How to approve subcontracted production
Approve subcontracting by named site and process, with agreed checks and written permission before work moves. Keep a production map, assign responsibility for each handover and trace batches through outside workshops. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate these checks through its own staff in China.
Record the production route before approving it
Ask the supplier for a production map covering incoming materials, processing, assembly, finishing, packing and any outside rework. For each step, record the operating company, physical address, process performed and whether work goes elsewhere again. Include overflow workshops and sites within the same group. A company name alone does not identify the workshop making your goods.
Match that map to the proposed order and specification revision. Mark each site as proposed, approved or on hold, and date the record. Our factory capability guide explains how to challenge equipment claims; use the factory audit checklist to assess the actual sites. The production map connects those checks to your order.
Assign responsibility at every handover
Ask your supplier to accept responsibility in the order for coordinating subcontractors, supplying the current specification, obtaining inspection access and resolving defects. Name the production contact and quality contact at each site. Agree who can stop work and who on your side can approve restarting it. These are proposed purchasing controls to agree before production.
Use a responsibility record for each process. Avoid entries such as 'factory handles quality': name the person or role, the check and the evidence you expect.
| Activity | Named owner | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Issue production instructions | Supplier production coordinator | Current specification acknowledged by the workshop |
| Release goods to the next site | Dispatching site's quality contact | Batch identity and process check record |
| Accept incoming work | Receiving site's quality contact | Receipt record and condition check |
| Approve a site or process change | Buyer's authorised contact | Written decision defining its scope |
Require approval before work moves
Agree that work stays at the approved site until your authorised contact approves a change in writing. Apply this to overflow, rework, further subcontracting and moves between group sites. Request the reason, destination address, affected processes and batches, equipment differences, proposed checks and delivery impact. An urgent shipping date should trigger a decision request, rather than serve as permission.
Before approving, assess the proposed workshop and request a sample made there using the intended materials and process. Ask whether existing test evidence still represents the changed production. Record the approved site, process, specification revision, affected batches and conditions for restarting. Use the bulk production and sample guide for sample approval details.
Monitor the route while production is running
Agree checks before a critical outsourced operation makes defects difficult to correct, and before goods leave that workshop. Arrange access directly with the site as well as through the supplier. Request batch-labelled photographs, process records and handover records showing where goods went and who accepted them. Compare actual locations with the approved map.
Choose pieces for checking from the identified production batch. Photographs selected by a sales contact cannot establish that the whole batch followed the approved route. Reconcile dispatched and received quantities, investigate unexplained gaps and retain site-linked inspection findings. Our quality inspection guide covers batch inspection methods.
Treat an undisclosed move as an unresolved change
Ask the supplier to hold affected goods separately and pause the affected process while you establish their location and history. Identify which batches used the unapproved site, what changed and what checks were missed. Decide whether site assessment, further testing, sorting or rework is needed before release. Keep the original approval and record the new decision separately; avoid backdating consent.
For manufacturers and importers, UK product safety guidance says responsibility for a product's safety continues after it is placed on the market. Keep the production map, change decisions and batch evidence together so you can investigate later problems. Receiving an acceptable finished sample should not close an unexplained gap in the production record.
Frequently asked questions
Is subcontracting a reason to reject a factory?
Assess the named workshop and process. Subcontracting can be workable when sites are disclosed, responsibilities are agreed and you can check the affected production.
What if the supplier will not disclose its subcontractor?
Explain what site information and access you need. Offer controlled disclosure to your inspector if appropriate. Keep approval on hold if you cannot establish where the work will happen.
Does approval cover another factory in the same group?
Define approval by physical site and process. Ask for a written change request before work moves to another group site, and assess the differences before agreeing.
What should I do if production has already moved?
Locate and separate affected batches, request the production history and pause the affected work. Assess the new site and agree the checks needed before deciding whether to release the goods.