What Documents to Request Before Visiting a Cosmetic Factory

Why request documents before you travel

A factory visit is expensive in time and often in travel, and it is easy to leave with a good impression but few facts. Requesting documents first changes the visit in three ways.

First, it **filters candidates**. A factory that cannot or will not share basic company and quality documents before a visit is giving you information, even if the answer is polite. Second, it **sharpens your questions**. If a procedure mentions a cleaning step or a batch record, you can ask to see it being done. Third, it **saves time** on site, because your team can read the paperwork beforehand and arrive with a targeted list.

Set expectations when you ask. Explain that the request is a normal part of supplier qualification and that you will treat everything as confidential. Offer to sign a non-disclosure agreement if needed. Reasonable factories understand that buyers verify before committing; some documents, such as formulas or customer lists, will rightly be withheld, and that is fine.

Create a numbered request list and send it by email so you have a record. Mark each item as required, helpful or optional. Give a reasonable deadline and ask for a contact who can answer follow-up questions.

Keep in mind that the goal is to verify, not to collect paper for its own sake. A smaller set of recent, relevant documents is better than a thick folder of outdated ones.

Company and legal documents

Begin with proof that the business is who it says it is. These documents show the legal entity, the permission to operate and the scope of the site you will visit.

• **Company registration:** the official registration showing the legal name, registered address and authorised signatories. Check that the name matches the one on quotations and invoices.
• **Factory or business operating permissions:** documents the factory holds to operate a manufacturing site, as required in Thailand. Ask the factory to explain which authority issues each document, and verify with that authority where possible.
• **Site address and layout:** a simple site plan or description showing production, storage and laboratory areas.
• **Insurance:** general liability or product liability coverage, if held.
• **Tax and trade registration:** relevant for invoicing and export.

Pay attention to consistency. If the registered name differs from the name on the website or in the quote, ask why. A manufacturing partner may legitimately operate under group companies, but the relationship should be explained.

If you are comparing several Thai OEM/ODM factories, use the same list for each so the comparison is fair. Where you work through an intermediary or a production-management partner such as 5FINE, ask which entity holds which licence and which factory will actually make your product, so you know which documents belong to whom.

Never rely solely on a document copy. Where practical, verify with the issuing authority or a trusted third party.

Quality system and certification documents

Quality documents tell you how a factory aims to control its processes. Certificates are useful, but you need to understand their scope.

Request:

• **Good manufacturing practice evidence:** many cosmetic factories work to ISO 22716 or an equivalent good manufacturing practice standard. Ask for the certificate or audit report and check the issuing body, the site covered, the product scope and the validity dates.
• **Quality manual or system overview:** a short document describing responsibilities, procedures and how records are kept.
• **Standard operating procedures list:** you do not need every SOP, but ask for the index and a sample of key ones, such as cleaning, equipment calibration and change control.
• **Internal and customer audit summaries:** summaries or outcomes where the factory is willing to share them.
• **Complaint and corrective action procedure:** how problems are logged, investigated and closed.
• **Supplier approval procedure:** how raw materials and packaging suppliers are qualified.

Remember that a certificate applies to a particular site and scope. A body care OEM line made in one building may not be covered by a certificate issued for another. Ask exactly which areas and activities are included.

Also ask how long records are kept and who can access them. Do not accept a vague promise; ask to see how a sample record is stored. During the visit, pick a recent batch and trace it back through the documents to see whether the system really works as described.

Production, traceability and testing records

The next group shows how day-to-day production actually runs. Ask for blank templates or anonymised examples if the factory cannot share real customer records.

• **Batch manufacturing record template:** shows how ingredients, quantities, process steps and sign-offs are documented.
• **Raw material and packaging receiving and inspection records:** how incoming materials are checked and quarantined.
• **Traceability procedure:** how a finished batch can be linked back to materials and forward to customers.
• **In-process and final quality control checks:** a list of tests done, such as appearance, pH, viscosity and fill weight, and the acceptance limits.
• **Microbiological testing approach:** which tests are done in-house and which are sent to external laboratories.
• **Retained sample policy:** how many samples are kept and for how long.
• **Equipment cleaning and maintenance records:** evidence that equipment is cleaned between products and calibrated regularly.
• **Water system information:** how process water is produced, monitored and tested.

If your product is sun care, ask whether the factory has experience with it and what extra controls apply, since a sunscreen OEM project often involves more sensitive processing and testing. Discuss claims and test evidence separately and carefully, and do not assume any result will be provided unless it is stated in the agreement.

When you review these, ask yourself whether a stranger could reproduce the process from the record. If not, traceability may depend too much on individual memory.

Product-specific and commercial documents, and how to judge the pack

Finally, request documents specific to your project and to the commercial relationship.

• **Sample product information:** ingredient lists for sample or standard formulas, and any safety information available.
• **Specification sheets:** for finished products, including appearance, fill and packaging.
• **Quotation template and terms:** what is included and excluded, payment terms and validity.
• **Standard contract or terms of business:** including confidentiality, intellectual property, quality responsibilities and liability.
• **Minimum quantity policy:** the standard planning figure is 1,000 units per SKU; ask whether anything differs for your product type and in what circumstances.
• **Export experience and document support:** what the factory typically provides for shipments.
• **References:** where the factory can name customers, ask for contact permission, and treat the reply as one input, not as proof.

Then judge what you receive. Look for **completeness**, **consistency**, **recency** and **relevance**. Missing items are not always a red flag, but unexplained gaps deserve questions. Note which documents arrived quickly and which were hard to obtain, since responsiveness before you buy often predicts responsiveness afterwards.

Finish with a scorecard: list each document, whether received, and any concerns. Bring it to the visit, along with a short list of observations to confirm on the floor. That small step makes your visit far more productive and your final decision easier to defend.