Moving production stages to a sister factory
Approve the proposed route only after identifying the stages and sites involved, assigning responsibility for each transfer and proving that unfinished stock remains traceable through processing, rework and final packing. Ask for a trial using that route. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate these checks through its own staff in China.
Map the changed route before approving it
Ask the supplier to mark the existing and proposed routes from incoming material to final packing. For every operation, record the site address, business operating it, process, input condition, output condition and inspection point. Show outward transfers, return journeys and temporary storage. Mark which stages stay at the original factory and whether the sister factory intends to pass work elsewhere.
Clarify whether the move covers named orders, selected batches or future production generally. Record the reason, affected products and approval boundary in writing. The multiple-factory guide covers component coordination; this check follows unfinished goods through a changed manufacturing route.
Check the receiving site's actual operation
Ask for evidence of the equipment, operators, tooling and process controls used for the transferred stage at the receiving address. Shared ownership does not establish equivalent capability. Compare materials, consumables, settings, fixtures and inspection methods with the approved route. Use the factory audit checklist for the wider site review.
Run a trial through the proposed route, including transport and any return to the original factory. Inspect characteristics that later work could conceal, such as preparation beneath a coating or joints enclosed during assembly. Agree what results permit production and which further changes need buyer approval. The supplier qualification guide covers broader approval gates.
Assign responsibility at each handoff
Create a handoff sheet naming who releases stock, arranges transport, protects it, confirms receipt and accepts it for processing. Define the condition and evidence required at dispatch and arrival. Separate receipt of packages from acceptance of their contents. Name who can quarantine stock, stop processing and authorise its return.
Keep a named supplier contact accountable to the buyer for the complete route. Agree who investigates damage or defects, organises sorting and rework, supplies replacements and resolves disputed costs. Record how unfinished goods and tooling can be retrieved if the route stops. Treat any proposed seller, payee or order-term change as a separate approval decision.
Connect unfinished stock to finished batches
Carry the originating material or production batch reference on travellers and container labels. At each transfer, record the order, product revision, source batch, dispatch and receipt dates, quantities, condition, receiving site and processing record. If the receiving site assigns another reference, retain the link to the source reference. Photographs should show identifiable stock and labels alongside the corresponding records.
Record batch splits and merges explicitly, including which source stock enters each output batch. Reconcile dispatched, received, processed, rejected, reworked and remaining quantities; explain differences before release. Link rework to its original batch and repeat checks. Carry these links through final assembly and packing so a finished batch can be traced backwards and affected source stock traced forwards.
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Test the evidence before releasing goods
Ask the supplier to trace a finished batch back through the transferred stage, then trace a source batch forward to finished stock. Compare travellers, receipt records, process checks, rework records and packing references. Investigate missing links, unexplained balances or records naming the wrong site. Agree to hold affected stock until the evidence and acceptance checks are resolved.
Some product classes require manufacturers to follow conformity assessment before market placement. Ask your compliance owner whether the changed process affects the evidence for your product, rather than assuming existing reports settle the question. Keep the approved route, trial findings and batch links with the release file. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can follow up at the sites and check the handoff records.
Frequently asked questions
Is a sister factory already approved?
Shared ownership does not prove process capability. Check the actual receiving site, transferred operation and trial results before approving the route.
Who should be responsible for transferred work?
Keep a named supplier contact accountable for the complete route. Also name the dispatch, transport, receipt, acceptance and defect-action owners at each handoff.
What if the sister factory changes batch numbers?
Require a recorded link between the original and new references. Preserve the links through splits, merges, rework and packing so finished batches remain traceable.
Can final inspection replace transfer records?
Final inspection checks finished goods against the agreed criteria. It cannot reconstruct missing batch links or show how an operation concealed by later work was controlled.