Inspection & Verification
Supply Chain Audits
Your risk does not stop at your Tier 1 supplier — and neither should your visibility.
Why organisations certify
Key benefits of Supply Chain Audits
What certification actually returns, stated specifically rather than generically.
Credibility
Independent mapping and verification produces a supply chain picture your customers and auditors can rely on.
Market Access
Responsible sourcing evidence is increasingly a condition of supply to European and North American brand customers.
Risk Reduction
Concentration risk, undeclared sub-contracting and unverified origin are identified before they cause an interruption or a compliance failure.
Operational Efficiency
Understanding the real chain frequently reveals duplicated logistics, avoidable intermediaries and consolidation opportunities.
Customer Trust
Customers assessing supply chain resilience treat verified multi-tier visibility as a genuine differentiator.
Regulatory Compliance
Supports emerging supply chain due diligence regulation, origin declaration requirements and customer codes of conduct.
How it works
Our process for Supply Chain Audits
Every stage has a defined purpose, a realistic duration and a stated output.
- 01
Scope & Criteria
1–2 days
We agree exactly what is being inspected, against which specification, standard, drawing or contractual requirement.
- 02
Inspection Plan
2–3 days
Sampling levels, hold points, test witnessing and reporting format are fixed in writing before anyone travels.
- 03
On-Site Inspection
Assignment dependent
Our inspector attends the site, verifies conformity, witnesses tests, photographs evidence and records deviations as they are found.
- 04
Report & Release
24–72 hours
A dated report with photographic evidence and a clear conformity statement is issued, supporting your release, rejection or corrective-action decision.
Preparation
Documents required
What we will ask to see. Having these ready before Stage 1 is the single biggest factor in a certification that runs to schedule.
- Bill of materials with declared source for each critical input
- Tier 1 supplier list with sub-supplier declarations
- Traceability records linking finished lots to input lots
- Sub-contracting agreements and approval records
- Supplier statutory licences and compliance certificates
- Country of origin and material origin documentation
- Supplier code of conduct acknowledgements
- Existing supplier audit reports and corrective action status
Not sure whether your scope is right?
Scope is the single thing most often got wrong, and it appears verbatim on your certificate. We will review yours before you apply, at no charge — it costs us less than fixing it at recertification.
Talk to a specialistOften certified together
Related standards
Standards sharing the High Level Structure can be operated as one integrated system and audited together, which reduces total audit days.
Factory & Vendor Audits
On-site assessment of a supplier’s capability, quality systems, capacity and compliance before or during engagement.
Learn moreSupply Chain Security Management
Certify a security management system addressing threats to cargo, facilities, transport and supply chain partners.
Learn moreThird-Party Inspection Services
Independent verification of materials, fabrication and finished goods against specification before dispatch.
Learn moreCommon questions
Supply Chain Audits — frequently asked questions
Direct answers, including where the honest answer is inconvenient for us.
As deep as the risk justifies and access permits. For most categories, Tier 1 and the critical Tier 2 sources account for the majority of the exposure. Where a specific material carries regulatory or reputational risk we trace it to origin.
That refusal is itself a finding, and a significant one. We record it and report it. Contractually, the ability to audit sub-tiers is best secured in the supply agreement before it is needed.
Question not answered here? Ask a certification specialist — we answer technical questions without requiring an enquiry first.
Talk to us
Talk to a certification expert
Tell us your scope and headcount and we will send a fixed quotation for Supply Chain Audits with the audit-day calculation shown.
- Quotation within 2–3 working days
- IAF MD 5 audit-day calculation included
- Full three-year cycle cost, not just the first audit
- Your details are used only to answer this enquiry
Next step
Ready to certify to Supply Chain Audits?
We will scope it honestly, show you the calculation behind the price, and tell you plainly if the timeline you need is not achievable.