| Supplier Qualification | Legal business identity | Confirm the supplier's registered legal name, business address, business scope, registration status, and authorized representative. | The information on the business license should match the quotation, contract, bank account, and export documents. | High |
| Supplier Qualification | Export capability | Review export records, customs documentation, shipping terms, product classification, and experience with the destination market. | The supplier should clearly explain Incoterms, packaging marks, export documents, and responsibility for customs clearance. | High |
| Supplier Qualification | Quality management system | Request a current quality-management certificate and verify the certificate number, scope, issuing body, and validity period. | A certificate such as ISO 9001 can support process control, but it should not replace product inspection or testing. | Medium |
| Supplier Qualification | Factory ownership and production location | Check whether the quoted supplier is the manufacturer, a trading company, or a hybrid operation. Match the factory address with audit documents and video-call evidence. | The supplier should disclose outsourced processes, subcontracted finishing, and the location responsible for final quality control. | High |
| Product Verification | Base material and grade | Verify the material specification for the rack body, mounting plate, screws, hooks, and other load-bearing parts. | The quotation and drawings should identify materials such as stainless steel grade, brass, aluminum, or zinc alloy instead of using only the term “metal.” | High |
| Product Verification | Dimensions and load performance | Check overall dimensions, tube diameter, wall thickness, mounting-hole spacing, fixing method, and intended load. | Use an approved technical drawing and require the supplier to state the tested or specified load under defined installation conditions. | High |
| Product Verification | Surface finish and appearance | Inspect plating, polishing, brushed texture, powder coating, color consistency, weld marks, sharp edges, pinholes, and surface contamination. | Approve a golden sample or signed reference sample before mass production and define acceptable visual defects in writing. | High |
| Product Verification | Corrosion resistance | Request the applicable corrosion-resistance test method, test duration, specimen details, result photographs, and laboratory information. | Do not accept a generic “rust-proof” claim. Compare the test method and acceptance criteria with the requirements of the target market. | High |
| Product Verification | Chemical and moisture resistance | Evaluate resistance to bathroom humidity and commonly used cleaning agents, especially for plated, painted, or adhesive-mounted products. | Require documented test conditions or conduct an independent sample test using the cleaning products expected in the target market. | Medium |
| Product Verification | Safety and installation | Review wall anchors, screws, instructions, mounting templates, edge treatment, installation limitations, and compatibility with different wall types. | Installation instructions should identify suitable wall substrates and should not claim that one fixing method is suitable for every wall. | High |
| Manufacturing Capacity | Key in-house processes | Confirm the availability of tube cutting, bending, stamping, welding, polishing, plating or coating, assembly, and packaging processes. | The supplier should provide a process flow and identify which operations are in-house and which are subcontracted. | High |
| Manufacturing Capacity | Monthly production capacity | Request capacity by specific towel-rack model or product family, together with current utilization and peak-season constraints. | Capacity figures should be supported by production records, equipment lists, staffing information, or an on-site audit rather than a general sales statement. | High |
| Manufacturing Capacity | Production lead time | Separate sample lead time, first-order lead time, repeat-order lead time, and time required for custom tooling or packaging. | The quotation should state lead times in calendar days and define when the lead-time clock starts, such as approval of samples or receipt of deposit. | High |
| Manufacturing Capacity | Tooling and engineering support | Evaluate capability for 2D drawings, 3D files, prototypes, mold or jig development, design changes, and engineering approvals. | Custom products should have documented drawing revisions, approval records, and clear ownership of tooling and design files. | Medium |
| Quality Control | Incoming material inspection | Check whether raw materials and purchased components are inspected for specification, quantity, surface condition, and traceability. | Inspection records should link material batches to production orders and should identify actions for nonconforming materials. | Medium |
| Quality Control | In-process inspection | Review checks for dimensions, weld quality, surface treatment, assembly, torque, and mounting components during production. | The supplier should use documented inspection points and acceptance criteria rather than relying only on final visual inspection. | High |
| Quality Control | Final inspection and defect handling | Confirm sampling plans, defect classification, corrective-action procedures, rework controls, and final inspection records. | Agree on an inspection standard, approved sample, critical defects, major defects, minor defects, and the procedure for resolving failed inspections. | High |
| Commercial Review | Quotation transparency | Compare unit price, tooling, sample fees, packaging, inspection, shipping terms, payment terms, taxes, and replacement policy. | A comparable quotation should use the same specification, quantity, packaging method, delivery term, and currency before price comparison. | High |
| Commercial Review | Sample-to-mass-production consistency | Compare the approved sample with pre-production samples and random finished goods before shipment. | The contract should define that material, dimensions, finish, packaging, and performance must conform to the approved specification and sample. | High |
| Final Decision | Supplier scorecard result | Score qualification, product quality, manufacturing capability, communication, delivery reliability, and commercial risk using documented evidence. | Use weighted scoring and require corrective action for any critical failure involving legal identity, material authenticity, safety, or quality traceability. | High |