Counterfeit Risk Self Assessment Checklist for Mid Sized Manufacturers
Introduction: Why Counterfeit Risk Increases as You Scale
Counterfeiting rarely appears overnight.
It grows quietly as manufacturers expand production, add distributors, enter new regions, or outsource packaging.
Mid-sized manufacturers face the highest exposure because growth often outpaces infrastructure.
Processes that worked at a smaller scale begin to fail, not due to negligence, but due to complexity.
This checklist helps you evaluate whether your current systems can detect counterfeit risk before it becomes a regulatory, financial, or reputational issue.
How to Use This Checklist
Answer each question honestly with Yes, No, or Not Sure.
Yes means the control exists and is actively enforced
No means there is a clear gap
Not sure means visibility is already insufficient
Multiple No or Not Sure answers indicate elevated risk.
Section 1: Product Identity and Authentication
Can you authenticate every individual unit outside your factory or warehouse?
Do your products carry non-reusable and non-clonable identities?
Can you detect duplicated serial numbers in the field?
Can distributors or inspectors verify authenticity using a simple scan?
Can returned products be authenticated before being reintroduced into inventory?
If you rely only on visual labels, holograms, or static serial numbers, risk is already present.
Section 2: Production and Packaging Controls
Do you have visibility into which packaging partner handled each unit?
Are unit identities generated and recorded during packaging, not after dispatch?
Can you link each unit to its production batch digitally?
Are rejected or destroyed units permanently invalidated in your system?
Can you confirm that no extra units were produced outside planned quantities?
Outsourced packaging without unit-level control is a common counterfeit entry point.
Section 3: Distribution and Channel Visibility
Can you see where each unit is after it leaves your warehouse?
Do you rely on distributor reports instead of scan-based verification?
Can you detect product movement outside authorised regions?
Can you identify substitution at the distributor or sub-distributor level?
Do you know which channel handled a specific unit at a specific time?
If inventory movement is based on trust instead of verification, blind spots exist.
Section 4: ERP and System Limitations
Can your ERP verify physical authenticity or only record transactions?
Can your ERP detect duplicated serial numbers across locations?
Do you have a system outside ERP that validates real-world movement?
Can you reconcile ERP data with scan-level evidence?
Are anomaly alerts generated automatically or discovered manually?
ERP visibility without physical verification does not stop counterfeit movement.
Section 5: Returns, Refurbishment, and Secondary Markets
Can you authenticate returned products at the unit level?
Are refurbished units digitally differentiated from new units?
Can you detect resale of your products on unauthorised platforms?
Do you track which serial numbers should never re-enter circulation?
Can you prove whether a disputed unit was originally manufactured by you?
Returns and secondary markets are high-risk zones for counterfeit reintroduction.
Section 6: Regulatory and Audit Readiness
Can you produce unit-level movement history during an audit?
Can you prove where a specific unit has been at every stage?
Can you isolate affected units without recalling entire batches?
Can you demonstrate proactive counterfeit detection controls?
Can you provide time-stamped, tamper-resistant evidence to regulators?
Regulators expect evidence, not explanations.
Scoring Your Risk Level
0 to 5 No or Not Sure answers
Low risk, controls are mostly in place6 to 12 No or Not Sure answers
Medium risk, blind spots exist and should be addressed13 or more No or Not Sure answers
High risk, counterfeit exposure is likely already present
High risk does not mean failure.
It means growth has outpaced visibility.
Why Most Mid-Sized Manufacturers Score Higher Than Expected
In practice, many companies discover that their controls are fragmented.
Authentication exists in one system.
Inventory lives in another.
ERP data assumes authenticity.
Distributors operate with limited verification.
Counterfeiters exploit the gaps between systems, not the systems themselves.
Turning Risk Awareness Into Control
Identifying risk is only the first step.
The next step is closing gaps without disrupting operations.
This typically requires:
Unit-level digital identity
Scan-based verification across channels
A traceability layer that works alongside ERP
Real-time anomaly detection
Evidence-ready reporting
This is where traceability overlays become essential.
When Prevention Is Easier Than Response
Once counterfeit products are discovered by customers or regulators, the response becomes expensive and public.
Manufacturers who detect risk internally retain control of the narrative, the remediation, and the timeline.
The difference lies in visibility.
Where to Go From Here
If this checklist revealed gaps, the next step is not replacing systems.
It is strengthening them with verification.
Origin helps mid-sized manufacturers implement unit-level traceability and authentication as an overlay to existing ERP and supply chain systems, allowing growth without losing control.
Explore how Origin can help you move from risk awareness to counterfeit resilience.