A factory audit is most useful when it goes beyond a tour of machines and a folder of certificates. For an OEM or ODM silicone project, the real question is whether the supplier can take responsibility for the difficult parts of development: clarifying an incomplete idea, identifying design risks, controlling the mold, keeping materials traceable and producing the same result after the approved sample.
This checklist is written for brand owners, importers, wholesalers and product managers who are preparing a new silicone product. It can be used during an on-site visit or a video audit. The questions are deliberately practical. A good answer should include a process, a record or a physical example—not only a promise.
Start with your own product brief
Before assessing a supplier, prepare a short brief covering the intended use, target market, estimated order quantity, preferred material, critical dimensions, packaging channel and launch date. If the project is still at the concept stage, say so. An experienced development team should be able to separate confirmed requirements from assumptions that still need testing.
For reference, Yobonjee’s current product range includes silicone kitchen products, food-storage products, pet products, children’s tableware, travel bottles and custom silicone parts. Different categories require different audit questions; a slow-feeder bowl and a collapsible food container should not be evaluated by the same functional tests.
Twelve questions worth asking
| Question | What a useful answer should show |
|---|---|
| 1. Who reviews the drawing before quotation? | An engineer or project owner checks dimensions, undercuts, wall thickness, parting lines and realistic tolerances. |
| 2. What information is still missing? | The supplier identifies unknowns instead of silently pricing assumptions. |
| 3. Who owns and maintains the mold? | Tool ownership, storage, maintenance, repair and end-of-life terms are documented. |
| 4. How are raw materials identified? | Material grade, batch information, color recipe and receiving records can be traced. |
| 5. Which claims require third-party testing? | The supplier distinguishes material declarations from finished-product testing. |
| 6. How is the first sample evaluated? | Dimensions, appearance, function and packaging are checked against an agreed specification. |
| 7. What changes require a new sample? | Changes to material, mold, dimensions, color, logo or process follow a controlled approval route. |
| 8. How are critical dimensions measured? | Measuring method, equipment, sampling frequency and acceptance limits are defined. |
| 9. How are defects recorded? | Defect categories, corrective actions and reinspection results are documented. |
| 10. Can packaging be tested with the product? | The team considers deformation, odor transfer, abrasion, label position and transport damage. |
| 11. Who communicates during production? | There is a named project contact and a clear escalation path for technical issues. |
| 12. What happens when the result differs from the approved sample? | Containment, root-cause review, rework or replacement responsibilities are clear. |
Look for engineering discipline, not polished language
A reliable supplier does not need to agree with every request immediately. In fact, constructive disagreement can be a positive sign. If a requested wall is too thin, a logo position may trap air, or a collapsible structure will not return to shape consistently, the team should explain the risk before tooling.
Ask to see examples of drawing revisions, sample reports or change records with confidential customer details removed. These reveal how the team thinks. They also show whether sales, engineering and production are working from the same version of the requirement.
Check the boundary of compliance claims
Terms such as “food grade,” “FDA compliant” or “LFGB tested” are often used too broadly. Ask which material or finished product was tested, which standard and test method were used, which laboratory issued the report, and whether the tested formulation matches the product you intend to buy. A report for one material, color or construction should not automatically be treated as evidence for every product.
The same discipline applies to temperature, dishwasher, microwave or outdoor-use claims. Define how the claim will be verified. The practical requirement may be repeated flexing, compression recovery, odor control, seal performance or resistance to staining rather than a single material data-sheet value.
Follow one order from material to shipment
During the audit, choose one representative order and ask how it moved through the factory. Follow the drawing, material batch, color approval, production record, inspection report and packing instruction. This is more revealing than reviewing unrelated documents from different projects.
- Can the production team identify the current approved drawing?
- Can the material batch be linked to the order?
- Are color and logo approvals available at the workstation?
- Does the inspection report use the same critical dimensions as the drawing?
- Does the packing line have the latest label and carton requirements?
How to run a remote audit
When travel is not practical, request a live video call rather than a heavily edited factory video. Agree on the route in advance: material storage, tooling area, production, trimming or secondary operations, inspection and packing. Ask the camera operator to pause at records and equipment. A follow-up file can then contain the documents that were discussed during the call.
A remote audit cannot replace every on-site check, but it is effective for confirming whether the development and quality processes described in meetings are visible in daily work.
Red flags that deserve a second look
- The quotation is final even though important dimensions or materials are undecided.
- Every product is described with the same compliance certificate.
- Mold ownership and maintenance responsibilities are not written down.
- The supplier cannot explain how a golden sample is stored or referenced.
- Inspection is described only as “our workers check it.”
- Technical questions always return to the salesperson without an engineering answer.
A practical next step
A factory audit should end with a short list of open items, owners and due dates. Do not try to resolve every detail during the visit. The more useful outcome is a shared understanding of what must be proven before tooling, before the pilot run and before shipment.
If you are preparing a kitchenware, food-storage or pet-product project, send Yobonjee a drawing, reference sample or product brief. Our team can review the development questions first and identify the information needed for a workable quotation. Contact us to discuss your OEM/ODM project or browse the current product range.
Further reading: Compare Yobonjee’s silicone OEM/ODM process, then review our guide to silicone mold production before finalizing the project brief.
