← Technology WikiFactory Audit (Water Purification Suppliers)
A factory audit is an on-site assessment of a manufacturer's capability, quality system, and export readiness — the due-diligence step that separates real factories from trading companies.
How it works
- Scope: business license verification, production lines, in-house vs outsourced processes, QC lab, warehouse, and export history.
- Capability check: can they actually make YOUR product at YOUR volume? (Not just 'we can make anything.')
- Quality system: ISO 9001 certificate verification + observed IQC/IPQC/OQC practice (not just the manual).
- Output: a written report with photos, findings, and a go / conditional / no-go recommendation.
Key specifications
| Duration (typical) | 1 day on-site |
| Report turnaround | 48 hours |
| Key checks | License, lines, QC lab, export history |
| Red flags | No QC lab, outsourced core processes, no export records |
What buyers and QC should check
- Always verify the business license against the factory name on the gate — mismatches are the #1 trading-company tell.
- Ask to see the QC lab running, not just the certificates on the wall.
- CWS factory audits include a 48-hour English report with photos.
Free one-page QC checklist (PDF)
The buyer checks from this entry, condensed for the factory floor or the inspection. No signup needed.
Download free PDF checklistCommon questions
Factory audit vs product inspection — which first?
Audit first. An inspection checks one shipment; an audit tells you whether the factory can consistently make what you ordered. Audit once, inspect every shipment.
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