factory visit notes

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How to Write a Visit Report

Last Updated: March 30, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Madison Boehm . Madison Boehm is a Business Advisor and the Co-Founder of Jaxson Maximus, a men’s salon and custom clothiers based in southern Florida. She specializes in business development, operations, and finance. Additionally, she has experience in the salon, clothing, and retail sectors. Madison holds a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from The University of Houston. This article has been viewed 654,294 times.

Whether you’re a student or a professional, a visit report helps you document the procedures and processes at an industrial or corporate location. These reports are fairly straightforward. Describe the site first and explain what you did while you were there. If required, reflect on what you learned during your visit. No additional research or information is needed.

Writing a Visit Report

Explain the site's purpose, operations, and what happened during the visit. Identify the site's strengths and weaknesses, along with your recommendations for improvement. Include relevant photos or diagrams to supplement your report.

Describing the Site

• Reports are usually only 2-3 pages long, but in some cases, these reports may be much longer.
• In some cases, you may be asked to give recommendations or opinions about the site. In other cases, you will be asked only to describe the site.
• Ask your boss or instructor for models of other visit reports. If you can't get a model, look up samples online.

• If you visited a factory, explain what it is producing and what equipment it uses.
• If you visited a construction site, describe what is being constructed and how far along the construction is. You should also describe the terrain of the site and the layout.
• If you’re visiting a business, describe what the business does. State which department or part of the business you visited.
• If you’re visiting a school, identify which grades they teach. Note how many students attend the school. Name the teachers whose classes you observed.

• Who did you talk to? What did they tell you?
• What did you see at the site?
• What events took place? Did you attend a seminar, Q&A session, or interview?
• Did you see any demonstrations of equipment or techniques?

• For example, at a car factory, describe whether the cars are made by robots or humans. Describe each step of the assembly line.
• If you're visiting a business, talk about different departments within the business. Describe their corporate structure and identify what programs they use to conduct their business.

Reflecting on Your Visit

• Is there something you didn’t realize before that you learned while at the site?
• Who at the site provided helpful information?
• What was your favorite part of the visit and why?

• For example, you might state that the factory uses the latest technology but point out that employees need more training to work with the new equipment.
• If there was anything important left out of the visit, state what it was. For example, maybe you were hoping to see the main factory floor or to talk to the manager.

• Tailor your recommendations to the organization or institution that owns the site. What is practical and reasonable for them to do to improve their site?
• Be specific. Don’t just say they need to improve infrastructure. State what type of equipment they need or give advice on how to improve employee morale.

Formatting Your Report

• If you are following a certain style guideline, like APA or Chicago style, make sure to format the title page according to the rules of the handbook.

• Don’t just say “the visit was interesting” or “I was bored.” Be specific when describing what you learned or saw.

Sample Visit Report

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• ↑ http://services.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/471286/Site_Reports_for_Engineers_Update_051112.pdf
• ↑ https://www.examples.com/business/visit-report.html
• ↑ https://www.thepensters.com/blog/industrial-visit-report-writing/
• ↑ https://eclass.aueb.gr/modules/document/file.php/ME342/Report%20Drafting.pdf

About This Article

To write a visit report, start by including a general introduction that tells your audience where and when you visited, who your contact was, and how you got there. Once you have the introduction written out, take 1 to 2 paragraphs to describe the purpose of the site you visited, including details like the size and layout. If you visited a business, talk about what the business does and describe any specific departments you went to. Then, summarize what happened during your visit in chronological order. Make sure to include people you met and what they told you. Toward the end of your report, reflect on your visit by identifying any strengths and weaknesses in how the site operates and provide any recommendations for improvement. For more help, including how to format your report, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• 6 Areas Every Buyer Should Check During a Factory Visit

Manufacturing and Quality Control blog

By Maegan Burkhart 2 Jul 2019

Many importers use factory visits as an opportunity to strengthen their relationship with a supplier and evaluate their capabilities. Productive factory visits can lead to improved product quality, smoother communication and fewer production delays.

And preparing before your visit helps ensure you get the maximum benefit and insight from your trip. If you’re not prepared, your factory contact might rush you through a brief tour of parts of the facility before you have a chance to see any issues or ask any questions.  

