BUYER FIELD GUIDE / Supplier Evidence
Factory Audit Checklist for China Sourcing
Direct answer: A factory audit checklist connects the visit or audit question, current product or process context, observed point, evidence source, response, and follow-up record.
What this guide helps clarify
A checklist helps preserve the distinction between what was observed, what was stated, and what may still need clarification.
Work through the current record in order
- Prepare the current review question. Record the supplier, product, process, capacity, quality, or order context that the audit needs to inform.
- Capture observations with source. Link photos, records, discussions, and observations to the process or product point they describe.
- Separate observation and conclusion. State what was seen or shared without treating it as a complete conclusion by itself.
- Create the follow-up record. Name the evidence, response, buyer decision, or recheck required next.
BUYER RECORD / KEEP THESE POINTS CONNECTED
Audit context, source observation, product or process link, supplier response, open point, owner, and follow-up record.
What a careful next step looks like
Keep the current reference, source, open question, response, and next owner in one record. This helps the buyer distinguish a useful update from an assumption and decide what needs checking, clarification, approval, or specialist input next.
Continue the buyer route
Use the Supplier Evidence library when you need related practical records, or open the Supplier Verification workspace when the current question needs local buyer-side coordination.
SUPPLIER EVIDENCE & COMPARISON
Make the current question easier to carry forward.
Supplier information is more useful when the buyer can distinguish what was stated, what was shown, what was observed, and what still needs another source. The record should connect the current supplier question to the product or order it is meant to inform.
Current supplier question
What identity, capability, document, comparison, communication, or follow-up point is actually under review?
Evidence source
Which message, document, image, visit note, or public source supports the point, and when was it shared?
Decision edge
What still needs a response, comparison, specialist check, buyer approval, or follow-up record?
Common ways this record loses clarity
- A broad supplier claim is treated as a product-specific answer without a clear source.
- A document, factory observation, or message is separated from the supplier and product question it was meant to inform.
- Different suppliers are compared against different product, quantity, timing, or packaging assumptions.
Before you move to the next stage
Before moving forward, make sure the supplier identity, current product context, evidence source, open point, and next review owner are visible in one record.