it is, and what it would cost you.
We audit against a 60-point checklist built from eleven years of Chinese export orders — not a generic template bought online.
SCOPE
What we audit
Eight sections, each scored 1–5, with a final risk rating and a clear recommendation: proceed, proceed with conditions, or walk away.
| Section | What is checked |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | Business licence, registered capital, scope of business, export rights, any abnormal-operation records. |
| Facility | Owned or leased, floor area, workshops, warehouse, loading bays, fire safety, access control. |
| Equipment | Machine list with age and condition, in-house vs subcontracted processes, tooling maintenance. |
| Capacity | Lines, shifts, monthly output, current utilisation, peak-season constraints. |
| Quality system | Incoming inspection, in-process checks, final inspection, defect records, calibration, traceability. |
| Workforce | Headcount by function, QC staffing, training records, turnover, overtime practice. |
| Compliance | ISO 9001, BSCI/Sedex, product certifications, test reports, labelling. |
| Commercial | Main customers and markets, export experience, payment terms, references. |
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Three levels of vetting
Not every order needs a full audit. We will tell you which level is proportionate to the value and risk of your order.
Desk check — included
Licence, business scope, export record, litigation and abnormal-operation records, marketplace history. Two working days, no fee.
Video walkthrough
A scheduled live call while the factory walks the floor: equipment, warehouse, QC bench, current production. Good for mid-size first orders.
On-site audit
Our auditor visits, photographs, measures and interviews. Required for high-value tooling, regulated products and any factory we have not used before.
RED FLAGS WE LOOK FOR
The signals that predict a bad order
Most of these are invisible in a quotation and obvious on the floor.
One customer, most of the output
A factory with 80% of its revenue from a single buyer has no capacity to protect your deadline.
No in-house QC bench
If nobody inspects between processes, the final inspection is where your defect rate is discovered — not prevented.
Subcontracting the critical step
Plating, heat treatment, printing or sewing sent out is where schedule and quality usually break.
Reluctance about licences
A factory that will not send a licence scan is telling you something. We treat it as a stop signal.
Old tooling, new promise
Worn moulds produce flash and dimensional drift. We ask for tooling age and maintenance records.
Prices below material cost
It is arithmetic, not negotiation. Somebody pays for it later, usually you.
QUESTIONS
Common questions, answered plainly
If your question is not here, ask us directly — a sourcing specialist, not a chatbot, will reply within one business day.
How long is an audit valid?
Twelve months for capacity and systems; six months if the factory is expanding or has changed ownership. We re-check the licence and export record free of charge before every order.
Can you audit a factory I found myself?
Yes — that is one of our most common requests. We audit the factory you are considering and tell you what we find, even when the answer is that you should walk away.
Do you audit social compliance?
We collect the certificates and check them against the issuing body, and we report what we observe on the floor. For a formal BSCI or Sedex audit we bring in an accredited third party and manage the process.
NEXT STEP
Tell us what you need. We will tell you what it costs.
Send one product link or a photo. Within five working days you get factory options, unit prices, tooling, lead time and a landed cost to your door.
Request a quote