Supplier and Factory Audit Checklist
Last reviewed: · Published by FRIDERM Pro (Jinan Xilemei Import and Export Co., Ltd.)
For large-account procurement & quality audit
Direct answer: Before auditing a factory, first establish which role your counterparty actually holds — brand owner, manufacturer, or trading company — because each role has a different scope of what it can actually show you and be accountable for.
Three roles, not one
| Role | What they control | What an audit of them can verify |
|---|---|---|
| Brand owner | Product branding, specification decisions, market strategy | Documentation and quality-agreement oversight — not necessarily the physical production site |
| Manufacturer | Physical production, in-process quality control, raw material sourcing | The production site itself — equipment, cleanroom conditions, process controls, record-keeping |
| Trading company | Sourcing and resale, sometimes across multiple manufacturers | Their own sourcing/QC process — not a substitute for auditing the actual production site |
FRIDERM Pro is operated by a licensed medical-device wholesale business; the manufacturing arrangement behind each product (in-house or contract partner) is disclosed per product during supplier qualification. We do not claim an audit has been passed, and we do not publish certification badges we cannot currently substantiate. See Manufacturing for what we currently disclose.
What a factory audit should actually verify
- That the entity named on your contract matches the entity actually operating the production site you visit or review
- Cleanroom classification and environmental monitoring records, not just visible cleanliness
- Batch record-keeping and traceability from raw material to finished goods
- Whether the specific product line you are sourcing is produced at the audited site, rather than a different facility under the same company name
Cross-checking photos and certificates against the entity
Request that any factory photographs or certificates presented to you are dated and tied to the specific legal entity and production line relevant to your order — a certificate or photo belonging to a related but different entity or site does not transfer automatically to the product you are buying.
FAQ
What's the difference between auditing a brand owner, a manufacturer, and a trading company?
A manufacturer audit can verify the physical production site itself; a brand-owner or trading-company audit typically verifies documentation and sourcing oversight rather than production conditions directly — know which one you're actually auditing.
Has FRIDERM Pro passed a factory audit?
We do not make that claim on this site. Our own manufacturing role and facility-ownership status are still being confirmed — see Manufacturing for our current disclosure.
How do I know a factory photo or certificate actually applies to my product?
Ask for it to be dated and tied to the specific legal entity and production line relevant to your order, not just the company name in general.