Service
Factory audits that read like engineering, not marketing.
Full on-site audits to ISO 9001, BSCI, SMETA, ICTI, or your own checklist — with photos, machinery lists, capability assessment, and a remediation plan for every finding.
What an audit actually covers
Our standard audit covers five categories — legal & compliance, production capability, quality systems, working conditions, and security & operational stability — roughly 60 specific checkpoints in total. The auditor walks the lines, photographs the machinery, samples worker interviews, and inspects the documents a factory should be able to produce on demand: calibration certificates, QC records, licence originals.
The point is not a pass/fail stamp. It's an honest picture of whether this factory can make your product, at your volume, at your quality level — and what would have to change if it can't yet.
Scopes and standards
Standard scope maps to ISO 9001. Ethical and social-compliance scopes — BSCI, SMETA, ICTI, or a bespoke checklist — can be added to a standard audit or run independently. If you sell into the EU, note that supply-chain due-diligence obligations under CSDDD make documented ethical audits increasingly relevant from 2026.
On-site time is typically 6–10 hours for a 100-worker factory (1.5–2 days for larger or more complex sites), and the written report follows in 5–10 business days. A standard ISO 9001-scope audit runs $400–$1,200; combined ISO 9001 + SMETA/BSCI ethical scope runs $2,000–$3,500, varying with factory location and scope.
How findings are handled
Findings are classified Critical / Major / Minor. Critical findings block the supplier from ongoing work until remediated. Major findings require a remediation plan and a re-audit. Minor findings are tracked but don't block production. Every finding comes with photo evidence and a concrete remediation recommendation — so the audit is a to-do list, not just a verdict.
How it works
1. Scope
We agree the standard (ISO 9001, BSCI, SMETA, ICTI, or your checklist) and any product-specific concerns to weight.
2. Schedule
Announced or semi-announced visit, coordinated so the right people and documents are on site.
3. On-site audit
6–10 hours on the ground for a typical 100-worker factory: lines, machinery, interviews, documents.
4. Report + remediation plan
Written report in 5–10 business days with Critical/Major/Minor findings, photos, and fixes.
What you get
- Full written audit report with ~60 checkpoint results and photo documentation
- Machinery list with observed condition and plausibility check against claimed capacity
- Findings register classified Critical / Major / Minor, each with a remediation recommendation
- Re-audit option to verify remediation before you commit volume
Go deeper
FAQs
What does a factory audit actually cover?
Our standard audit covers five categories: legal & compliance, production capability, quality systems, working conditions, and security & operational stability. That's roughly 60 specific checkpoints — see our 60-point factory audit checklist guide.
How long does an audit take on-site?
Typically 6–10 hours on-site for a 100-worker factory, plus 5–10 business days for report preparation. Larger or more complex factories may take 1.5–2 days on-site.
What does an audit cost?
Standard ISO 9001-scope audit: $400–$1,200. Combined ISO 9001 + SMETA / BSCI ethical audit: $2,000–$3,500. Pricing varies by factory location and scope.
Do you audit ethical / social-compliance separately?
Yes. BSCI, SMETA, ICTI, and bespoke ethical scopes can be added to a standard audit or run independently. Increasingly relevant under EU CSDDD from 2026.
What if findings are critical?
We classify findings as Critical / Major / Minor. Critical findings block the supplier from ongoing work until remediated. Major findings require a remediation plan and re-audit. Minor findings are tracked but don't block production.