There’s no substitute for a formal audit of a supplier’s facilities. But visiting the factory is a valuable opportunity for you to informally evaluate the factory for yourself. Whether your factory is in China, Vietnam, India or elsewhere, here are six areas to check during your next visit.  

1. Factory organization

You often don’t need a black belt in Six Sigma to spot serious organizational issues during a factory visit.      

Poor organization can cause many problems—from order delays to wasteful production processes, poor quality and even safety issues ( related: Factory Efficiency: 5 Common Examples of Poor Factory Layout & Process Setup ).

5S is a workplace organization method originating from Japan as part of the “just-in-time” manufacturing methodology. The rough English translation of each of the five S’s is:

• Sort : Sort through all items in a factory area and remove unnecessary tools, parts and instructions
• Set in order : Organize remaining items and arrange for easy use
• Shine : Clean the factory area on a regular basis
• Standardize : Schedule regular cleaning and maintenance
• Sustain : Train employees to make 5S a habit and monitor implementation

While you might see 5S posters when touring factories, it’s rare to see small- and medium-sized factories that actually implement the 5S method.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when visiting a factory to evaluate its organization: 

• Do employees seem to be walking far from one production area to another? Moving long distances to transport materials can cause bottlenecks and slow down production.
• Are parts or semi-finished goods stacked neatly in an accessible location ? Disorganized items could be damaged or lost between production stages.
• Are materials and components labeled clearly and accurately? You should be able to spot signs and labels next to materials, even if you can’t read the local language.

2. Factory capacity: Production planning board

A supplier will often tell you their production capacity exceeds your order quantity to convince you to place an order. You can often validate this claim for yourself while visiting the factory.

• Increased production and shipping delays
• Misunderstandings regarding your quality requirements
• Limited social or other compliance oversight

A good factory takes steps to plan well for disruptions, whether they’re using sub-suppliers or not. Otherwise, they could constantly be playing catch up, especially around January or February when Lunar New Year affects manufacturing .

Every factory should be prepared year-round for potential material or labor shortages and equipment failures.

To validate a supplier’s production capacity, look for any visual boards on the production floor during your next visit. Do they list the day’s production targets and current progress? Is there a plan for the whole week? Month? These details can reveal the supplier’s true capacity and ability to track and manage orders.

Rushing production is rarely a good idea. And confirming your supplier plans for disruptions helps you rest assured that quality won’t slip during busy seasons.

3. Factory working conditions and instructions

A social compliance audit is often necessary to thoroughly assess your supplier’s working conditions. But the average buyer can still often tell the difference between a safe and unsafe working environment through a few basic checks during a factory visit:

• Are workers wearing any required protective gear to prevent injuries?
• Are workshops properly ventilated where required?
• Can you spot any safety hazards? Puddles of water, unlabeled chemicals and poor lighting are all cause for concern.

Detailed work instructions are another sign of a factory that takes working conditions and production quality seriously.

What are work instructions? You can think of them as the user instructions you reference when assembling a new piece of furniture. Assembly line workers should also have clear instructions, so they can safely and accurately complete production steps, like the below example:

Work instructions should generally be:

• Relatively simple with visual examples included to illustrate procedures
• Highly visible and clear, typically posted at each production station

You don’t need to be able to read and understand the local language to get a basic sense of how effective these work instructions are. Those that appear excessively long, poorly organized, inaccessible or hard to reference for specific information quickly can probably be improved.

4. Production equipment at the factory

Factories will generally cover the up-front cost of purchasing any necessary production equipment. But many factory owners don’t like to invest in the cost of regularly maintaining equipment.

Tools or machines that aren’t maintained or recalibrated periodically can lead to product defects , non-conforming products and inconsistent production runs.

Understanding what equipment your factory has on site can also help you set achievable quality standards based on your supplier’s available resources. You might be surprised to learn which production processes for your product are automated and which may require manual labor that can cause quality variance.

Some relevant questions to ask during your next factory visit regarding equipment include:

• Is equipment regularly inspected and in good condition? The factory should label equipment with maintenance information and log it in organized records. These records should note who performed the inspection and the inspection date.
• Does all equipment needed to manufacture your product appear to be available on site? A factory that doesn’t have all the necessary equipment might be outsourcing production.
• Does the factory have professional lab testing equipment available on site? Suppliers often claim to be able to test your products in their on-site lab but might lack essential equipment and personnel.

