FQ’s guide to onboarding new suppliers
How to ensure your commitment to quality standards extends to every supplier.
A factory audit addresses how well a facility meets its own quality control inspection standards and complies with federal, state, and local regulations that pertain to the industry. The audits are broken into five categories to cover these essential areas.
Factory audits also address manufacturing processes, security, and quality control inspections of the supply chain to identify and report potential quality control issues that can affect how well a facility does its job. The goal is to root out potential problems throughout the manufacturing process before they happen.
This audit monitors a facility’s adherence to social and ethical responsibilities and health and labor laws. A social compliance factory audit will ensure the facility complies with all federal, state, and local laws governing employment and safe, responsible operations, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
A good manufacturing practices (GMP) audit will assess a facility’s ability to maintain consistent manufacturing quality and reduce or eliminate costly production errors. GMP audits also monitor quality control throughout the manufacturing process, not just at the final quality control inspection station.
An environmental audit assesses a company’s impact on the surrounding air, land, and water based on federal, state, and local regulations. In addition to evaluating the site itself, the audit considers waste management practices and contamination mitigation procedures.
Although relatively uncommon, a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-PTAT) audit ensures compliance with U.S. Border Protection requirements for commerce across territorial borders. These audits examine the facility’s internal and external physical security, including access control at all entry points, as well as its container tracking systems and computer equipment.
As the name suggests, a quality system audit assesses the conformity of existing quality control systems and how well they comply with company policies for documentation and implementation. An inspection system designed in the past may no longer be applicable, so a quality control inspection audit will identify the components that are no longer effective.
Booking a factory audit is easy, fast, and affordable. At Factored Quality, it’s as easy as pressing a button from anywhere in the world. Keeping quality control inspections up to date will prevent costly delays and avoid unnecessary hassles.
Factored Quality has over 1,500 trained QC inspectors available to keep your operation running efficiently. Enter your email to book a demo of our managed service platform.