What an audit is for, and what it is not
An audit answers three questions: is this plant what it says it is, can it make this product at the required quality and volume, and does it operate in a way the buyer can defend to its own customers? It is not a certificate. Vaculent does not hold certificates, and the desk does not issue them; it records what was observed, which documents were seen and which questions remain open. Audit findings are a snapshot of the day and of the line visited, so a good audit is repeated before a major new program.
The checklist below is ordered the way a visit usually runs. Items marked as documents are asked for in advance, so the day can be spent on the floor.
1. Identity, scope and documents
- Business registration matches the trading name on the quotation, and the production address matches the address on the registration.
- Is the plant the producer of the quoted model or a trading company? If a trader, which plant actually builds it, and has that plant been visited?
- Quality management certification, such as ISO 9001, and social compliance records, such as BSCI or SMETA, where they exist; check scope, issue date and expiry rather than only the logo.
- Test reports for the target standards, for example IEC/EN 60335-2-2 for Europe or UL 1017 for North America, with the report model number matching the model to be ordered.
- For cordless models, UN 38.3 test summary and IEC 62133-2 or UL 2054 report for the exact battery pack.
2. Capacity, tooling and process
- Number of lines, daily output on the line that will build the order, and current utilisation. A full plant is a schedule risk.
- Injection moulding in-house or outsourced, mould condition, and whether the moulds for the order are clearly labelled and stored.
- Assembly flow: separate stations for motor, board, battery and final assembly, with work instructions at each.
- Which parts are made in-house and which come from named suppliers, for the motor, battery cells, controller, filters and brushes.
3. Incoming inspection and component control
- Written incoming inspection for motors, cells, boards, cords and filter media, with records showing sampling levels and results.
- Approved supplier list and a rule that component changes need approval. Ask for an example of a substitution request.
- Traceability: can a finished unit be linked to its batch of motors, cells and boards?
- Storage: battery cells kept in a controlled, separate area with fire precautions; moisture control for boards and filter media.
4. In-line and final testing
| Test | What to see | Record to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical safety | Insulation and dielectric strength test on every corded unit, earth continuity where applicable | Calibrated tester, daily check record |
| Performance | Suction or vacuum, airflow, input power, per the agreed method such as the IEC 62885 series | Sampling plan and results against the specification |
| Noise | A suitable room or booth and method such as IEC 60704-2-1 | Report with conditions |
| Battery | Charge and discharge cycling, protection function, temperature rise | Cycle logs per lot |
| Filtration | Filter sample checks against the stated EN 1822 grade where applicable | Media supplier certificate and incoming sample test |
| Durability | Drop, cord flex, switch and brush life samples | Test plan and last reports |
| Appearance and pack | Final visual and carton check against the approved sample | Golden sample and defect classification |
Check calibration stickers on instruments, not just the presence of equipment. The pre-shipment step that follows production is covered in pre-shipment inspection for vacuum cleaners, and the plant's routine tests are described on the quality control page.
5. Social compliance and safety
- Working hours, overtime records and age verification on a sample of staff files.
- Fire exits, extinguishers, drills and battery storage precautions. Cordless production adds a fire risk that general audits underrate.
- Dust and noise controls at the moulding and polishing areas.
- Wage records and contracts, checked against the social audit scope if one exists.
6. Packing, shipping and records
- Pack-out station with approved carton drawings, drop test results and pallet patterns.
- Labelling checks for rating plates, importer details, battery markings and barcodes.
- Complaint and returns handling: how defects from earlier orders were recorded and corrected, and who closes them.
Red flags worth noting on the day
Some observations deserve a note even if no checklist line covers them. A plant that cannot show the production line for the quoted model, and offers a different line or a showroom instead, may be subcontracting. Test equipment without calibration stickers, or a high-voltage tester that is switched off, suggests the safety test is a paper exercise. Battery cells stacked in an open production area, mixed with packaging, are a fire risk and a sign that the plant has not thought about transport rules. Reports in which the model number differs from the model being ordered, even by one letter, mean the report is for a different product until the plant shows otherwise. And a plant that offers every standard and every certificate for every model, with no questions, is usually promising more than it has checked.
None of these automatically disqualifies a plant, and the desk records them as questions to resolve, with the plant's explanation, before moving on. Photographs of the line, the test station and the storage areas, taken with permission, give the importer something to compare against at the next visit.
Scoring and follow-up
Findings are easier to use when classified. A common approach is critical (stops an order, such as missing safety testing), major (must be corrected before the order starts, such as uncontrolled component substitution) and minor (corrected within an agreed period). Each finding gets an owner and a date, and a plant that disputes everything is as informative as one that fixes things quickly. For an overseas importer, a remote audit using live video and document exchange can cover items 1 to 3 and part of 6, with an on-site visit reserved for the final shortlist.
Before a visit, ask the plant to send documents in advance and confirm the scope in writing. The desk can run the visit and report back; start with the quote form, or read the cluster note to decide where to look first, and see the full sourcing sequence.