5. Warehouse and material inventory

Degraded raw materials used in mass production can cause quality issues in finished products, requiring extensive rework or replacement. A good factory usually conducts incoming inspections to verify raw materials before use in production.

Proper storage of finished products before shipment is also important for preserving product quality.  Temperature, lighting and humidity, for instance, can affect certain products and packaging materials ( related : 3 Reasons Your Product Won’t Reach Customers in the Right Condition ).

Be sure to check the factory’s storage area for the following during your factory visit:

• Material storage time : A good factory should be able to provide records of incoming materials, including the date they were received.
• Cleanliness and orderliness of storage conditions : Materials can change or degrade if stored for long periods in improper conditions.
• Volume : Warehouse volume can indicate your factory’s capacity. You might even be able to see whether your supplier is working with your competitors by looking at carton labels.

6. Production samples

Many importers choose to plan a factory visit once the supplier has had time to manufacture a production sample. For example, you might plan your visit among other sourcing activities as follows:

• Identify and qualify a potential supplier
• Request quotation
• Place purchase order
• Factory prepares sample
• Visit factory and review sample on site

Reviewing a product sample on site often speeds up a process that can otherwise take days or weeks.

Reviewing samples on site lets you give direct feedback and point out any nonconformities immediately. The founders of Need/Want said this opportunity was invaluable for their importing company:               

Immediately, we noticed a few issues with the product… Had we not been there, it would have taken a few weeks to catch them. This alone made it worthwhile for us to fly out there. The entire trip was all worth it just to catch this one mistake.

It’s still a good idea to have your supplier ship another sample after your visit to ensure they’ve corrected any nonconformities. But you can significantly speed up the process by providing clear feedback on site.

Gain more insight with a supplier visit report from a third party

Ultimately, there’s only so much information the average buyer can collect on site during a factory visit. Factory owners are often far more interested in “wining and dining” their customers than accurately representing their production capabilities ( related : 3 Cultural Barriers You Must Face for Effective China Quality Control ).

Sending an independent quality control professional to your factory can provide many benefits that an informal visit cannot. This sort of visit is commonly known as a supplier verification audit, or quality audit . The auditor typically follows a checklist based on international standards like ISO 9001 .

Professional auditors can use their industry expertise to objectively evaluate a supplier on even more areas than the six listed above. And a factory manager is less likely to influence an independent auditor that’s visiting the factory on your behalf.

How third-party supplier visit reports help you find a good factory

One of the main benefits of an independent audit is the supplier visit report you receive with results.

Quality control isn’t many buyers’ primary field of expertise, especially for purchasing managers and business owners . A third-party supplier visit report scores suppliers on objective criteria, making it easy to evaluate and compare suppliers.

• Quality management system : Evaluation of design controls, purchasing controls and production controls in compliance with ISO 9001 standards
• Quality control procedures : Evaluation of incoming, during and final product quality control procedures and use of acceptance sampling
• HR recruitment and training : Evaluations of records showing structured and frequent training programs and ethical recruitment practices

While auditors don’t typically review a production sample during an audit, you can usually ask the auditor to ship a sample to their local office for review. This can still speed up the sample review process by reducing shipment time and costs.  

You can often accompany an auditor to observe the audit process for yourself. This might be a good option if you’re planning a visit but aren’t confident about your own ability to evaluate the supplier.

Every buyer should try to evaluate these six areas during each factory visit. Consider checking these factory areas as your main criteria for evaluating a supplier’s facility and capabilities.

You might also benefit from a more detailed supplier visit report from an independent auditor. A formal factory audit is especially relevant if you’re working with a factory for the first time, placing a large order or want to manage your supplier risk .

By gathering as much information as you can during a factory visit, your supply chain will be much better protected against potential disruptions.

What kinds of horror stories or other interesting discoveries have you made during a factory visit? Share them in the comments below!

