YAJIEER
A factory audit should connect the supplier’s documents with the product you intend to buy. Use this checklist to organise a visit, remote review or independent inspection. It is a procurement guide, not a substitute for a qualified audit or destination-market regulatory assessment. Request evidence and record follow-up actions for any point that remains unclear.
1. Legal entity
Match the business name on the quotation, contract, registration and payment instructions. Ask the supplier to explain any difference between the selling company and the manufacturer. Keep the explanation with the purchase record.
2. Production address
Confirm where formulation, filling and packing take place. Compare the production location with the site named on certificates. An office address or group-company address does not by itself establish coverage of a factory.
3. Certificate issuer
Inspect the original document and identify the issuing organisation. Where verification is available, use the issuer’s official route. A logo on a marketing page alone is not enough to verify a current certificate.
4. Scope and validity
Check issue and expiry dates, activities and products covered. Management-system certification and product certification serve different purposes. For Halal documents, verify the exact products and site rather than assuming the whole catalogue is covered.
5. Outsourced operations
Ask which steps or tests are performed externally and how those providers are qualified. Establish who is accountable for approval, records and corrective action when another company supplies packaging or performs testing.
6. Incoming materials
Review identification, acceptance and quarantine arrangements for raw materials. Ask how the supplier connects a received lot with its specification and supporting documents before use in production.
7. Packaging receipt
Check how tubes, bottles, caps and cartons are inspected and stored. Artwork revision, cleanliness, print quality and closure fit should be controlled against the agreed specification, not only a visual reference.
8. Water and utilities
Ask what controls and monitoring apply to water used in the formulation and to relevant utilities. Request the applicable specifications and records; the presence of equipment alone does not show its operating condition.
9. Personnel and hygiene
Observe entry procedures, protective clothing and movement between areas. Ask how staff are trained and how the factory verifies that procedures are followed during routine work and changeovers.
10. Equipment maintenance
Review the maintenance and calibration approach for equipment relevant to your product. Identify how overdue or unsuitable equipment is prevented from affecting production and how the intervention is documented.
11. Formula control
Confirm how the approved formula is identified and how revisions are authorised. Ask who can change ingredient quantities or processing instructions and how the buyer is informed of a material change.
12. Batch records
Check that records connect materials, processing, operators and finished goods. The factory should be able to explain which records would be used to investigate a specific batch supplied to your company.
13. Filling and packing checks
Agree which checks apply to net content, seals, closures, batch codes and carton counts. Ask when checks occur and how rejected or reworked units are kept separate from accepted goods.
14. Laboratory and external testing
Discuss the product-specific test plan, methods and responsible laboratory. Do not assume that a generic report covers a changed formula or package. Confirm which evidence your destination market requires.
15. Product release
Identify who authorises shipment and what evidence is reviewed. Agree the finished-product specification and documents to accompany the batch, including a COA when required for the programme.
16. Retained samples
Ask whether samples are retained, how they are identified and the agreed retention period. A retained sample should be traceable to the batch and stored under conditions appropriate for later investigation.
17. Traceability and complaints
Review how a customer complaint would be recorded, investigated and linked to production records. Ask how the team would identify affected goods and communicate corrective actions if a problem is confirmed.
18. Storage and dispatch
Inspect separation of materials and finished goods, stock identification and dispatch checks. Confirm how the packaging will be protected for your shipment route and who approves the final shipping documents.
19. Market documentation
Agree the responsibilities for formula information, test reports, safety assessments, labels and import documents. COA, SDS/MSDS, CPSR and origin documentation have different functions; the required set depends on the product and destination.
20. Commercial agreement and follow-up
Record the accepted specification, quality criteria, payment and delivery terms, change-control process and unresolved actions. Assign an owner and due date to each open point. Close the review based on evidence rather than a general impression from the visit.
Yajieer welcomes a structured discussion of factory capabilities and your oral-care programme. Share the product categories, target markets and areas you want to review before arranging a visit. This helps the appropriate technical, production and quality colleagues prepare the relevant information.