Technical Supplier Audit
The technical factory audit assesses a supplier on its profile, workforce, facilities, customer experience and management system, from purchasing control to process control. It is recommended before a regular, lasting relationship.
Also called
- Factory audit
- Supplier audit
- Quality system audit
- Manufacturing audit
Factory audit
Before placing an order with a supplier, it is critical to know who you are dealing with.
You might have had a direct contact with a 'sales manager' on an Internet platform or even met someone at a tradeshow. This is not enough. Every buyer needs to know who they are dealing with. Nothing will be more helpful than a factory audit for that.
Very often your contact would not at all be employed by the factory and therefore would have little control over the production schedule and results for orders.
LPI helps you uncover what stands behind an online showcase of a potential supplier. We also allow you to take an informed decision based on a complete assessment of the factory.
Different audits are available according to your need, and production needs.
LPI can run for you:
- Initial Factory Evaluation
- Quality system Audit
- Social & environment Audit
- Custom Audit
- Due diligence services
Our factory audit can include:
- FACTORY PROFILE : name, contact details, licenses check, etc.
- EMPLOYEES and WORKFORCE : management, QC, workers, etc.
- FACILITY CHECK : office, equipment, production lines, etc.
- CLIENTS and EXPERIENCE : trade history, samples check, etc.
- MANAGEMENT SYSTEM :
- Purchasing Control
- Design Control
- Storage Management
- Incoming Inspection
- Production Control / Internal QC / Testing
- Continual Improvement
- Social Environment Responsibility
- R&D capabilities
- Testing
- PRODUCT CONTROL : Stock rotation, control plan, etc.
- PROCESS CONTROL : Control of operations, Incoming materials control, etc.
- CORRECTIVE ACTIONS PLAN.
Technical Audits: at a glance
- When
- Before a regular, lasting relationship, or when quality problems repeat
- Where
- On site, at the factory
- Scope
- Profile, workforce, facilities, customers, management system, product and process control
- Deliverable
- Report with findings and a corrective action plan
- Price
- On quotation
What does it cost?
Audits are quoted case by case, according to the factory size and the scope of the audit.
See prices and termsHow a technical audit runs
- ScopeWe agree the audit grid with you: standard scope, or adapted to your product and your quality requirements.
- Opening meetingThe auditor meets management, checks licences and the factory profile.
- Factory tourProduction lines, warehouses, laboratories and testing equipment are visited and photographed.
- Systems and recordsPurchasing, design, incoming inspection, production control, traceability, complaints and continuous improvement are checked on records, not on statements.
- Closing meetingFindings are presented to the factory, which commits to corrective actions.
- ReportScores, photos, non-conformities and the corrective action plan.
What to send us
- Supplier name, address and contact
- Your products and your quality requirements
- Any recurring quality problem you want investigated
What a technical audit cannot tell you
- The quality of a given order: that is the job of inspections.
- Working conditions: see the social audit.
- What happens between audits: the audit is a picture on one day; regular inspections keep the factory on track.
Supplier assessments compared
Due diligence tells you who the supplier is; the audits tell you what the factory can do and how it works. Choose according to the stakes of the relationship.
| Assessment | How | The question it answers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Due Diligence | Desk research in local databases and a short interview in Chinese | Does the company exist, hold its licences, and who decides? | Any new supplier met online or at a trade show |
| Initial Factory Evaluation | Factory visit, shorter scope | Can this factory make my product to my requirements? | One-off order |
| Technical Audits | Factory visit, full scope | Is the quality system strong enough for a lasting relationship? | Regular supplier, strategic product |
| Social Audit | Factory visit, records and interviews (SA 8000 reference) | Are working conditions acceptable? | Brands exposed on ethics, retailer requirements |
| Environmental Audit | Factory visit, from basic evaluation to ISO 14001 audit | Does the factory manage its environmental impact? | CSR policy, regulated processes (chemicals, dyeing, coating) |
Frequently asked questions
What does a technical factory audit cover?
The factory profile and licences, workforce, facilities, customers and experience, the management system (purchasing, design, stock, incoming control, production, continuous improvement, R&D, testing), then product and process control.
Which other audits can be combined with it?
LPI also performs the initial factory evaluation, the quality system audit, the social and environmental audit, the tailor-made audit and due diligence, according to your needs and those of production.
Why an audit rather than the supplier’s own statements?
Your contact is often not an employee of the factory and has little hold on the schedule or the outcome of your orders. The audit shows what lies behind the online storefront.