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How to Write an Industrial Visit Report

by Katie Mills Giorgio

Published on 20 Oct 2018

There’s always a lot riding on an industrial site visit, particularly if a company’s bottom line depends on the report you’ll deliver to corporate leaders after the visit. The easy part of your job will be getting plant employees to usher you around to the offices and work areas you’re required to evaluate. The hard part is making certain the tour you take and the presentations made give an accurate depiction of the points of interest you’re charged with investigating and evaluating. Once you’ve completed the evaluation, draft an industrial visit report to summarize your findings.

Know the Law

It is important to note that an industrial visit report is not necessarily a legal requirement, but rather consists of information compiled by some employers voluntarily to assess the company’s safety and risk management programs. It is not a requirement of the federal Occupations Safety and Health Act of 1970, known as OSHA. However, each state has its own requirements under OSHA so be sure to know the rules that apply to your organization. An industrial visit report can be helpful in presenting safety and risk management information to potential insurers and also helps an organization determine ways to improve employee safety measures.

Be Thorough and Take Notes

In order to write a high-quality industrial visit report it’s important to use several methods of information gathering: Carry a pad and pen or a digital device to make notes on topics you’re commissioned to gather. Track observations and gather handouts received from your host. Reflect on your visit and jot notes down at the end of the work day. This will be particularly important for industrial site visits that last several days.

Ask Questions

Don’t hesitate to ask questions and seek detailed answers, persisting when necessary for more information. Request supporting documents and keep track of specifics. Note the date or dates of your visit, the branch and site location, the number of employees and the square footage of the building. Attaching a map of the areas visited is also helpful. Note the various departments, the number of employees in each department and the names of those you speak with.

Know What to Include

Start the industrial visit report by stating the objectives of your visit and follow each with observations reached about whether the objective was met. Specific details related to the objectives are also helpful. Include as much detail as possible about inspections, work and safety practices, and the variety of other elements unique to the industrial site you are visiting. Safety equipment on site and other features that ensure the safety of employees (and customers, if applicable) should be noted.

Summarize Documentation of Safety Measures

Your report should include information related to the policies, departments and procedures responsible for ensuring safety. Review and include summaries of safety logs, which often include vehicle maintenance records, drug test verification and OSHA safety logs. Worker compensation information can also be included. It is helpful to prepare a glossary or index that tracks the attachments obtained during your visit that you need to share. Also draft a one-page executive summary that synthesizes the most important information in your report. Place it at the front of the presentation material so those requiring an overview of your visit can get what they need quickly from this page.

Make Recommendations

Your report should also cover conclusions and recommendations based on your observations during the visit. Be forthright, objective and succinct in making them. Use discretion when including sensitive information that came your way as a result of being on site. Your recommendations for enhanced security measures are perhaps one of the most important parts of the report. If a company is not providing regular safety training and updates on best practices, note how that can be incorporated into the company’s culture. Recommendations can be both proactive and reactive, especially when illustrating how the company and its employees should react in a workplace emergency. There should also be disaster preparedness efforts in place.

Be Your Own Editor

Once you’ve compiled your notes and written the report, make sure it meets the requirements established by company policy in terms of length and required content. If this has not been laid out for you, aim for a five-page report with supporting attachments. Make sure the report pages are numbered. Adding titles, bullet points and subheadings helps organize the content and enhance readability. Double-check the facts against your on-site notes. Of course, always run the spellchecker and then give the report a second read-through to catch any errors. And most importantly, submit the industrial site report promptly.

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Why (and How) to Take a Plant Tour

• David M. Upton
• Stephen E. Macadam

By adopting a systematic approach to plant tours, visitors can uncover and communicate a wealth of strategic and operating information.

In recent years, managers have recognized how manufacturing capabilities contribute to a company’s overall strategic strength. The ability to respond quickly to customers’ orders, to customize products to match customers’ exact requirements, or to ramp up production rapidly can be a powerful and difficult-to-imitate competitive weapon. But many corporate managers identify their plants’ capabilities only by accident—as a result of chance conversations with plant managers or operations specialists. Consequently, many managers do not have the information necessary to cultivate, shape, and exploit their company’s manufacturing capabilities. As plants develop, however, they need guidance to build capabilities that meet current and future needs. Plant tours can be a powerful way of providing factories with that kind of direction.

