| Business Identity and Legal Status | Valid business registration, operating address, authorized contact, export documentation, and bank-account consistency. | All legal names, addresses, payment details, and contract entities match exactly. | Check official registration records where available; confirm the factory address by video call or an independent visit. | The quotation, bank account, and contract use different legal entities without a documented explanation. | 10% |
| Sample Quality and Functionality | Pre-production sample, final material specification, zipper and hardware details, dimensions, logo artwork, and packaging sample. | The approved sample matches the signed specification for materials, dimensions, construction, color, and function. | Use a signed sample approval sheet with dated photographs and a controlled revision number. | The supplier refuses to record material composition, tolerances, or approved sample changes. | 20% |
| Sample Lead Time | Sample request date, payment date, dispatch date, and delivery record. | Target a clearly documented sample schedule, commonly 7–15 working days for standard toiletry bags; custom materials may require longer. | Compare promised dates with courier tracking and the actual approval timeline. | Dates are given verbally only, or delays are blamed on unspecified production issues. | 8% |
| Material Safety and Compliance | Material composition, restricted-substance declarations, test reports where required, and packaging specifications. | Materials comply with the destination market’s applicable chemical, labeling, and product-safety requirements. | Confirm that test reports identify the actual material or production batch; use an accredited laboratory when risk or regulation requires it. | Reports are expired, generic, edited, or issued for a different material and supplier. | 15% |
| Quality Management System | Quality manual, inspection procedures, defect classification, calibration records, corrective-action reports, and relevant certifications. | Documented incoming, in-process, and final inspections with traceable corrective actions; ISO 9001 certification is useful but does not replace product inspection. | Review controlled procedures and select several completed inspection records for consistency. | Only a certificate is provided, with no inspection records or measurable acceptance criteria. | 15% |
| Independent Factory Audit | Audit report covering labor practices, production capacity, quality controls, traceability, environmental controls, and subcontracting. | No critical nonconformities; major findings have named owners, deadlines, and documented closure evidence. | Use an independent third-party audit or conduct an on-site audit before placing a large order. | The supplier controls the audit scope, blocks production-area access, or cannot close repeated findings. | 15% |
| Production Capacity and Subcontracting | Monthly capacity, current utilization, equipment list, staffing plan, production calendar, and approved subcontractor list. | Available capacity covers the order quantity and peak-season plan without relying on undisclosed subcontractors. | Compare stated capacity with equipment, staffing, recent orders, and an actual production schedule. | The supplier cannot identify where cutting, sewing, printing, packing, or storage will occur. | 8% |
| Pre-Shipment Inspection and AQL | Inspection checklist, sampling plan, defect definitions, inspection report, carton details, and shipment release procedure. | Use a mutually agreed sampling standard such as ANSI/ASQ Z1.4; define lot size, inspection level, AQL values, and critical, major, and minor defects in writing. | Require an inspection report before shipment and retain random samples, photos, and carton counts. | The supplier uses “100% checked” without records or rejects quality claims based on undefined defect standards. | 12% |
| Contract and Specification Control | Purchase contract, technical specification, approved sample reference, tolerance table, packaging requirements, delivery terms, and change-control procedure. | The contract defines product requirements, acceptance criteria, inspection rights, delivery obligations, remedies, confidentiality, and dispute resolution. | Ensure every attachment is dated, numbered, signed, and referenced in the purchase order. | The supplier requests production based only on informal messages or an incomplete quotation. | 15% |
| Payment and Commercial Protection | Pro forma invoice, payment schedule, refund or replacement terms, tooling ownership, and agreed Incoterms® 2020 rule. | Use milestone payments linked to sample approval, production completion, inspection, and shipment; document the named place for the selected Incoterms® rule. | Match the invoice, contract, purchase order, and bank details before every payment. | The supplier demands urgent payment to a new account or refuses written remedies for nonconforming goods. | 10% |
| Delivery Reliability | Confirmed production schedule, historical on-time records, shipping documents, carton count, and contingency plan. | Set a measurable shipment date and require advance notice for material, capacity, or logistics risks. | Track actual shipment dates against confirmed dates across multiple orders, not just one transaction. | The supplier repeatedly changes the ship date after receiving the balance payment. | 12% |
| After-Sales Response and Corrective Action | Complaint process, response-time commitment, replacement or credit policy, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action format. | Written acknowledgement within 1 business day and a documented corrective-action plan for verified defects. | Test the process with a formal quality inquiry before the first bulk order. | Issues are handled only through informal chat, with no owner, deadline, or preventive action. | 10% |