Confirm export licensing and history
Ask directly whether the factory holds a valid export licence and how long they've been shipping internationally — a factory that only sells domestically may not have the packing, documentation or QC processes export orders require.
Check actual production capacity, not claimed capacity
Walking the floor and counting active production lines gives a far more honest picture than a stated monthly output figure. Ask what else is currently in production — a factory running at full capacity may not have room for your order on the timeline you need.
Ask about subcontracting
Many factories subcontract parts of an order — frames from one workshop, upholstery from another — without disclosing it. This isn't necessarily a problem, but you want to know about it upfront so quality control covers every stage, not just final assembly.
Request references or past export orders
A factory confident in its export track record will usually share examples of past shipments to your region, or at least the type of buyer they typically work with — vague or evasive answers here are worth treating as a signal.
Verify the paperwork, don't just collect it
A business licence, an export licence and any certification are only useful if the details agree. Check that the company name on the business licence matches the name on the contract, the name on the bank account you are asked to pay, and the exporter named on the commercial invoice. Where those four do not align, that is the finding — regardless of how impressive the certificates look.
Certificates also expire. A factory displaying a lapsed audit or licence is not necessarily dishonest, but it does mean the paperwork on the wall is not evidence of current status. Note the validity dates rather than just photographing the document.
Capacity is not the same as solvency
A factory can have a full order book, modern machinery and no ability to fund your production. Furniture manufacturing is capital-hungry — raw materials are bought upfront and paid for on delivery — so a factory running short of working capital will accept orders it cannot actually start, and the symptom is a schedule that slips repeatedly for reasons that keep changing.
Worth asking: what deposit they need and why, whether materials for your order are already purchased, and how much of their capacity is committed for the next two months. Persistent pressure to increase the deposit is a signal about cash position rather than about yours.
Vetting a factory you cannot visit
When travel is not possible, the substitute is a live video walkthrough rather than photographs — the difference between a factory showing you a production line in real time and sending a set of stills is considerable. Ask for specific things: your sample components, the production line that will run your order, the warehouse where finished goods are staged.
A third-party audit is the more formal option and reports on both capacity and working conditions. It costs money upfront, but on a first order of any size it is usually cheaper than discovering the truth through a failed shipment.
The 10-point checklist, in audit order
Run these in sequence on every first order: (1) business licence vs contract vs bank account vs invoice exporter — all four names must match; (2) export licence validity and dates; (3) production lines active today, not claimed monthly output; (4) what else is on the line and remaining capacity for your timeline; (5) subcontracting disclosure — which stages leave the building; (6) materials on hand vs your spec (wood, fabric, foam density, hardware); (7) past export shipments to your region; (8) deposit terms and whether materials are pre-purchased; (9) inspection access agreement in writing; (10) rework and claims process before anything ships. The full inspection method is in our QC process; defect context in common defects; payment safety in paying factories safely.
Showroom vs factory: what each tells you
A showroom tells you what a factory wants to sell; the floor tells you what it can produce. Lecong showrooms display retail pieces at retail margins — the production question is answered in Shunde workshops by counting lines, checking materials staged for cutting, and seeing finished-goods warehousing. If you cannot travel, a live video walkthrough of your line beats photographs; see sourcing without traveling and the Foshan trip guide.