SUPPLIER EVIDENCE · DUE-DILIGENCE LEDGER
China Supplier Due-Diligence Checklist
Supplier due diligence is a buyer-side process for turning a promising profile, introduction, factory claim, quotation, or sample into questions that can be checked against product fit and available evidence. It is not a promise that a supplier will perform perfectly in the future. Its value is in making assumptions, gaps, and next decisions visible before commitment.
The direct answer: due diligence is not a single document check—it is a product-specific evidence process.
A supplier can have a profile, a factory address, product images, a company document, a quotation, a sample, or a communication history. None of those items alone answers every buyer question. A more useful process separates identity, capability, product fit, commercial clarity, quality reference, operating communication, and the questions that still need more evidence.
01 · IDENTITY
Know who you are evaluating
Record the supplier name, contact, stated role, company or factory references, available documents, and any difference between the seller, production location, and service provider.
02 · FIT
Test the claim against the product
Connect the proposed product version, materials, components, sample, quantity context, packaging, timing, and required evidence to the actual supplier conversation.
03 · BOUNDARY
State what remains uncertain
Record missing evidence, unanswered questions, scope limits, alternative explanations, and the next check rather than turning incomplete information into certainty.
COPY-READY DUE-DILIGENCE CHECKLIST
Ten checks for turning a supplier candidate into a clearer buyer decision.
Use the entries below as a working record. Do not mark an item complete simply because a document or claim exists; record what was reviewed, what it indicates, what it does not establish, and the next question.
1. Supplier identity and contact trail
Supplier name, contact, and stated role: [ ]
Company / factory / trading entity references available: [ ]
Source of each reference: [ ]
Identity question still open: [ ]
2. Product and capability claim
Product version being discussed: [ ]
Claim about material, process, component, capacity, or experience: [ ]
Available product-specific evidence: [ ]
Claim requiring clarification: [ ]
3. Product reference and sample evidence
Specification, image, drawing, sample, or comparable product: [ ]
What the supplier has reviewed or responded to: [ ]
Sample or reference gap: [ ]
4. Communication and question quality
Does the supplier ask product-specific questions? [ ]
Does it identify alternatives, exclusions, or missing inputs? [ ]
Communication ambiguity or contradiction: [ ]
5. Commercial and quotation scope
Quantity / MOQ context: [ ]
Quote basis, inclusions, exclusions, tooling, packaging, and timing assumptions: [ ]
What cannot yet be compared: [ ]
6. Quality and change-control reference
Critical product and packaging features: [ ]
Sample, quality-plan, inspection, or evidence question: [ ]
Change-control or approval gap: [ ]
7. Production and timing context
Current production or sample stage: [ ]
Material, capacity, approval, or sequencing question: [ ]
Timing assumption and its stated boundary: [ ]
8. Packaging and handover assumptions
Packaging, carton, label, or documentation discussion: [ ]
Expected handover assumption: [ ]
Freight, customs, insurance, legal, or tax question to confirm with appropriate providers: [ ]
9. Evidence gaps and risk signals
Missing information: [ ]
Inconsistent response, unverified claim, or unresolved question: [ ]
What further evidence or professional review may be needed: [ ]
10. Buyer decision and next action
Current decision: [continue research / request evidence / request sample / compare / pause]
Next owner and action: [ ]
Decision date or review point: [ ]
CONNECT EVIDENCE TO THE NEXT DECISION
A practical reading path when a supplier looks promising but questions remain.
This checklist supports a more structured buyer assessment. It is not a certification, fraud guarantee, legal opinion, financial opinion, or assurance of future supplier performance.