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Checklist

Supplier Onboarding Checklist

A one-page quick version with the 20 checks that matter most, then the detailed checklist from business license to go / no-go sign-off. Free and fillable.

Use it to vet a factory yourself. If you are short on time, page 1 has the 20 checks that matter most, grouped by when to do them. The detailed checklist follows the order the work happens: confirm who the supplier is, check their certifications, agree the contract, set the quality checks, plan shipping, then sign off before the first purchase order. Every check has space for the date and your notes.

What's inside: a 1-page quick version, then 28 sections and 99 checks

  1. 01Quick version on page 1: the 20 checks that matter most before a first order, each pointing to its section in the detailed checklist
  2. 02Pre-qualification: business license, ownership, finances, references, and whether they can make your volume
  3. 03Certifications and compliance: product certifications, audit reports, labor and safety, UFLPA and sanctions screening
  4. 04Contracts: NDA, supply agreement, payment terms, Incoterms, and who owns the tooling and designs
  5. 05Quality control: inspection stages, AQL levels, the golden sample, lab tests, and what happens to rejects
  6. 06Logistics: lead times, freight, packaging and labels, delays, and customs paperwork with US HTS codes
  7. 07Sign-off and monitoring: risk score, escalation contacts, KPIs, the go / no-go decision, and an audit schedule

Download the checklist, or have Importivity vet the supplier for you.

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How to use it

01

Download it first

Save the PDF, then fill it in with Preview on a Mac or the free Adobe Acrobat Reader and save. A browser tab does not keep what you type unless you download the file.

02

Start with page 1

The quick version lists the 20 checks that matter most, grouped by when to do them: before any deposit, before you sign, before production and before it ships.

03

Sign off before the first PO

Section 27 records the go / no-go decision with names and a date, so everyone knows the supplier was approved and by whom.

Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

A list of what to confirm about a new supplier before the first order: who they are, what they can make, the contract terms, how quality is checked and how the goods ship.
Problems cost more once a deposit is paid. A trading company posing as the factory, tooling nobody agreed to own, or goods that fail inspection are all easier to sort out before money moves.
Yes. Enter your details, confirm your email with the 6-digit code we send, and the PDF downloads straight away. We also email you a copy.
Yes. Page 1 is a quick version with the 20 checks that matter most. The detailed checklist with all 99 checks follows it in the same PDF.
Yes. Download it, open it in Preview on a Mac or the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, type into the fields and save. In a browser tab, use the download button to keep what you typed.
Send the RFQ template to several suppliers first so the quotes come back comparable. Then run this checklist on the one you pick.
Yes. The factory visit checklist covers what to look at on the factory floor, and what you find there goes into Parts I and II of this one.