What an audit is for
An audit answers one question: can this plant make the product you want, to the specification you will sign, at the volume you need, and prove it with records? A tidy reception area and a long list of certificates on the wall do not answer that. What answers it is seeing the production line running a similar product, the test equipment in use, and the records that link a finished pair back to its parts and its test results.
Smart glasses make audits harder because the work is split. Some plants are electronics assemblers that buy frames; some are frame plants that buy temple modules; a few do both. The checklist below is organised so the auditor checks each half separately and then the point where they meet: final assembly and testing of the complete pair.
Before the visit
- Business scope and address. Confirm the plant address you will visit is where production actually happens, not a sales office.
- Product history. Ask for a list of smart glasses or electronic eyewear models the plant has built, with which modules were made in-house and which were bought in.
- Existing test reports. Request copies of radio, battery and optical reports for the model you are considering, and note who holds them.
- Management system. If the plant reports ISO 9001 or similar, ask for the certificate and scope, and check the scope covers the products you buy.
- Capacity claims. Ask how capacity is calculated - per line, per shift, per model - so claims can be checked on the floor.
On the floor: the checklist
| Area | What to see | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming inspection | Inspection records for cells, boards, speakers, frames and lenses; batch labels | No records, or parts stored without lot labels |
| ESD control | Grounded benches, wrist straps in use, ESD-safe packaging for boards | Straps hung on hooks, untested floor mats |
| Battery handling | Separate storage, fire controls, cell lot traceability, charge state on storage | Loose cells in open trays near soldering |
| Soldering and flex assembly | Work instructions at each station, flex cable routing through the hinge | Instructions missing or for a different model |
| Frame and hinge | Hinge cycling rig, temple bend test, plating or coating checks | No hinge test equipment for a plant that claims frame production |
| Acoustic and RF checks | Speaker response and leak checks, microphone tests, RF pre-scan or conducted tests | Only a listening check by ear |
| Environmental tests | Salt spray, artificial sweat soak, IPX splash, drop | Tests claimed but equipment not on site and no lab reports |
| Final test | Pairing, charging, playback, call test, firmware version check on every pair | Sampling only, no record per pair |
| Packing | Packing instructions, label checks, carton marks for lithium batteries | Battery marks missing on export cartons |
The test items and their pass criteria should match what will be written into your spec sheet. Number of hinge cycles, salt spray hours or sweat soak duration are stated working defaults, confirmed per order. The broader test approach is on testing and inspection.
Firmware and change control
Firmware is the part of a smart glasses product most often changed without anyone noticing. A plant may update the Bluetooth stack, the touch sensitivity or the charging curve between samples and batch, and the new version may behave differently. The audit should check:
- How firmware versions are named, stored and released, and who approves a release.
- Whether every finished pair is checked for the approved version at final test.
- How over-the-air updates are signed and delivered, which matters for EN 18031 under RED in the EU.
- How changes to parts - a new cell supplier, a different speaker - are recorded and communicated to the buyer.
A written change notice rule, where the plant must inform the buyer before changing a part or firmware on an approved product, is one of the most useful clauses in any program.
People, records and traceability
Look at how the line is staffed and trained. Are operators on the line the same people shown on training records? Are rework stations separate and logged? Can the plant take a finished pair from a recent batch and show its date of assembly, cell lot, board lot and final test result? Traceability matters most when something goes wrong in the market: without it, a battery or hinge problem cannot be narrowed to a lot and every unit becomes suspect.
Also check social and safety basics appropriate to your market and your own policies: working hours records, fire exits, chemical storage for plating and coating, and handling of waste batteries. If your customers require a formal social audit, agree which standard and who commissions it.
Line-specific checks
The core checklist applies to every line, but some lines add their own points. Add these to the audit plan when they apply.
- Camera glasses. Check how the recording indicator LED is tested at final test, whether recording is blocked when the indicator is covered, and how image and video files are handled on returned units. The EDPB statement of October 2026 sets out expectations for indicators; it is guidance, not law, but buyers selling in Europe increasingly ask about it.
- AI and translation glasses. Check microphone array testing, the app build and release process and who operates the cloud services. Language count and latency depend on the app and translation engine, with typical cloud latency of 0.5-3 s; the audit confirms how the plant tests the hardware side, not the engine.
- Rx-ready and sports frames. Check lens fitting and edging, the frame tracing process and how the plant handles lens partners. Sports lines add wrap-frame lens alignment and grip parts such as nose pads and temple sleeves.
- Kids lines. Check material declarations for lead and phthalates under CPSIA for the US, small parts, volume limits per firmware and how a children's product certificate is supported by lab reports.
For lines with a charging case, include the case assembly area in the visit. A case with its own cell is a battery product and needs the same cell storage, traceability and UN 38.3 support as the glasses themselves.
After the audit
Write up findings in three tiers - must fix before order, fix before batch, improve over time - and agree corrective actions with dates. An audit is a snapshot; the pre-shipment inspection on each lot is what confirms the plant keeps to it. See pre-shipment inspection and quality control. The desk can include an audit in a program before samples are paid for; share the line and target plants through the quote form, and check typical timelines on MOQ and lead time.