• David M. Upton is the American Standard Companies Professor of Operations Management at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
• SM Stephen E. Macadam is a principal at McKinsey & Company’s Charlotte, North Carolina, office.

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DataScope Templates

Factory Visit Agenda

Planning a factory visit to gather valuable insights and build strong relationships with your suppliers? Look no further than BizzLibrary.com for a comprehensive Factory Visit Agenda template that will help you make the most out of your visit. Whether you are in the manufacturing industry or sourcing products from a specific factory, our Factory Visit Agenda template is designed to guide you through the process and ensure a productive visit.

Why is a Factory Visit Agenda Important?

A factory visit is a valuable opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge about the manufacturing process, assess the quality control standards, and build a stronger relationship with your suppliers. Having a well-organized agenda for your factory visit helps you stay focused, ensures that all relevant topics are covered, and maximizes the efficiency of your visit. Here's why a Factory Visit Agenda is essential:

• Clear Objectives: The agenda outlines the specific objectives you aim to achieve during your factory visit. Whether it's to inspect production facilities, evaluate quality control measures, or discuss future projects, having clear objectives helps in planning and conducting a successful visit.
• Structured Schedule: A well-structured agenda ensures that you make the most out of your visit by allocating sufficient time to different aspects of factory operations. It helps you plan factory tours, meetings with key personnel, and interactive sessions to gain a comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing process.
• Discussion Topics: The agenda includes a set of discussion topics that you want to cover during your visit. This ensures that you address specific areas of interest, such as production capacity, product customization options, quality control procedures, or sustainability initiatives.
• Documentation and Observation: A Factory Visit Agenda encourages documentation and observation during your visit. It prompts you to take notes, capture relevant photographs, or record videos to gather evidence and insights. These notes can later be used for analysis, follow-up actions, or as part of supplier evaluation processes.
• Building Relationships: In addition to gathering technical information, a factory visit is an opportunity to establish rapport with your suppliers. The agenda can include social activities, such as meals or informal discussions, to foster a stronger business relationship.

Access Your Factory Visit Agenda Template

Make the most out of your factory visits with our professionally designed Factory Visit Agenda template in DOCX format. It provides a clear structure and serves as a valuable tool for planning and executing successful factory visits. Visit BizzLibrary.com today and download the template to streamline your factory visit process.

Remember, a well-planned and structured factory visit can provide valuable insights and strengthen your relationship with suppliers. Enhance your sourcing strategy and improve the efficiency of your supply chain by utilizing our Factory Visit Agenda template today!

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better operations

By prof. torbjørn netland, hosting factory visits: 10 best practices.

Visiting more than 40 factories all over the world this year, I have seen both good and not-so-good practices for hosting factory visits. In this post, I share some learning points: here are ten best practices for factory tours.

#1 Provide information on the web

A visit to a factory starts before the visit. General information about the company and the tour should be accessible online. If your factory produces products with particular interest in the consumer market (for example, Harley Davidson, Haribo, Toyota, or Pilsner Urquell), a professional factory visit web page is needed. Some factory-intensive districts even offer own portals for “industrial tourism” (such as this example from York, Pennsylvania). Although most people do not care about most factories, all factories should take pride in being welcoming for a wide array of interested parties; other companies, owners, employees’ families, students, politicians and—most importantly—customers. A good start would be to provide proper instructions online for how to get to the factory.

#2 Safety first, but don’t exaggerate

Nothing really says “I care about you” more than a strong and visual focus on safety in a factory. Safety information can be handed out at the reception, together with needed safety equipment such as shoes, glasses, ear plugs, and safety vests. Some companies show a safety video (and some even require the visitors to take a written safety exam afterwards…) Use clean safety glasses for the visitors, not the ones that the operators threw away some years ago. Walking paths can be designated in the factory—at least in areas with enhanced safety risks. Some plants elevate the safety issue beyond sanity: if ear plugs are not needed, don’t enforce the use of them. When visitors barely hear what is being said, ear plugs just introduce annoyance and a new safety risk. Another advice: please, see if you can get hold of something a bit more stylish than an oversize fluorescence “visitor” vest. Nobody feels on top of the world as a huge living reflex… But again: Safety first!

