Verification of the quality system
The auditor follows a checklist loosely based on ISO9000 series. He typically observes the verifications of incoming materials, in-process products, and finished goods. The objective is to look for holes in the factory's quality system, and to evaluate their reliability.
Every claim by the factory has to be supported by written records.
Social compliance issues
The auditor checks whether the factory respects its country's regulations, and some other criteria from a standard such as SA 8000 or ISO 26000. Verifications focus on pay records, worker interviews, observations in the workshop, etc.
This is often conducted as a separate audit. The objective is usually to avoid public relations risks for the importer or the retailer.
Report preparation
The auditor prepares his report, based on his observations and his subjective evaluation.
Caution: factory audits tend to follow a scientific approach, which favors larger manufacturers… who tend to pay no attention to small orders. Therefore, audits are dangerous if the pre-qualification phase was not oriented toward suppliers of a suitable size.