A pre-order audit of a power supply factory in China covers six areas: the manufacturing processes that will build your product, the test coverage applied to every unit, process control at the stations that matter, component sourcing and second sources, certification coverage by model, and packaging, identification and record retention. Audit the process, not the showroom — and record the findings against the requirement you will order to.
What Should a Pre-Order Factory Audit Cover?
Six audit areas:
| # | Area | What you are looking for |
| :-: | :– | :– |
| 1 | Manufacturing process | Which stages are in-house, which are outsourced, and who controls each |
| 2 | Test coverage | Functional test at defined load points; protection verification; burn-in where applicable |
| 3 | Process control | Defined critical parameters, in-process checks, operator instructions, rework disposition |
| 4 | Component sourcing | Approved sources, second sources for critical parts, incoming inspection of components |
| 5 | Certification | Which standards and markets, by model and configuration, with documentation |
| 6 | Packaging and records | Labelling and packaging specification, lot identification, record retention |
What Does “Auditing the Process” Mean in Practice?
What to observe:
- The stations that touch your product. Assembly seating, torque or soldering conditions where applicable, cable routing and strain relief, and final test.
- The records produced there. A station that records what it did is a station you can hold accountable later.
- The reaction to a failing unit. Where it goes, who dispositions it, and how it is recorded.
- The handling of components. Storage conditions, moisture management where applicable, and identification.
- The change path. How an engineering change reaches the station, and who approves a change affecting a certified configuration.
A clean showroom says little. The audit is about what happens at the bench on a normal production day.
What Test Coverage Should You Expect?
| Test stage | Purpose | What to ask |
| Incoming component inspection | Catch supplier variation before it reaches assembly | Which parameters, sampled or 100% |
| In-process checks | Catch defects while they can still be corrected | Which stations, what limits |
| Functional / automated test | Verify output and protection behaviour against limits | Defined load points, pass/fail limits, record |
| Burn-in / aging under load | Surface early-life failures before shipment | Duration and conditions as agreed for the programme |
| Final inspection | Confirm configuration, labelling and packaging | Against approved reference and packing list |
How Do You Audit Certification and Documentation?
- Ask for the document that names the model and configuration, not a certificate summary.
- Confirm the standard and edition, and the market the document serves.
- Ask which changes would require re-testing — a supplier who can answer this understands the certification structure.
- Confirm the product identification on the unit and packaging matches the documentation.
Availability is available by model and depends on the model and the target market; a range-wide claim should be treated as unverified.
How Should Audit Findings Be Recorded?
Audit record structure:
- Requirement — what you will order, in written form
- Finding — what was observed, at which station or in which document
- Evidence — record, photograph, or document reference
- Risk — what the finding affects: performance, conformity, schedule or traceability
- Action — accepted, clarify, correct before order, or re-audit
- Owner and date — who closes it, and when
An audit without dated findings and owners becomes an opinion. The record is what makes it a control.
What Should Be Settled Before the Order Is Placed?
- The approved production reference: specification, drawing set, approved physical sample, label and packaging specification
- The test documentation that will accompany first article and production lots
- The batch or lot identification scheme and record retention
- The change process, including who approves changes affecting a certified configuration
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a formal third-party audit?
Not always. The checklist is useful as a structure for a self-conducted visit or a remote review. A third-party audit adds an independent record and is useful where several suppliers must be compared consistently.
What is the single most useful thing to look at?
The test stations and their records. They show what the factory actually verifies, and whether verification produces evidence you can use later.
How do I audit a factory I cannot visit?
Request process descriptions, batch test records, traceability information and the certification documents — and ask questions that require production knowledge to answer. Remote review is weaker than a visit, and should be reflected in the programme risk.
Should the audit include a trial production run?
Where the programme allows it, a first article or pilot run is strong evidence: it tests the process on your configuration rather than on a catalogue model.
How long should the audit take?
It depends on the product’s complexity and the programme risk. What matters is that the six areas are covered and findings are recorded, rather than that a specific amount of time is spent.
Next Step
Request a quote — “Share your requirement and we will confirm the specification, the test documentation and the configuration that applies.”