#3 Start with an introduction

Help the visitor understand the plant. Nothing should be more straight forward than telling the fundamental story of the plant; when and why did it start up, how may employees work there today, what products does it produce to which markets, is it a growing or declining market, what are the prospects, why is this the best plant in the world, and why is the plant very happy to have you as a visitor. Some good plants I have visited, have made this story-telling easy by displaying it in the reception area. A general presentation of the factory should also always be available. Or like they do in Harley Davidson in York; start with a video presentation of the company and the plant. In any case; start with an introduction.

#4 Display your products

If you have good products (which of course you have), then show them. If you have complex products, show a cross-section of some of them. A transmission manufacturer I visited in Sweden displayed their transmissions cut in half with plexiglas as windows into the interior. An engine manufacturer in Japan did the same, and even colored the different channels of the engine to explain the paths for fluids and air. Vehicle manufacturers often park the coolest of their products outside. Nidar chocolate factory in Trondheim, Norway, gives the visitors unlimited access to samples of goodies directly from the line. And, unbeaten to this day, the Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston invites to free flow of freshly brewed beer after the free-of-charge old  brewery tour. Display your products.

#5 Appearance matters

Yes I know; all those Toyota-gurus and lean-fanatics run around and tell us that we have all misunderstood 5S as a “cleaning program”. “In Japan it is not neat and clean”, they tell us, “it is all about functionality”. Well, they’re wrong: Appearance matters ! In my opinion, how it looks is a proxy for how well-run the factory is. If it looks good, it probably is good. Cleanliness also means something for how attractive it is to work in the factory. It is fairly simple to “pimp my plant”: Some white painting on the walls, proper floors, and good lightening conditions help much in making the place appear much better. Some plants are extremely good in giving an unforgettable impression using tricks like this. One good example is Aarbakke AS, a Norwegian supplier to the offshore oil and gas industry located in Jæren, Norway. Aarbakke has painted the plant in its corporate colors red and white. On the shop floor there are orange trees that grows due to the heat from the machines (in Norway!). The cranes after named after local soccer heroes, and a jacuzzi and the CEO’s own Rolls Royce car are freely available for all employees. This is not just a play for the gallery: a nice plant sells more products. Appearance matters, more than many believes.

#6 Be proud and loud

Who should be proud of your plant if not you and the plant itself? Let the plant shine and tell all the visitors that this is the best place to work in the world. This point starts and ends with the employees. Nobody can be better—or worse—ambassadors for a plant. If employees are smiling and hospitable, a factory visit cannot end badly. If they are overly stressed and have no free time on their hands, the impression will never be top-notch. To get such employees requires leadership with respect for the individual. A good canteen serving healthy food can be a visual symbol of this capability. (Once I heard that “we do not even have a canteen here; the management does not take us serious”). Another simple strategy to increase the pride of the plant is to hang up huge and power-radiating product ads in the facilities. Americans are often best at this. Be more American; be proud and loud.

#7 Organize the shop-floor tour

Number seven is obvious: organize the shop-floor tour. Know where to start and where to end. Either walk up the value stream or down the value stream. I prefer down. You do not have to show the worst areas in the plant, but leaving an impression that something is purposefully hidden away, is maybe worse than seeing it all. Handing out a map of the layout and tour route, and a feedback form for the plant’s own improvement, are good practices. Also know that all employees do not like to be on display every day. That should be respected. As far as possible allow photos to be taken, but don’t turn it into a photo safari (a good alternative that I have yet to see, is to offer a set of professional photos on a CD or USB stick after the visit). If your plant turns into a real industry celebrity and a tour-pro, a good idea can be to employ retired workers as tour guides. Usually, many of them would love to help out. Even if most plants doesn’t get to that celebrity status, they can still organize the shop-floor tour properly.

#8 Display your problems

The eight practice is not that obvious: Display your problems. A plant that displays its problems also displays openness and a serious strategy to become even better. White boards with information about key performance criteria—both good and bad—shows a healthy and living management. Note that these boards should better be updated and relevant. Nothing says “I don’t give a shit” quite like management boards that are outdated, dusty, and not in use. Show your kaizen activities. Nobody is perfect. In a state-of-the-art Renault Truck factory in France, all defect products are showcased in the the middle of the factory, not hidden away in a dark and inaccessible storeroom. Show that you care to improve—by displaying your problems.

