The cheapest quote and the safest supplier are rarely the same company. A low price hides its cost in a mould someone else owns, a defect found after filling, or a deadline missed because nobody answered an email. Use the checklist below to audit a supplier before you commit.
The audit checklist
| Question | Green flag | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the mould? | You own it, or it is a shared existing mould | Supplier keeps your mould hostage |
| Where is QC done? | In-house AQL 2.5 inspection | Outsourced or none |
| What certifications? | ISO 9001, GRS, FSC on file | Vague or unavailable |
| Can they decorate? | In-house screen, foil, spray | Sub-contracted decoration |
| How do they communicate? | Named contact, clear lead times | No updates for weeks |
Mould ownership is the first question
If a supplier cuts a new mould for you, confirm in writing who owns it and whether you can move production elsewhere. If it holds 30,000+ existing moulds, ask which ones fit your dimensions so you skip tooling entirely. A mould a supplier refuses to release is a recurring cost you did not budget for.
In-house QC beats a certificate on the wall
Certifications open the door, but the inspection is what keeps defects out of your cartons. Ask for the AQL level they inspect to (2.5 is the beauty baseline), how first-article samples are pulled, and whether decoration registration is checked on the line. A supplier that cannot describe its own inspection is a risk regardless of paperwork.
Decoration capability decides your look
- Hot foil and soft-touch need controlled environment and skilled operators — confirm they run it in-house.
- A supplier that sub-contracts decoration adds a hand-off, a lead-time and a colour-match gap.
- Ask to see the same finish on the actual material, not a sample board from another job.
Communication is the launch-date insurance
A missed email at tooling stage costs two weeks later. Insist on a named project contact, a written schedule with dates you must hit, and freight booked at the start of production rather than the end. The supplier that protects your date is worth more than the one that undercuts your price by a few cents.
Send us your shortlist questions and we will answer them in writing, including mould ownership and our in-house inspection level, before you request a sample.