Set the visit objective before booking
A factory visit can answer specific questions about a site, people and visible processes. It is less useful when the instruction is simply to see whether a factory is good. State the business decision you face: selecting a possible supplier, checking a claimed production capability, reviewing a sample workflow or following up on an existing order. Then define what a visitor should observe and what would remain outside the visit.
Send the factory's Chinese and English names, complete address, contact person, product description, model or drawing, expected quantity and any prior claims. Confirm the visit date and access with the site. Some areas, records or workers may not be available, and photographs may require permission.
- Prioritize five to ten questions that affect your decision.
- Identify the production stages relevant to your product.
- Specify whether the visit concerns a potential supplier or your own active order.
Questions about the site and production flow
Ask who operates the premises and whether the site visited is the one named in the quotation or supplier documents. Ask which steps are done there and which are subcontracted. Walk through the flow from incoming materials to assembly, checks, packaging and dispatch where access permits. The point is to understand the path your product would take, not to count machines in isolation.
For each critical step, ask who is responsible, how work is recorded and what happens when a problem is found. If a machine or line is idle, record that fact and the explanation given. One observation on one day cannot establish routine capacity or future availability.
- Which operations occur at this address for this exact product?
- What work is sent to another site, and how is it controlled?
- How are materials, work in progress and finished goods identified?
Questions about quality and order control
Bring a current specification, approved sample details and known failure points. Ask how staff confirm material, dimensions, function and packaging during production. If the supplier shows inspection records, note their dates, product references and who completed them. Ask how changes to drawings or materials are approved and how rejected items are separated and handled.
For an active order, ask to see the order identifier and the stage reached, while respecting what the factory agrees to show. A visit is not a substitute for a product inspection based on a sampling plan or laboratory testing when those are needed. Avoid presenting a quick visual check as proof of conformity for an entire lot.
- What is checked at incoming, in-process and final stages?
- How is the current specification distributed to the people making the product?
- Can the visitor view product-specific records and note any access limits?
Ask for a report that separates evidence from claims
Agree on the report format beforehand: time and location, people met, areas accessed, questions asked, observations, photographs when allowed, documents viewed and unresolved points. The report should distinguish direct observations from statements made by factory staff. Photo captions should explain what is shown and when it was taken. Missing access or missing records should be described plainly.
After the visit, compare the report with your purchasing criteria and send focused follow-up questions to the supplier. If you need help arranging an on-site visit in China, share the site address, contact, product brief and checklist when requesting Factory Visit or Factory Verification support. The proposed scope should say what can be observed, reported and followed up, without promising an outcome.
- Save original images and the written report together.
- Mark each issue as observed, reported by the supplier or still unknown.
- Decide whether another check, a sample or a specialist inspection is needed.