#9 Be generous

Be generous—others are. It is fully OK not to offer free snacks or coffee. But because many plants do, your plant will appear like “an uncle Scrooge of manufacturing”. If your business model is to make the absolute cheapest products with the absolute minimum amount of resources, that can be a genius strategy. In all other cases it is not. Free give-always have never hurt a company’s reputation (like beer at Samuel Adams in Boston, and chocolate souvenirs at Lindt in Zürich). A cost-benefit analysis cannot be applied to subtle gestures like this. What goes around, comes around, I would say. Be generous.

#10 Stand out

Be unique. Do something that makes the factory stand out from the crowd. How many factories are there in the world, and why should the visitor remember exactly yours? Please offer something unique to remember. It can be a small thing, like a shoe-free slippers-zone (a Japanese factory I visited) or a tea-ceremony (Saudi-Arabian plant), or huge things, like three enormous wind mills at a CO2-neutral automotive plant (a Belgian factory I visited), the futuristic BMW factory in Leipzig, or being known for being the most effective one (like Toyota in Toyota-shi or Nissan in Newcastle). Don’t be a day-fly; stand out!

Have you ever come across any other best practices for hosting factory visits? Or are there any factories that just have to be mentioned in this regard? If so, please let me know.

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5 thoughts on “ Hosting factory visits: 10 best practices ”

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have you ever visit plastic recycling factory in Asia ? can i visit them too ? actually i want to make a plastic recycling factory also, but you know. if i tell them then what will they think of me.. lol or any suggestion. im indonesian, want to make a plastic recycling factory to make my country better, at least clean the street and give some job for people, capital for start approx 200 million IDR ($ 20.000)

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Plan Your Factory Visit

Visiting a China factory? Here is a good checklist of things to know

Prior to your visit:.

• Keep good records
• Initial inquiry date, response dates
• Contact info, address, phone, emails, web site, etc
• Are they a Broker or Manufacturer
• Current products produced and markets served
• Number of employees, year established
• NDA signed √
• Build a map

Preparing to Visit:

• Have your host provide you the name and address in both English and Chinese.
• Also have them recommend nearby hotels.

Your Products—Have a Product Deck with:

• Professional 3D and engineering drawings
• Material and technical specifications
• Packaging—primary and secondary
• Fit and function requirements—QC testing
• Volumes—initial run and annual

The Factory—What to Document

• Organizational chart – Pay special attention to the quality control team and processes.
• Ask for permission to take photos
• Ask to see similar products
• Ask about specific customers and whether they are producing for your country
• Take note of how busy the factory is
• Types of equipment and care of the equipment
• How do they organize tooling?
• How well organized is their warehouse for both materials and finished goods
• Is their staff bi-lingual
• Do they compete in the same market as you?  Attend trade shows? Manufacture their own brands vs. purely contract manufacture?

Other Things to Know:

• Years in business
• Number of employees
• Owners/founders
• Are they compliant with all current regulatory and environmental requirements?
• What are the payment terms?
• Do they assist with shipping?
• Ask them how they deal with defective products (return and damage policies)
• Do they have a current ERP system to track materials, orders

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How to Say Thanks After Company Visits

Table of Contents

Thanking the company for hosting or welcoming you is the smart way to build business relationships. Make sure to let them know that you value the time they spent accommodating you. The best way for you to do that is with a sincere  thank you letter after company visit .

A thank-you letter needs to sound professional and well-thought-out. To help you in making a great thank-you letter, we’ve listed some of the best examples in this article.

We’ll also be discussing what you can do to craft a great thank-you message that will genuinely express your thanks.

How Do You Write an Appreciation Message?

Writing a thank-you message is simpler than you might think. It doesn’t need to be several paragraphs long or use complex sentences. Your message just has to be concise and genuinely express your appreciation. Here are some quick and helpful things to remember when writing your message:

Keep It Concise

Nobody has the time to read a novel-length message. Keep your thank-you letter to one page. A short message that’s well written can leave more impact than several paragraphs that just drag on and on.

