The Factory Visit Checklist: 23 Things to Verify on the Ground
"Anyone can show you a clean showroom. Ask to see the back of the warehouse."
Before you arrive
Confirm the address against the registered business license. Ask for the latest production schedule. Request to see specific production lines, not 'a tour.'
Bring a printed checklist. Take photos of everything — equipment plates, fire exits, dorm conditions, raw material inventory.
What to actually verify
Equipment matches the capacity claimed. Workers are present and active (a factory with three workers can't run a 10,000-unit order). Fire exits are unblocked. Raw materials match the claimed product line. There are quality control stations between major steps, not just at the end.
Ask to meet the production manager — not the sales rep. The production manager's competence is the single strongest predictor of on-time, on-spec delivery.