Factory Audit Questions: The Checklist I Use Before I Trust a Home Decor Factory China Partner
The audit isn’t a tour. It’s a “future problems” detector.
When a supplier tells me they’re a home decor factory China partner, I don’t care how perfect the sample looks on a shelf.
I care whether they can survive the boring, high-pressure reality of retail: spec control, packaging discipline, and delivery rhythm—especially when the second PO hits.
So here’s my real checklist. If a factory is truly “audit-ready,” they can answer these without guessing.
Start here: “Show me your audit system, not your showroom.”
I like audits run with a clear structure (scope, evidence, follow-up). ISO 19011 is literally written as guidance for auditing management systems—how to manage audit programs and conduct audits in a consistent way.
Questions
What is the audit scope today (product lines, processes, outsourced steps, warehouses)?
What evidence do you keep for corrective actions (not just rework, but prevention)?
Who owns the audit program internally—and how are findings tracked to closure?
Quality and delivery control: “Can you repeat the same output on a bad week?”
If a factory claims strong quality and delivery control, I want to see a quality management mindset that can consistently meet requirements (ISO 9001 is a common signal because it focuses on consistent delivery of quality through a QMS).
Questions
Where are the QC gates: incoming → in-line → pre-shipment? Who signs off at each gate?
What are your top 3 recurring defects this year—and what did you change to stop them?
What changes can break lead time (finish, carton, component vendor), and how do you control them?
Custom design home decor factory: “How do you turn a brief into a stable spec?”
Any custom design home decor factory can say “yes.” The audit tells me whether they can design and control.
Questions
Show me one real “product brief → spec pack → golden sample” trail (with dates, approvals, and revisions).
How do you lock tolerances and finish standards so the second PO matches the first?
What is your change-control rule (what triggers re-approval before production)?
Multi-factory sourcing: “Who is accountable when production is split?”
If you run multi-factory sourcing, your risk isn’t capacity—it’s inconsistency. I want one operating system across sites.
Questions
Which processes are done in-house vs outsourced (finishing, packing, glass, upholstery, hardware)?
Who owns the master standard across factories (spec pack, packaging standard, defect limits)?
How do you prevent “Factory A sample / Factory B bulk” drift?
Social compliance: “Do you have a system or just an audit file?”
A factory can pass a snapshot audit and still be a long-term risk. I look for ongoing practice.
SMETA (Sedex) is widely used as a social audit approach covering labor, health & safety, environment, and business ethics—and typically results in a corrective action plan.
Questions
Which social audit framework do you use (e.g., SMETA), and what were your last corrective actions?
What training happens on site (worker safety, working hours, grievance channels)? How often?
U.S. import reality check (non-negotiable): CBP enforces forced-labor trade law using tools like Withhold Release Orders (WROs) and UFLPA enforcement. If your supply chain story is vague, shipments can be delayed or detained.
The last test: “Can your team communicate like a retail partner?”
A factory can be good and still fail retail because communication is slow, unclear, or defensive.
Questions
Who is the single owner for: QC, production scheduling, packaging engineering, documentation?
What is your response SLA (acknowledge in 24h / action plan in 48h)?
Show me your weekly production report format—what metrics are tracked and escalated?
Where Teruier fits
Teruier helps buyers qualify a home decor factory China network with audit-ready discipline—making custom design scalable, keeping multi-factory sourcing consistent, and enforcing quality and delivery control that holds up after the first PO.