Use Formal Salutations

You want to make your letter professional. After all, it is an official thank-you letter from you to the company. To do that, you want to start your letter on the right note with a formal opening salutation. Some examples of this are:

Now that you’ve started your letter formally, you need to end it formally as well. Here are some of the closing salutations you can use before your Signature:

• Best Regards
• Respectfully

Be Specific With What You’re Thankful For

Are you thankful for your host’s time, for a conversation you had, or for their hospitality? Whatever it is, tell them specifically that you appreciate what they did for you. It’s a way of acknowledging their kind gesture.

Sincerity Is Key

As with any letter, sincerity is very important in an outgoing message. The tone and intent of the letter must be genuine and honest. Write in a personable tone, use an active voice, and get straight to the point.

Sincere Thank You Letter After Company Visit Examples

For a company’s product launch.

Dear [Name of Company or Host],

I’m so happy because you took the time to accommodate us and let us see your new and improved products. Your company truly is on the top of its game.

Thanks again for your hospitality. I’m excited to see more of what you have in store for your customers.

Best Regards,

[Signature]

Hi [Name of Company or Host],

Thank you so much for having us at your product launch yesterday. We had such a fun time, and we enjoyed learning more about the new features and capabilities of your product.

It is really fantastic! I think your company has done it again! I can’t wait to see the amazing things you’ll do in the future.

For a School Company Visit

Greetings [Name of Company or Host],

We want to extend our sincere thanks for welcoming our students and us to your facility. It was such a great pleasure to visit your company and to learn about your products.

The students learned so much from the tour. And they loved the gift bags you provided.

Thanks again for your hospitality!

Thank you for hosting our school’s yearly company visits. It truly was a pleasure to be able to visit your factory and meet with the workers.

We appreciate your willingness and kindness in giving us the tour. The students were ecstatic, and they all learned so much.

Kind Regards,

For a Company Event

The business conference conducted by your company was such a great success. Thank you very much for arranging it and inviting such an inspirational guest speaker.

Everyone in the conference room was in awe of his enthusiasm, knowledge, and skill. It definitely was a learning experience all around. Again, thanks so much.

For a Meeting With the Company

Thank you for taking the time to meet with us yesterday to discuss [topic]. This project, [name of project], has many opportunities for future development, and we are excited to get it started.

We are looking forward to working on this special project alongside you. Thank you.

Hosting an event, conference, or meeting takes a lot of effort and time. As such, it’s only polite to thank the host or the company for their hospitality. Send them your appreciation with the thank you letter after company visit examples in this article. You can never go wrong!

Pam is an expert grammarian with years of experience teaching English, writing and ESL Grammar courses at the university level. She is enamored with all things language and fascinated with how we use words to shape our world.

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Invitation Letter For Factory Visit (Sample)

If you’d like to invite your clients for a tour of your factory, here’s a template you can use to write an invitation letter for a factory visit.

Dear [Name],

We want to thank you for choosing us as your [product] vendor. We can only guarantee you our best products and our good service. We assure you that we would do nothing to lose your trust and your generosity. May our partnership last long and stay successful.

As more concrete way to show our sincerity in our promises, we want to invite you for a visit in our facility. We want you to witness first hand how we make all of our products. We’re confident in our process and our people. We are sure that after your visit, you’ll share that feeling too. Our company is very committed to producing the most high-quality product of its kind in the market.

Please reach out to us so we can arrange your visit.

[Company name]

Other Free Letter Templates

• Letter of Refusal of a Project Offer
• Customer Satisfaction Survey Request
• Management Feedback Form
• Contract Cancellation Letter
• Warranty Claim Letter
• Formal Petition Letter
• Request for Advice regarding a Company Problem
• Refusal Letter for Gifts from Clients and Suppliers
• Formal Letter of Complaint to a Supplier
• Request Letter for Late Payments (Medical Bill)
• Warning Letter against Defamation
• Seminar Invitation Letter to Customers
• Direct Bill Letter for a Company Guest
• Approval Letter for a Newly Opened Credit Line
• Notice to IRS about a New Contact Person for an Existing EIN
• Request Letter for a Dependent to be added to Insurance
• Changes in Company Policy regarding Paid Holidays