In order to make business with a new company safely and smoothly, it is necessary to visit the factory and check the site. We conduct factory audits to understand the status of management and manufacturing processes.

Factory audits are not intended solely for new business partners, but for the purpose of providing guidance on factory technology and quality improvement for existing business partners. Even at factories that are producing smoothly through the process, factory audits may reveal deficiencies. It is not uncommon for products to not be manufactured as requested, and troubles occur after manufacturing. There is not only a problem with the factory, but companies that do not conduct a firm factory audit will also be responsible.

This time, we will introduce factory audits to check the trust, technology, product finish and accuracy of companies, so please use them for reliable business-to-business deals.

1. What is Factory Audit?

It is important to conduct plant audits with a clear purpose. There is no point in conducting factory audits if audits such as paperwork are conducted without any purpose. It is necessary to have a clear purpose and narrow down the audit contents that you want to check.

1.1 What’s factory audit to figure out?

You will see the current situation of the partner factory and the prediction of the risks that may occur in the future. It is also a point that the production level of the factory can reach the required quality level. If you are not at the level you are looking for, the goal is to identify improvements.

1-2. Check product accuracy

It is also important that the requested product is produced smoothly, but product accuracy is an important issue related to the trust of the company. For difficult products, if the product accuracy is not sufficient, the loss will be large. Even if the factory is working and producing as requested, there may be complaints such as not being finished sufficiently after production.

The claim is evidence of a problem on both sides. The requested company must thoroughly check the production process and accuracy of the factory, and move to grasp and realize the technical level. The purpose is to make sure that the contract matters are properly carried out.

2. What Parts are Checked for Factory Audit?

Factory audits are conducted using factory audit check sheets. An important checklist is provided to prevent confirmation errors and diagnostic errors. Specifically, let’s know what part is checked. Factories that are audited can be completed smoothly if they are prepared in advance.

2-1. Work operations and records

The production process and what kind of maintenance is being carried out are also important confirmations. If unevenness and variation are noticeable in the work process, the quality of the product will not be constant, and the production itself will not be stable. It’s maintenance records that know what you’re doing to make sure you’re working to make it work without variability. By checking the records, you can also hear the sincere attitude of the factory.

2-2. Thoroughness of 5S at the factory

5S is acronym for organization, order, cleaning, cleanliness, and discipline. It is a word that the factory manager should know, and it is necessary to work on it neatly.

Organizing is to separate what you need and throw away what you consider unnecessary. Organization is also used for work space and information management. In the production process, human-made things such as the following arrangements are also applicable to facilitate work.

Tidy is what it means that you know where to put what you need and how it appears to be easy for everyone to understand.

Cleaning means always striving for environmental beautification and making it easy to use throughout the plant. Cleaning and cleanliness work together to maintain cleanliness. In addition, you must be conscious of maintaining a pleasant state that does not cause discomfort to those who work at the factory and those who come to the factory.

2-3. Storage of raw materials

The method of storing raw materials necessary for production is also checked in the factory audit. It is also important to take care of other things from entering the raw materials, and make efforts to prevent accidents, such as properly putting in first in and out (FIFO). If you are on the floor, the risk of accidents and defective products increases.

2-4. Waste checks

We check the waste in the trash can and also check the production efficiency of the factory. If there is waste that should not have been produced originally, the loss due to the mistake has occurred. In the trash can, the defect rate of the entire factory can be seen.

2-5. Sorting defective products

In rare cases, there is an accident in which defective products are mixed into the shipment. Defective products must be quarantined, but it is also important to sort them according to the cause of the defect. The collection frequency is also a point of focus.

It is necessary to improve in factories where defective products are randomly summarized and the defect rate etc. are not calculated.

3. Factory Audit Type

There are three types of factory audits:

  • Internal audits (first-party audits) that audit the company,
  • Second-party audits audited by interested business partners,
  • Third-party factory audits without interest by ISO auditors.

Audits check the environment around the factory and check the storage status of garbage, etc. This is because there are cases where the sanitary environment on the factory premises deteriorates due to the scattering of garbage by crows and pigeons.

How visitors to the premises are checked, crime prevention measures, etc. are evaluated as corporate risk management.

4. Improvement Points of Factory Audit

It can be recognized again by receiving a diagnosis by the eyes of a third party, such as deficiencies that could not be found in the factory and points that are difficult to notice.

Aiming to reduce the defect rate by using raw materials without waste, it is expected to review the production process and improve work efficiency.

Factory audits can determine whether we can make a deal in the future. In the factory audit, we are not only looking for the purpose of finding where the problem is, but also to determine how to improve the problem and whether it is a problem that can be improved.

It is also important to respond to the response taken by the factory when there is a point to be improved. Let’s share information on what needs to be improved in the factory, and thoroughly rule and observe it throughout the factory. It is involved in the trust of companies, so be sure to have a high awareness of crisis management.

  • Summary

Factory audits are necessary to predict the status of business partners and possible risks. Variations in work processes and maintenance records prevent the quality from being kept constant. It is important that the storage method of defective products is also carefully processed so that defective products such as foreign matter are not mixed with the shipments.

By conducting factory audits by a third party, we can see the points that need to be improved. The purpose is not only to improve the problem, but also what kind of work is being taken on the problem that has occurred is also the subject of evaluation. Be sure to be aware of crisis management in order to increase the confidence of your company and ensure a safe and smooth deal.