Yes. An agent can audit a supplier you already buy from, in the same way they would audit a new one. You get an on-site report on whether the factory makes your goods itself, how it controls quality, and what needs fixing.
Auditing an existing supplier is often more useful than auditing a new one, because you can compare what you see with the problems you have already had.
What the audit covers
A good audit follows a fixed checklist, so results can be compared over time and between factories. Our guide on what a factory audit should contain goes through it in detail. In short, it checks these areas.
- Whether the factory makes your product on site, or buys it in from someone else.
- Registrations and licences, checked against the official registers.
- Capacity, compared with your volume and lead times.
- Raw material sourcing, storage and traceability from lot to lot.
- Quality control on the line and on the finished goods, with records.
- Packing, marking and the loading area.
- Working conditions and basic safety.
Announced or unannounced
An announced audit lets the factory prepare documents and staff, which makes the visit efficient. An unannounced audit shows how the factory runs on a normal day. Each has a place. If you suspect your goods are made elsewhere, an unannounced visit during production of your order is the stronger test.
Either way, you need the factory's cooperation to enter. Tell the supplier that audits are part of your buying policy, ideally in the purchase contract.
Before the visit
Give the agent the history. Share past claims, test results, photos of problems on arrival and any complaints from your customers. An auditor who knows that cartons arrive crushed or that moisture varies will look harder at storage, packing and loading.
Also share your specification and the approved sample, if you have one. The audit can then check whether the factory's own records match what you agreed to buy, not just whether the factory looks tidy.
What to do with the results
An audit should end with a plain verdict: keep buying, fix specific points first, or move on. Share the fix list with the factory and agree dates. A second visit then shows whether the fixes were made. After that, a yearly audit keeps the record current and shows whether standards are holding or slipping.
If the audit shows the supplier is really a trader, you have a choice. You can keep them, or ask to buy from the manufacturer directly. Our guide on telling a trader from a manufacturer explains the signs.
Next step
Our audits are carried out on site by our own staff, with photos, video, scores and a go, fix or avoid verdict. To arrange one for your current supplier, book a free sourcing review.