Scoring the Audit and Next Steps

Audits fail when they end in impressions. Decide before the visit how the audit will be scored, and define what each score means:

• Criteria-based scoring — score each area (facility, equipment, quality system, sample results) against pre-defined criteria rather than a gut feeling.
• Weight critical items — a failed calibration on the lamination line matters more than a cosmetic housekeeping issue; weights make the score reflect risk.
• Define next steps per score — approve, approve with corrective actions, re-audit, or disqualify, with the conditions for each.

Score the audit on the day, share the summary with the supplier, and put the corrective actions into a dated plan before you leave.

Before the Visit: Audit Plan and Document Requests

An audit starts weeks before the flight. Send the supplier:

1. The audit agenda — which lines, processes, and records you want to see, so the right people are available.
2. The document request list — certificates, organization chart, quality manual, process flow, equipment calibration list, and recent inspection records.
3. Your product’s critical parameters — the processes that matter for your display (bonding, cutting, FPC assembly, testing) so the tour focuses on your risk, not the factory’s highlights.

Review the documents before the visit and note gaps. A supplier that cannot produce its calibration list ahead of time usually cannot produce it on the day either.

Facility Tour: Cleanroom, Cutting, and Bonding Lines

Walk the actual production flow for your type of module, not the showcase line. Check:

• Cleanroom discipline — gowning, air pressure, particle control, and how materials enter; cleanliness decides cosmetic yield.
• Cutting and processing areas — for custom or 2nd-cut sizes, how glass is cut, cleaned, and edge-sealed.
• Bonding and lamination — if your module is bonded, watch the actual lamination or dispensing process, because bond quality is decided there.
• Workflow vs. process map — compare what you see on the floor to the documented process flow; differences are findings.

Ask operators what they do when a defect appears. The answer tells you whether the quality system lives on the floor or only in the office.

Equipment Check: Laminators, Ovens, and Calibration

Equipment tells you whether the process can be controlled:

• Calibration status — pick three instruments and verify their calibration stickers and records match.
• Preventive maintenance — are ovens, laminators, and testers on a maintenance schedule with records?
• Process parameters — are setpoints documented and logged, or set by memory?

Uncalibrated test equipment makes every downstream test result questionable, so equipment checks are a high-weight audit item.

Quality System: IQC/FQC Records and CAPA

Review the quality records that prove the system runs:

• Incoming quality control (IQC) — how are raw panels, cover glass, and components inspected on arrival?
• Final quality control (FQC) — what is tested on finished modules, with what AQL plan and conditions?
• Corrective and preventive action (CAPA) — pick a recent failure and trace it: was the cause found, the fix implemented, and the result verified?

AQL sampling mechanics are their own topic; at the audit, verify that the agreed plans are actually used and that records match the plan.

On-Site Sample Testing: Power-On and Dimensions

Pull samples from the production line (not from a prepared display case) and test them on site:

• Power-on check — image, uniformity, and obvious pixel or mura defects under the agreed viewing conditions.
• Dimensional check — measure outline, active area position, and FPC or connector location against the drawing.
• Documentation match — confirm the tested samples match the revision you are qualifying.

Sample testing on site converts the audit from paperwork review into a product check. Note the sample IDs so you can trace the results later.

LCD Factory Audit Checklist: What to Verify On-Site

1. Certificates and their scope match the processes you need (quality, medical, automotive as applicable).
2. Cleanroom and material flow match the module type you are buying.
3. Equipment calibration and maintenance records are current and traceable.
4. IQC/FQC records exist and match the agreed inspection plans.
5. CAPA records show closed loops on real failures.
6. Line samples pass power-on and dimensional checks.
7. The audit score and corrective-action plan are documented before you leave.

Audit requirements such as IATF or ISO clauses are standard/external references; confirm the applicable requirements with the issuing bodies and the supplier’s certificates. Supplier audit content found in marketing material is not a substitute for on-site verification.

Frequently Asked Questions