The factory says almost finished. How much is actually complete?

CHAOSHUO TRADING · Practical sourcing guide

Illustrative buying scenario—not a completed customer case.

Your supplier sends a short factory video. Machines are running and workers are moving goods. The message says “almost finished,” but the delivery date is close and you still cannot answer a simple question: how many units from your order are actually ready to ship?

A busy workshop and an order-specific progress report are different things. What you need is a clear connection between the evidence, the production stage and the quantities in your order. More footage is not necessarily better information if that connection is missing.

Define what complete means

One person may call an item complete when machining or assembly ends. Another may mean it has passed inspection. Your forwarder may only care when it is packed, labelled and available for collection. All three statements can describe different stages of the same order.

Agree the stage definitions before using progress percentages. Ask the supplier to distinguish goods still in production, goods awaiting inspection, goods accepted after checking, goods awaiting packing and goods ready for dispatch. Otherwise, “90% complete” may hide the step that controls the shipping date.

Ask for a dated snapshot of this order

A useful update identifies the purchase order, product or variant, reporting date and responsible contact. It separates the quantity ordered from the quantities at different stages. Make clear whether the stage counts are separate groups or cumulative totals, so nobody adds the same units several times.

• Order and product reference, including variants where relevant.
• Quantity not yet started and quantity currently in production.
• Quantity awaiting checks, accepted quantity and any quantity needing correction.
• Packed quantity and quantity genuinely available for collection.
• The obstacle affecting the next stage and the next reporting date.

These are suggested reporting fields, not a universal production system. A made-to-order machine, a mixed consumer-goods shipment and a repeat component order require different levels of detail. Use the structure that helps you make a decision, rather than collecting numbers that nobody can explain.

Link photographs and video to the reported work

Ask the supplier to explain what the footage shows and how it relates to the order. Where appropriate and permitted, visible labels, product details or job references can help. A scheduled live call allows follow-up questions, but even a live view may cover only part of the location and part of the work.

Record whether information was directly observed, provided by the supplier or not verified. A video timestamp alone does not establish ownership of the goods or prove that the whole quantity shown belongs to you. Avoid asking for unrelated confidential information about other customers or employees when order-level evidence would answer your question.

Reconcile counts before relying on a percentage

If the supplier reports that all units are assembled but fewer are ready for inspection, ask where the remaining units are and what is required to move them forward. If a packed quantity changes between reports, ask whether the earlier number included goods later reopened for correction.

A simple comparison between this update and the previous one can reveal a misunderstanding or an unresolved bottleneck. Do not assume a discrepancy proves deception. Give the supplier a chance to explain the basis of the figures and record any correction so later decisions use the same information.

Turn progress information into a next action

When a stage is behind, identify what must happen next, who is responsible and when the position will be reviewed. If the remaining work involves outside finishing or a missing packaging item, ask about that dependency specifically. A request to “work faster” does not identify whether the obstacle can be removed.

A periodic report should show the open question as clearly as the positive news. SGS’s overview of supplier monitoring highlights the role of progress reporting and information about possible delays. Our practical focus is similarly on usable information, while the scope and capability of any particular assignment must be agreed separately.

Let CHAOSHUO help obtain clearer China-side updates

We can discuss supplier calls, agreed reporting, video conversations and separately quoted local progress visits. Share the order information, supplier location and what the current updates fail to tell you. We will discuss what can realistically be checked and what evidence can be provided.

We do not describe one visit as continuous surveillance or a video as proof that every item is complete. You receive the findings and remaining gaps so that decisions about timing, inspection and shipment are based on something more useful than “please do not worry.”

Practical purchasing information, not a product-specific inspection standard, legal opinion or performance guarantee. Scope, access, records and charges are confirmed for each assignment.