Vietnam Factory Visit Checklist: 25 Things to Inspect On-Site

A Vietnam factory visit checklist covers five areas: (A) legal documents — business registration, export license, certifications; (B) production floor — workforce count, equipment, organization; (C) raw material storage — moisture, labeling, contamination control; (D) quality control — in-process checkpoints, defect tracking, sample retention; (E) commercial terms — MOQ per SKU, lead time in writing, payment terms, references. Score each factory out of 25 to compare suppliers objectively.

Why You Need a Scored Checklist — Not Just a Walk-Through

A factory visit without a structured checklist produces a feeling. A checklist produces data. When you are comparing three or four factories for the same product category, a scored 25-point checklist gives you a number you can defend to your business partners — not just "this one felt better."

It also changes how factory management engages with you. Walking in with a clipboard and a written list signals that you are a professional, experienced buyer who knows what to look for. Factories respond differently to that signal.

Section A — Legal and Document Checks (5 points)

• ✅ 1. Business registration certificate — company name, registration number, and business scope explicitly cover your product category
• ✅ 2. Tax code (Mã số thuế) — matches the business registration; no discrepancy between the legal entity and the one quoting you
• ✅ 3. Export license — valid, current, and covers your specific product category
• ✅ 4. Product certifications — confirm which apply to your destination market: CE (EU), REACH (EU chemicals), ASTM F2417 (US candles), FSC (wood products), ISO 9001 (quality management), BSCI or Sedex (social compliance)
• ✅ 5. Previous third-party audit reports — Bureau Veritas, SGS, Intertek, TÜV issued within the last 3 years

Section B — Physical Factory Assessment (7 points)

• ✅ 6. Production floor access granted — factory permitted inspection of actual manufacturing area, not redirected to showroom only
• ✅ 7. Workforce headcount vs. claimed capacity — worker count is plausibly consistent with stated monthly output volume
• ✅ 8. Equipment condition — machinery is operational, maintained, and appropriate for your product type
• ✅ 9. Factory cleanliness and organization — structured, labeled, free of obvious safety hazards or uncontrolled clutter
• ✅ 10. Raw material storage — moisture and contamination — materials protected from heat, humidity, sunlight; correctly separated by type
• ✅ 11. Batch labeling and traceability — raw materials and work-in-progress are labeled and tracked by batch number
• ✅ 12. Packaging and pre-shipment area — finished goods are packed with appropriate protection; carton labels are correct and readable

Section C — Quality Control Systems (5 points)

• ✅ 13. In-process QC checkpoints visible on the floor — quality is checked during production, not only at an end-of-line sorting table
• ✅ 14. Dedicated QC team — QC personnel are separate from production line workers and report independently
• ✅ 15. Defect tracking data available — factory can show actual defect rate history from recent production runs
• ✅ 16. Approved sample retained and accessible on the production floor — the reference standard is present during the production run, not filed away in an office
• ✅ 17. Pre-shipment inspection protocol exists — factory has a documented, practiced process for final inspection before goods leave the facility

Section D — Capacity and Commercial Terms (5 points)

• ✅ 18. Current order book utilization — factory is not at or near 100% capacity; has buffer to absorb your order without compromising your lead time
• ✅ 19. MOQ confirmed per SKU in writing — MOQ is stated per color, size, and material variant — not as a vague blanket number
• ✅ 20. Lead time confirmed in writing — both production completion date and FOB shipment date are committed to in writing
• ✅ 21. Sample process confirmed — factory will produce a proto sample before mass production begins; pre-production sample sign-off is standard procedure
• ✅ 22. Standard payment terms accepted — 30% deposit before production / 70% balance after pre-shipment inspection; any deviation requires justification

Section E — Ethics and Transparency (3 points)

• ✅ 23. International buyer references provided — factory provides contact details for two existing international clients willing to confirm their experience
• ✅ 24. Worker conditions observed — appropriate PPE in use, no signs of coercive or unsafe working conditions, compliant with your retail partners' supplier code requirements
• ✅ 25. Subcontracting disclosed transparently — factory confirms whether any portion of your order will be produced outside this facility and to whom

How to Score and Use the Results

After each visit, score every factory across the five sections. Maximum score is 25. Use this as your shortlisting threshold:

Need This Checklist Run for You?

Our Factory Visit service applies this exact 25-point framework at every visit — delivered as a scored written report with photographs within 48 hours. We cover candle, ceramic planter, and woven basket factories across Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai.

Also use our Factory Sourcing & Verification service to pre-qualify factories before the visit stage. Request a free consultation →

Also read: Vietnam Factory Visit Guide: What to Inspect Before You Place an Order