What This Checklist Is For

This guide is for procurement managers and business owners sourcing from new Asian suppliers. It provides a standardized vetting process to filter out middlemen and unqualified workshops before financial commitment. Use this to shift leverage in your favor.

When You Should Use This

  • First-time supplier onboarding: Before sending any deposit.
  • Orders above $10,000: Or any amount you cannot afford to lose.
  • New country / new category: When you lack established networks in the region.

The 7-Step Verification Process

Step 1. Business License Verification

Goal: Confirm legal existence and scope
What to check

  • Business Scope (经营范围): MUST include "Production", "Manufacturing", or "Processing". If it says "Wholesale" or "Sales" only, they are a trader.
  • Registered Capital: Should be commensurate with the factory size (e.g., >500k RMB).
  • Establishment Date: Avoid entities <2 years old unless verified by other means. Common mistake
  • Assuming possession of a business license equals ownership of the factory floor.

Step 2. Bank Account Validation

Goal: Ensure payment traceability and corporate legitimacy
What to check

  • Beneficiary Name: Must match the English name on the export license/business license.
  • Account Location: Should match the company's registered city/province. Red flag
  • Requests to pay personal accounts (Western Union) or unrelated offshore entities in Hong Kong.

Step 3. Factory Capability Check

Goal: Verify physical capacity matches claimed output
What to check

  • Machine Count & Type: Do they actually own the equipment required for your specific product?
  • Daily Output Calculation: Does (Cycle Time × Machines × Hours) match their promised lead time? Common mistake
  • Accepting verbal capacity claims without doing the math on the floor.

Step 4. Product Traceability (The "Golden Sample")

Goal: Confirm they made the sample
What to check

  • Bill of Materials (BOM): Can they show the sourcing logs for the raw materials in your sample?
  • Production Routing: Records of the specific machine lines used for that unit. Red flag
  • "Trade secret" excuses when asked for basic production logs of the sample they just sent you.

Step 5. Quality Control (QC) System Audit

Goal: Validate process consistency
What to check

  • IQC (Incoming QC): Logs of raw material testing upon arrival.
  • IPQC (In-Process QC): Visual denial/acceptance standards posted at workstations. Red flag
  • Empty rejection bins on the line (implies no checking) or perfectly clean QC logs (implies fake data).

Step 6. Export Experience Verification

Goal: Ensure regulatory compliance and logistics capability
What to check

  • Past Bills of Lading (B/L): Redacted proofs of shipping to your target market (US/EU).
  • Certifications: Verify UL/CE/RoHS certificates against the issuing database, not just the PDF. Red flag
  • Providing a "Reference List" in Word format instead of actual shipping documentation.

Step 7. Liability & Management Attitude

Goal: Align expectations on failure
What to check

  • Defect Compensation Policy: Explicit agreement on what happens if >3% of goods fail.
  • Reaction to Pressure: Ask tough questions about potential delays and gauge their honesty vs. agreeableness. Common mistake
  • Trusting a "satisfaction guaranteed" promise without a written replacement protocol.

Red Flags That Kill Deals Immediately

  • License holder ≠ factory operator: The name on the door doesn't match the papers.
  • Subcontracting without disclosure: Finding materials being moved to a "sister factory."
  • Refusal to show production line: "Maintenance", "Secret Tech", or "Safety" excuses.
  • Personal Bank Accounts: Immediate disqualification.

What This Checklist Does NOT Guarantee

  • Product Quality: It verifies capability, not the final quality of every unit. You still need pre-shipment inspections.
  • Ethical Standards: It does not audit labor conditions or environmental compliance (requires SA8000/audit).
  • Zero Defects: No factory is perfect; this sets the baseline for dispute resolution.

Final Notes

Verification is cold and process-driven. It is the only insurance you have before the money leaves your bank. Do not apologize for asking for proof; legitimate factories expect it.