ISO 9001, BSCI & SEDEX: What Bag Buyers Should Actually Check
Ask for three things and verify each independently: the certificate itself (with certificate number and expiry date), the audit scope (does it name the factory and product category you are buying?), and the database record (BSCI/amfori and SEDEX/SMETA results are looked up on the audit platform, not just shown as PDFs). ISO 9001 covers quality management; BSCI and SEDEX/SMETA cover social compliance — you generally need both types for retail and brand supply chains.
Xiangfu holds ISO 9001, BSCI and SEDEX certifications covering our Wenzhou factory, and we share verifiable documentation with buyers during onboarding.
How to verify, step by step
- Request the certificate PDF and check the legal entity name matches the company on your contract and invoice.
- Check dates: an expired certificate is a red flag; note the audit cycle and next renewal date.
- Look up the audit ID: BSCI on the amfori platform, SEDEX on the SMETA portal — you or your compliance team can confirm the record exists.
- Confirm scope: the audit should cover the site that actually produces your order, including any subcontracted processes.
- Ask for recent QC records and your own third-party inspection option (many buyers commission a pre-shipment inspection — welcome at our factory).
Beyond certifications
- Material claims: recycled or organic content should be backed by transaction certificates from the material supplier — ask for them per order, not per year.
- Social compliance: working hours, wages and safety are the areas audits focus on; ask how corrective actions are tracked.
- Traceability: can the factory show which mill supplied the fabric for your batch? Good factories can.
Frequently asked questions
Is ISO 9001 enough? For quality, largely yes — but retail and brand buyers typically also require social audits such as BSCI or SMETA.
Do you allow third-party inspections? Yes. Buyers regularly arrange SGS/BV-style inspections; we schedule them during production or pre-shipment.
Can you sign our supplier code of conduct? Yes, we review and sign buyer codes of conduct and NDA agreements before sampling.
Next step
Request our certificates and audit records, or start with a sample order. See about us and contact us.