Sandra Carr, Senior Lecturer, The Academy for Caribbean Fashion and Design, University of Trinidad and Tobago, shares her presentation on Production Management. Mrs. Carr presented on this topic at FashionTT's Business of Fashion Workshop on Friday 21st July, 2017.
2. PROCESSES OF GARMENT MANUFACTURING
• Pre-Production Processes - Pre-production process includes
sampling, sourcing of raw materials, approvals, PP meeting.
• Production processes- cutting, sewing and finishing
• Post production processes - thread trimming, pressing,
checking, folding and packing, shipment inspection, etc.
3. GARMENT PRODUCTION FACILITY
• The production facility will offer designers a manufacturing source to
enable retail selling, regional and international exports
• Mass production
• Stimulation of the local fashion industry
• Generate revenue for the country
• Provide global standards
• Creation of jobs
• Provide training
4. WHAT IS PRODUCTION?
• Production describes the process by which concepts are made into a
saleable physical product.
• In most cases, this means going from a small set of samples or
prototypes to commercial quantities of the item or style, often across
multiple sizes, colours and patterns.
5. PRODUCTION PLANNING
• Based on orders, a designer will decide on how many garments of
each style he/she will need.
• The designer will engage with the production facility to fill orders
• Cut to order is the safest method, where you cut and produce only
against orders.
• Cut to stock involves greater risk, where cutting is based on estimates
of projected sales.
• Cut to stock is necessary for basics to enable production to be spread
out over time.
7. GETTING BUYERS’ ATTENTION
• As a designer you need to do research to find a good match.
• Designers must take the time to find stores that could be a fit for
their aesthetics and approach them one by one.
• Being at a trade show is a good way to catch buyer’s eye.
Designers are able to show their best designs and prices to
potential buyers.
• International fashion shows and other fashion events where
buyers attend.
• Marketing your brand to online platforms.
8. CONSULTATION AT THE PRODUCTION FACILITY
• The facility will offer Tech Pack training, samples, and
production runs.
• Ideally a designer will come with a solid plan and the
production facility will help with whatever is needed (tech
packs, samples, and/or production)
9. TECH PACK
• It is one of the most crucial tools to developing your product and
making the communication process more efficient between designer
and manufacturer.
• Think of a Tech Pack as the blueprint for each garment. Just as a
builder would never just start building a house without a detailed
plan, a designer should never produce a garment without a detailed
Tech Pack.
• The Tech Pack tells the (factory) all the information that’s needed to
successfully transform your design into a product that’s exactly how
you envisioned it.
• Many new designers overlook this vital step.
• Tech packs save time and money
10.
11. THE IMPORTANCE OF TECH PACKS
• With a tech pack, designers are more likely to get a sample or product
made correctly with minimal errors.
• Supplying a tech pack to a manufacturer gives them a concrete
guideline to your product, so without one it can be difficult for
manufacturers to translate your idea into an actual product.
• It also allows the manufacturer to make a product without having to
refer back to the designer several times.
• When creating products, manufacturers can reference the tech pack
to make sure they aren’t overlooking any aspect of your design.
12. HOW TO MAKE A TECH PACK
• Designers can use Adobe Illustrator to create a tech pack.
• Designers can also work with a technical designer.
• When creating a tech pack with Adobe Illustrator, you can
export them into a PDF to send digitally.
• Designers can also find templates online that can format the
layout.
13. DETAILS OF TECH PACK
• A tech pack is an informative sheet that designers create to
communicate with a manufacturer all the necessary
components needed to construct a product.
• Typically designers will include measurements, materials,
colors, trim, hardware, grading, labels, tags, etc.
• Any crucial aspect of your design needs to be described in
your tech pack.
• The more detailed a tech pack is, the less room there is for
error.
14. RISKS OF PRODUCING WITHOUT TECH PACKS
• Making a garment without first creating a Tech Pack is
basically like tossing eggs and flour into a bowl without a
recipe, and expecting a gourmet cake!
• Without a Tech Pack, you might be envisioning a Cotton
Blend sheath dress with strategically placed cutouts, but
what you receive from the factory is a Poly Blend shift dress
with appliques.
15. RAW MATERIALS
• Ordering the materials to produce garments may be done by the
manufacturer or designer.
• The volume of the piece goods order and the origin would affect
the cost.
• Piece goods buyers must also consider:
• The amount that may be required for reorders
• Trimmings
• Fabric quality and dye lot matching
16. PRODUCTION COSTS
• Production costs are mutually determined by the manufacturer and the
designer.
