Factory Audit Checklist

Before the walkthrough

• Confirm the factory address matches their business registration.
• Have your product spec and sample on hand to reference during the call/visit.
• Prepare specific questions in advance — a vague "show me around" gets a curated tour.

Production floor

• Ask to see the specific production line that would make your product, not just "a" line.
• Check that machinery and staff activity looks consistent with the claimed capacity — an empty floor for a "high-volume" factory is a signal.
• Photograph/video the production line, raw material storage, and finished-goods staging area.

Quality control process

• Ask what QC checkpoints exist — incoming materials, in-line, and pre-shipment.
• Ask to see QC records or inspection reports from a recent order (with client details redacted).
• Ask how rejected/defective units are handled — reworked, scrapped, or shipped anyway.

Warehouse & export readiness

• Check finished-goods storage — are products protected from damage/moisture before loading?
• Ask about their experience with export documentation and prior shipments to India.
• Confirm who handles packing for export — in-house or a third party.

People & communication

• Confirm who your day-to-day contact will be, and that they understand your spec directly (not through translation layers that lose detail).
• Note response time and clarity during the audit itself — it's a preview of the whole relationship.

What to keep on file afterward

• Photos/video of the production line, QC area, and warehouse.
• Names and roles of the people you spoke with.
• Date of the audit — useful reference if capability or ownership changes later.