| Product Classification | Product category, intended use, and firing type | Clearly classified as decorative ceramic, stoneware, porcelain, terracotta, or earthenware; food-contact claims should be separated from decorative-use claims. | Technical data sheet, product drawings, intended-use statement, and material declaration | 5% |
| Dimensional Accuracy | Length, width, height, diameter, wall thickness, and weight tolerance | Use approved drawings with defined tolerances; commonly specified limits for mass-produced decor are approximately ±1–3% for dimensions, depending on shape and process. | Signed specification sheet, pre-production sample, calibrated measuring records, and inspection report | 8% |
| Surface and Glaze Quality | Pinholes, blisters, crawling, cracks, glaze coverage, color consistency, and sharp edges | No structural cracks, exposed sharp edges, unstable glaze, or visible contamination; cosmetic limits must be defined by approved golden samples. | Golden sample, defect catalogue, visual inspection standard, and high-resolution production photos | 10% |
| Mechanical Strength | Resistance to breakage, impact, stacking, and handling | Testing method and acceptance value should match the product type and destination-market standard; fragile decorative shapes require product-specific drop and packing tests. | Third-party test report, internal strength test, drop-test video, and packaging validation record | 8% |
| Water Absorption | Percentage of water absorbed by the ceramic body | Porcelain is generally classified at ≤0.5% water absorption under ISO 13006 tile classifications; decorative earthenware and terracotta can be substantially higher and should be specified by use case. | Laboratory test report, body composition, firing temperature, and product classification | 7% |
| Glaze Durability | Resistance to crazing, staining, abrasion, thermal shock, and household chemicals | No visible crazing or glaze failure after the agreed test cycle; test severity should reflect whether the item is decorative, washable, outdoor, or food-contact. | Crazing test, stain-resistance test, thermal-shock results, and chemical-resistance report where applicable | 7% |
| Chemical Compliance | Lead, cadmium, restricted substances, and material safety | For food-contact products, meet the legal limits of the destination market, such as applicable FDA requirements, EU food-contact rules, and national ceramic regulations. Decorative items must be clearly labelled when not intended for food use. | Independent laboratory report, glaze and pigment declarations, bill of materials, and compliance statement | 15% |
| Factory Quality System | Incoming inspection, process control, final inspection, traceability, and corrective action | Documented quality procedures aligned with ISO 9001 principles; batch traceability should extend from raw materials to finished cartons. | Quality manual, inspection plans, calibration records, nonconformance logs, and corrective-action reports | 10% |
| Inspection Acceptance | Defect classification and sampling plan | Use a written AQL sampling plan based on ISO 2859-1 or an equivalent standard; define critical, major, and minor defects before production. | Purchase specification, AQL table, inspection checklist, and independent pre-shipment inspection report | 8% |
| Production Capacity | Monthly output for the specific product, available kilns, working shifts, and utilization | Capacity should be demonstrated for the same ceramic body, glaze, decoration, and product size; available capacity should exceed forecast demand by at least 20% to absorb rework and seasonal peaks. | Capacity statement, kiln schedule, production plan, historical shipment records, and line-loading analysis | 10% |
| Lead Time and Delivery Reliability | Sample lead time, production lead time, on-time shipment rate, and replenishment speed | Require a written schedule covering sampling, tooling, production, inspection, and export preparation; target an on-time shipment rate of at least 95% based on documented history. | Recent delivery-performance records, production calendar, order milestones, and contingency plan | 7% |
| Packaging and Export Protection | Individual protection, carton strength, palletization, moisture control, and drop resistance | Packaging should pass agreed handling and drop tests with no unacceptable breakage; carton dimensions and stacking limits must support the selected transport method. | Packaging specification, carton test report, loading photos, drop-test record, and damage-rate history | 8% |
| Customization Capability | Mold development, color matching, logo application, surface decoration, and sample approval | Supplier should provide a controlled approval process for artwork, color chips, prototypes, tooling changes, and mass-production samples. | Tooling quotation, color-control procedure, approval samples, artwork files, and change-control records | 5% |
| Environmental and Social Controls | Wastewater, dust, kiln emissions, energy use, worker safety, and responsible sourcing | Factory should comply with applicable Chinese environmental and workplace-safety requirements and maintain documented waste, wastewater, and emissions controls. | Environmental permits, wastewater records, safety training logs, audit reports, and corrective-action plans | 5% |
| Overall Evaluation | Weighted score based on verified documentation, samples, factory audit, and independent inspection | Recommended decision guide: 85–100 = preferred; 70–84 = qualified with corrective actions; below 70 = higher-risk candidate requiring further verification. | Completed scorecard, approved samples, compliance documents, audit findings, and pre-shipment inspection results | 100% |