How we qualify a factory
Wizea qualifies a factory in China or Asia in eight steps, in Chinese: the business licence and its 18-character unified social credit code in the public registry; the business scope; the registered Chinese name; the registered address and the plant; your part on the line; certificates at the issuing body; samples from that line; and the bank-account name.
What qualification gives you
Qualification turns a factory's offer into a documented decision. Each of the eight steps below produces a record, and together they tell your quality department who the manufacturer is, what it is licensed to make, what its certificates cover and what its production line can repeat. Our Shenzhen team runs them in Mandarin, in the public registry and with the certification bodies, and the record comes to you.
The eight steps
| # | Step | What we ask for | What we confirm | Record you receive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business licence | A copy of the licence, with the 18-character unified social credit code | The company is listed in the national enterprise credit information system with status "active"; registered capital and legal representative match the information provided | Registry extract |
| 2 | Business scope | The scope text from the registry | The scope lists the production activities for your type of part, alongside any sales or import/export activities | Scope note in the qualification summary |
| 3 | Registered Chinese name | The name in Mandarin characters | Contracts, invoices, company chop and bank account carry the same registered name | Name record |
| 4 | Registered address and plant | The registered address and the address of the plant | The two match, or the plant is a registered branch; imagery confirms an industrial building with the equipment for your process | Capability note with region and process |
| 5 | Your part on the line | Photos or live video of the line making your type of part, with today's date | Equipment for your process (presses, moulding machines, SMT lines, winding machines) at the confirmed address | Line evidence file |
| 6 | Certificates at the issuing body | Certificate number, certification body and its accreditation | The number is in the body's public database; the body is accredited (for ISO certificates in China: CNAS, an IAF MLA signatory); the scope covers your process | Certificate verification record |
| 7 | Samples from the declared line | Samples made on the production line, with a note of the machine | Dimensions, finish and markings consistent with what the line repeats; one sealed sample kept at the factory and one with us | Sample record |
| 8 | Bank-account name | Proforma invoice with bank details | The beneficiary is the registered company, exactly as named in the registry | Payment record |
How we read a business scope
The scope is the list of activities the company is licensed to perform, and the verbs tell the story. Production verbs mean the company is licensed to manufacture. Trading verbs mean it is licensed to sell. Many factories have both, because they also export their own products. Reading the scope tells us which type of source the company is, and we state that type on your quotation line.
How we verify an ISO certificate
- We take the certificate number and the certification body from the certificate.
- We search the number on the body's public database.
- We confirm that the body itself is accredited: in China, by CNAS, which publishes its list and is a signatory of the IAF multilateral recognition arrangement.
- We read the scope on the certificate and confirm it covers the process you are buying, for example a plating line or PCB fabrication.
You can run the same four checks on our own certificates from our Quality page.
From qualification to repeatable supply
Qualification tells you who the manufacturer is and what it is licensed and equipped to make. The next three steps confirm what it repeats: the approved sample, the first article and the inspection of each lot in Shenzhen before dispatch. The eight steps open the door; samples, first article and lot inspection keep the supply consistent.
Short answers on this topic
How do you confirm whether a supplier is a factory or a trading company?
We read the business scope on the licence from the registry: production verbs indicate a manufacturer, sales and import/export verbs indicate a trader. We then compare the registered address with the plant and ask for video of your type of part being made on the line.
Can I verify a Chinese business licence myself?
Yes, with the 18-character unified social credit code and the registered Chinese name in the national enterprise credit information system. The search works in the Chinese language, which is why most buyers ask a Chinese-speaking team to run it.
How is an ISO certificate verified?
By looking up the number at the certification body, confirming the body is accredited (CNAS in China, an IAF MLA signatory) and reading the scope. The verification record is part of our qualification summary.
Which documents does a factory share during qualification?
Its business licence, certificates, photos or video of the production line, samples from that line and a proforma invoice with bank details. Factories that work with us share them as part of our standard qualification.
How does your Shenzhen team work with factories?
Directly and in Mandarin: factory qualification and approval by documents, samples, first article and audit visits, specification play-back before tooling, production follow-up with in-factory and pre-release inspections, and receiving, inspection and consolidation of every lot.
Other questions buyers ask first
Your first order from Asia
Quotation, one payment, consolidation and inspection, collection by your forwarder and import, explained in plain words.
Read the guideCounterparty modelsTrading company, factory and Wizea: how the models compare
A side-by-side table, when each model fits, what Wizea carries for you, and how Wizea earns its margin.
Read the guideCounterfeit avoidanceOur counterfeit-avoidance controls
What our inspection looks at, when a lot goes to a laboratory, AS6081 and AS6171 explained, and what you receive with each lot.
Read the guideIncoterms, handover, landed costEXW and FCA: how handover works
Side-by-side table, the tasks of Wizea, your forwarder and your broker, handover from Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and follow-up to arrival.
Read the guideTell us what you buy, and how often
A drawing, a BOM or one hard-to-find line, in any format. Add annual quantity and delivery rhythm, and we propose the programme.