• Elements include:
• Materials
• Trimmings
• Production patternmaking, grading and marking
• Tech Packs
• Spreading and cutting
• Assembly
• Finishing
• Freight
• Duty and VAT
17.
18. PRODUCTION PATTERN
• There are four steps to the process of creating a pattern for a
manufactured apparel product:
• Grading
• Marking
• Spreading
• Cutting
19. GRADING
• Most apparel products come in various sizes. Patterns have to be
created for each size. This process is called grading.
• Grading can be done by:
• A CAD software program
or
• By hand on paper
20. MARKING
• Marking is the process that uses a computer or paper to create an
outline of the shape of the pattern piece .
• The markers are then placed on the fabric in a way ensure the least
amount of wasted fabric possible.
21. SPREADING
• Spreading is to place multiple layers of fabric so they can be cut into
pieces ready for assembly.
• Spreading can be done by hand or by machines known as Spreaders
22. CUTTING
• The cutting process usually involves one of two primary types of
machines:
• Electric Cutting Knife
• Automated Cutting Machine
23. PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
• Contractors schedule production and garment assembly in time
to meet shipping dates.
• The production schedule, is a reverse timetable usually covering
six months.
• The Production facility’s capacity must be considered in planning
the production schedule.
• Computerized inventory control has made planning more
accurate.
24. WOMEN’S APPAREL
• In the women’s apparel industry, four to six collections a year are typical. A
traditional calendar guideline used by the fashion industry for decades.
• Spring I
• Sell Dates: August - October
• Delivery: Late January - March
• Fashion Week in New York takes place in September as does New York
Market week.
• Spring II / Summer
• Sell Dates: October - January
• Delivery: Late March - May
25. • Fall I / Transition
• Sell Dates: Late January - March
• Delivery: Late Middle of July – August
• Fashion Week in New York takes place in February.
• Fall II
• Sell Dates: March - April
• Delivery: Late September
26. • Holiday
• Sell Dates: May - June
• Delivery: October
• Resort / Cruise
• Sell Dates: June - August
• Delivery: Late November through mid-January
27. GARMENT ASSEMBLY
• Apparel assembly usually involves one of four basic methods:
• Tailoring/Whole Garment
• Progressive Bundle/Piecework
• Unit Production
• Modular Manufacturing
29. STANDARDS OF QUALITY CONTROL
When measuring the quality of a finished product, there are two
different types of quality to consider
• Design Quality
• Manufacturing Quality
30. DESIGN QUALITY
• Design quality takes into consideration the features that are part of
the design of a garment.
• Certain sewing techniques and seam finishes are used on higher
quality garments that would not be seen on garments of lesser
quality – i.e.. bound seams, top stitching etc.
31. MANUFACTURING QUALITY
• Manufacturing quality considers the care with which a garment has
been created.
• Workers in this area of inspection would look for:
1. Color defects
2. Construction defects
3. Sizing defects
32.
33. SHIPPING TO RETAILERS
• Garments are checked for quality, divided into groups according to style,
color and size and put into stock.
• Standardized purchase orders make pulling orders to fill easier, faster and
more efficient.
• Orders transmitted via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) are automatically
translated in Advanced Shipping Notices (ASN’s) and invoices.
• ASN’s are sent to stores so they know what to expect.
• Bar-coded boxes are prepared for shipment, with packing slips and
addresses, allowing for on time delivery and quick checking at the
destination.
34. MARGINS/MARKUPS
• Many designers ask what a reasonable margin target should be.
• The answer, of course, varies depending on the size of your business,
its overhead, development, sampling costs and many other factors.
• Most companies try to achieve close to 50 percent margins at
wholesale and over 70 percent in retail. But again, there are no hard
and fast rules, as each circumstance requires different treatment.
35. PRICI NG
• Designers needs to take into account the objectives of the business.
• If the product is highest quality, a higher price should be used to
signal high quality to the consumer.
• Exclusive designer fashion labels and luxury holiday businesses apply
this strategy (using “premium” or luxury prices).
• Competitors – this is really important. Competitor strength influences
whether a business can set prices independently, or whether it simply
has to follow the normal market price.
• Costs – a business cannot ignore the cost of production or buying a
product when it comes to setting a selling price. In the long-term, a
business will fail if it sells for less than cost, or if its gross profit margin
is too low to cover the fixed costs of the business
