01What the service involves
A factory audit evaluates the manufacturer as a whole: management and organisation, production capability and capacity, machinery and maintenance, quality control at each stage, laboratory and measuring equipment, storage and handling, sub-supplier control, and documentation. The core of every QUALITAS TR factory audit is a technical factory audit: product oriented and focused on whether the quality system actually works on the shop floor, not only on paper.
Buyers can add modules to the same visit: a code of conduct review against the buyer's own supplier code (working hours, wages, health and safety, child and forced labour indicators), an environmental review (permits, waste, chemicals, emissions) and a security review (access control, loading security, seal control). These modules are second-party audits to your requirements; QUALITAS TR does not perform accredited scheme audits such as SMETA, amfori BSCI or WRAP.
- Company profile and organisation
- Production capability and capacity
- Machinery list and condition
- Preventive maintenance
- Incoming, in-process and final control
- Measuring equipment and calibration
- Laboratory and testing facilities
- Sub-supplier and outsourced process control
- Storage, handling and packing
- Traceability and records
- Code of conduct module (optional)
- Environmental and security modules (optional)
02Why buyers need it
Most sourcing problems are predictable from a single day in the factory: an overloaded machine park, outsourced heat treatment with no control, an empty measuring room, or a quality manager who is also the sales manager. A factory audit before the first order costs a fraction of one failed shipment.
For existing suppliers, a periodic factory audit documents changes in ownership, capacity, staff and processes that can affect your products.
03Typical applications
- New supplier screening before sample orders
- Supplier panel reviews and re-approvals
- Nearshoring projects moving production to Turkey
- Due diligence before framework agreements
- For-cause audits after quality or delivery failures
- Customer or end-user audit preparation
04Methodology
Pre-audit questionnaire
Company information, certificates, machine list and organisation chart collected before the visit.
Opening and factory tour
Opening meeting, then a complete walk from goods receipt to dispatch following a real order.
Technical evaluation
Capability, controls, equipment and records evaluated against a scored checklist agreed with you.
Optional modules
Code of conduct, environmental and security checks, with document review and interviews where included.
Rating and report
Overall rating, findings with photographs, risk level and a clear recommendation within 48 hours.
05Applicable standards and references
The technical checklist is structured on ISO 9001 and ISO 19011 audit principles and adapted to the product. Environmental and health and safety modules draw on ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 themes and on your supplier code of conduct.
06Deliverables
- Scored factory audit report
- Capability and capacity summary
- Photo log of key areas and equipment
- Findings list with risk rating
- Approval recommendation and conditions
- Corrective action follow-up report (optional)
07Customer benefits
- Objective view of a factory before placing orders
- Comparable scores across candidate suppliers
- Early visibility of capacity and sub-supplier risks
- Evidence for your supplier approval file
- One visit covering quality, social and environmental questions
08How QUALITAS TR supports you
Factory audits are carried out by engineers who know how the products are made: castings, forgings, machined parts, fabrications, plastics and machinery. Reports are written in English; interviews are conducted in Turkish.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a factory audit and a factory inspection?
A factory audit evaluates the manufacturer: capability, systems and controls. A factory inspection evaluates the product: a specific order at a specific production stage.
Do you perform SMETA or BSCI audits?
No. Those schemes require accredited audit firms and registered auditors. We can review a supplier's existing scheme reports and check your own code of conduct requirements as part of a second-party audit.