How to Audit a Chinese Apparel Factory Before Placing an Order

Factory audits are the single most effective risk-management tool in apparel sourcing. A 2-day on-site audit before placing a bulk order can prevent quality failures, delivery delays and compliance disasters. Here is our recommended audit framework.

1. Pre-Audit Document Review

Request: business licence, export licence, OEKO-TEX/GOTS/BCI certifications as applicable, recent third-party audit reports, and a current client reference list. Verify the legal entity name matches across documents.

2. On-Site Capability Walk-Through

Walk the production floor with a checklist: cut-and-sew capacity, knitting machines (if knitwear), dyeing partners (if relevant), printing capability, embroidery machines, finishing stations. Note machine brands and approximate age.

3. Quality System Review

Inspect the QC room: light boxes for colour matching, AQL reference charts,measurement templates, wash-testing equipment. Ask to see sample QC reports from past orders — look for inline vs final inspection splits and defect-rate tracking.

4. Compliance Documentation

Verify social-compliance certifications (BSCI, SEDEX, SA8000), chemical management policy, restricted substance list (RSL) compliance, and worker-safety documentation. Photograph certificates.

5. Sample Pull

Request 2-3 random samples from current production. Test them independently for fibre content, colorfastness and dimensional stability. Comparing factory self-declared specs to independent test results is the fastest way to assess integrity.

6. Production-Capacity Verification

Ask how many similar orders they ran in the past 12 months and the lead times they achieved. Confirm they have free capacity for your window — not just theoretical capacity.

Right Suntone Trading performs supplier audits on every factory we work with. Contact us for our audit checklist or to commission a specific factory audit.