Whether you visit in person or vet remotely, a supplier audit is mostly about verifying that what a company claims on paper matches what happens on its floor. Here is what experienced buyers look at.
Start with the spinning floor, if there is one. Ask how many cards are running and what fibre is on them. Check whether the wool being carded matches the wool named in your specification. A company that spins can show you raw fibre, carded sliver and finished yarn on the same walk. A company that buys yarn will show you a store room.
Move to dyeing. Look at the lab, not just the vats. Ask to see the lab dip records for a recent custom colour, including how many iterations it took and how long each took. Ask how recipes are stored and whether a colour from two years ago can be reproduced. This single question separates organised dye houses from improvised ones.
On the weaving floor, count looms in use versus looms idle. Ask what proportion of weaving happens on site versus with contractors. There is nothing wrong with a mixed model, but the answer should be given plainly. Look at whether weavers are working to a graph or a CAD, and ask who produced it.
Check the finishing area properly. Washing, clipping, binding, stretching and final inspection are distinct operations, and each has a failure mode. Ask what percentage of pieces fail final inspection and what happens to them. A company that says nothing fails is not measuring.
Look at the sample room. Ask to see a bulk production piece alongside the sample it was made from, ideally from an order that shipped last year. Colour drift, pile height variance and size tolerance all show up in that comparison.
Ask about records. For a given order, can they produce the yarn lot, the dye recipe, the weaver assignment and the inspection report? Traceability is not a certification, it is a filing habit, and it is what lets a supplier diagnose a complaint rather than argue about it.
Verify certifications rather than accepting logos. Ask for certificate numbers, issuing bodies, expiry dates and the exact scope. Common ones in the Indian rug industry are GoodWeave for child labour, Sedex for ethical supply chain, ISO 9001 for quality management, RWS for responsible wool, GOTS for organic processing, GRS for recycled content, SA8000 for social accountability and C-TPAT for United States supply chain security. Scope matters: a certificate covering one unit may not cover the unit weaving your order.
Look at the people. Note whether there is a canteen, drinking water, lighting and ventilation on the weaving floor, and whether women are employed and in what roles. Ask about wage frequency. These observations tell you more about how a company operates than a social audit report.
Check the packing and loading area. Ask whether containers are loaded on site or at a third party yard, and who signs off. Ask to see the packing list format and how pieces are labelled.
Finally, ask three questions that tend to reveal the most:
What is your current lead time for a new hand knotted development, from artwork to approved sample? A precise answer suggests they run the process. A vague one suggests they broker it.
Show me an order that went wrong last year and tell me what you changed. Companies with real process control answer this readily.
Which stages do you not do in house? Any honest supplier has some. The ones who claim to do everything usually do not.
Eastern Mills has been manufacturing in Bhadohi since 1947 and welcomes buyer visits. Spinning, dyeing, weaving, finishing and container loading all happen on site. Trade enquiries: corporate@easternmills.com
