How to check capacity claims in a factory audit
Ask how each capacity figure was obtained, which product and shifts it covers, and whether it counts accepted finished goods. Check the limiting process and existing bookings before treating total capacity as available for your order. Ask for an order-specific evidence review from Cambridge China Bridge.
Identify what the auditor actually verified
Ask for an annotated capacity entry showing the site, line, product, unit of output, reporting period and evidence source. Separate output witnessed during the visit, historical output checked against records, supplier-declared figures and calculations based on machine speed. A figure copied into an audit report does not become observed output.
For witnessed production, request the observation duration, operating conditions and accepted output. For historical figures, ask which production and quality records were checked and whether dispatch records support them. Keep unsupported claims marked as unverified. Our factory audit checklist covers the wider visit; this review tests the capacity entry within it.
Expose the shift and operating assumptions
Ask whether the stated output assumes the factory's current staffed shifts or a proposed operating pattern. Check working time after breaks, changeovers, cleaning, maintenance and stoppages. Confirm that operators, supervisors and quality staff are available across the assumed shifts. Extra machine hours alone do not establish extra finished output.
Request the calculation behind the headline figure and compare its assumptions with recent records. Keep proposed recruitment, new equipment and overtime separate from demonstrated capacity. Ask the production manager to explain differences between the declared rate, observed rate and historical accepted output rather than choosing the highest figure.
Find the process that limits finished output
Follow the proposed product through preparation, manufacture, finishing, testing and packing. Ask for the available output at each stage under the same operating assumptions. Check shared tooling, specialist labour, test equipment and external processing. Fast manufacture is of little help if goods wait for finishing or acceptance testing.
Ask whether the limiting stage changes with product size, material, finish or the mix of other products being made. Count accepted finished units separately from parts made, rejected units and units awaiting rework. Our equipment verification guide explains how to check whether the claimed process is actually available.
Check what is already committed
Request a dated, anonymised loading plan for the resources your order needs. It should show existing orders, reserved production slots, maintenance and work carried forward. Customer names can be hidden while quantities, resource allocations and completion windows remain visible. Ask which entries are firm bookings and which are forecasts.
Compare the loading plan with work on the floor and recent completion records. Ask what happens if an earlier order overruns or a shared subcontractor is busy. Treat unused headline capacity as unconfirmed availability until the factory shows where your order fits and who has approved that allocation.
Turn the audit figure into an order-specific plan
Give the factory your approved specification, product mix, quantity, packing requirements and required dispatch window. Ask it to identify the site, line, tooling, staffing, material availability and limiting process for that exact order. Use the product specification guide to define what must be held constant when comparing output.
Request a representative production run where the evidence does not cover your product. Record accepted output, stoppages and rework under normal production conditions. Keep unresolved assumptions visible in the buying decision. Agree the allocated slot, progress evidence and triggers for another check, then use a weekly production update to compare actual progress with the plan.
Frequently asked questions
Does a capacity figure in an audit mean it was verified?
No. Ask whether it was witnessed, checked against historical records, calculated or supplier-declared. Request the supporting evidence and keep unsupported figures marked as unverified.
How do I check a factory's shift assumptions?
Ask which shifts are currently staffed and what working time remains after breaks, changeovers and stoppages. Check that quality staff and supporting processes can cover the same operating pattern.
Is total factory capacity available for my order?
Only the relevant resources matter. Check their existing bookings, maintenance and shared commitments, then ask for a dated allocation showing where your order fits.
What output should I use to assess my order?
Use accepted finished output for your specification and product mix, including testing and packing. Separate rejects, rework and unfinished goods, and check the process that limits completion.