How to commission a factory follow-up audit
Commission a targeted return visit against the original findings register. Link each finding to its original evidence, the factory's claimed remedy and an agreed on-site verification method. Require an outcome and supporting evidence for every finding, with exclusions stated. You can arrange this through Cambridge China Bridge.
Define the return visit before booking
Name the factory, production site, original report and findings to revisit. State that the assignment is a targeted follow-up, with specified related controls checked where needed. List excluded areas. Use the factory audit checklist when you need a broader assessment of capability. For address discrepancies, see our guide to licence and audit address mismatches.
Agree the report issuer, access to production and records, visit timing, deliverables and who may approve closure. Ask the auditor to flag site, process or subcontractor changes that undermine the original assessment. Agree how any proposed expansion of scope will be authorised before booking.
Build a finding-by-finding evidence register
Keep the original finding identifier and wording. Attach the original report page, dated photograph, measurement or record reference, and the criterion that was not met. Preserve the original files. If the evidence is missing or ambiguous, flag that gap rather than silently rewriting the finding.
Against the same identifier, record the factory's explanation of the cause, immediate correction, preventive change, responsible person and claimed completion date. Attach its supporting files and mark them as supplier claims pending verification. Agree what observed result would justify closure; the corrective-action closure guide covers that decision.
Specify how each remedy will be verified
Give each finding an on-site verification task: observe the changed process, inspect the affected equipment, trace a production record or ask the operator to demonstrate the revised check. State the product, drawing revision and production conditions involved. Agree how records and samples will be selected so the visit does not depend only on examples prepared by the factory.
Check both implementation and effectiveness. For a missed measurement check, seeing a revised instruction establishes a document change; watching the operator use it and reviewing subsequent records tests whether the control works. If relevant production is idle, record what could be verified and leave effectiveness pending until an agreed production observation or trial.
Require a separate outcome for every finding
Ask the report to retain each original identifier and show the claimed remedy, verification performed, dated evidence and reasoned outcome. Use agreed statuses such as verified closed, partly implemented, ineffective or not verified. Record denied access, missing records and unavailable production explicitly. A factory's assurance alone should not become a verified closure.
Record newly observed problems separately and explain whether they affect an existing finding. If changes or recurring failures suggest wider weaknesses, request a separately scoped full audit. Keep the follow-up title and coverage explicit: closing listed findings does not reassess every area of the factory.
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Separate closure from order release
Keep the buyer's acceptance of finding closure separate from permission to pay, produce or ship. Agree what unresolved findings block the order and what further evidence is needed. The audit and inspection report comparison explains why a targeted factory check does not replace batch inspection or product testing.
Manufacturers and importers placing products on the UK market need to demonstrate compliance with relevant safety requirements. Treat the follow-up report as evidence within its scope and arrange product-specific compliance checks separately. Send Cambridge China Bridge the original report, findings register and factory response so its staff in China can coordinate the agreed verification and identify any checks needing a separate specialist.
Frequently asked questions
Is a follow-up factory audit a new full audit?
A targeted follow-up checks named previous findings and agreed related controls. A full audit has a broader scope. Ask the report to state which areas were revisited and which were excluded.
Can factory photos close an audit finding?
Photos can support a claimed remedy, but may not show whether it works during production. Agree the evidence needed for closure and which findings require direct on-site observation.
What if the factory is not producing during the visit?
Record the document and equipment checks completed, but leave production effectiveness unverified. Agree a return observation or relevant trial instead of closing the finding on paperwork alone.
What should a factory follow-up audit report contain?
For each original finding: its identifier, original evidence reference, claimed remedy, verification method, dated new evidence, outcome and remaining action. Include scope limits and the named issuer.