Questions Answer

Production Cost Mapping for Few Apparel Items

To provide you an overall idea about cost mapping of garment production 3 items has been selected like Basic V-Neck Long Sleeve T-Shirt,  Ladies Turte Neck Pullover and Mans 5 Pocket Denim Jeans. In the following table on the product image total FOB break up has been shown. Total production cost of the items  and fabric specifications given below the images. Finally, process wise cost break up has been given below.

This study was done by Progress, gtz. based on data from Bangladeshi apparel Manufacturers.

Basic V-Neck Long Sleeve T-Shirt	Ladies Turtle Neck Pullover	Man's 5 Pocket Denim Jeans
Total production cost of $ 2.5 (as of July 2007) Color: White Fabric: 1X1 Rib Weight: 240 GSM	Total production cost of $ 3.25 (as of July 2007) 50% Cotton, 50% Acrylic Fabric: Single Jersey	Total production cost of $ 5.8 (as of Dec 2008)
Yarn & Accessories Knitting Dying Cutting Sewing Finish & Pack Administrative 58% 3% 28% 19% 5% 3% 3%	Yarn & Accessories Flat Knitting Linking Trim & mending Wash, Finish & Pack Administrative 64% 15% 5% 3% 2% 11%	Fabric & Acc. (Raw Materials) Cutting Sew Wash Quality Administrative 75% 1% 3% 10% 1% 11%

Source: A poster by Progress, December 2008

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What Documents are Sent by Buyers First to Start Work with Garment Manufacturer?

Question: What documents are sent by a buyer to start work first, e.g. order sheets or some things else? Buyer first sends something to a buying house or manufacturer, by which we make the required garment?

Order sheet is not been forwarded at first stage of communication between buyer / buying house to garment manufacturer. Only when it is a re-order, buyer sends directly production order sheet to its vendor. To start work with for new seasons or an order buyer start with product development (mostly known as sampling). For production development or sampling buyer may sent

An manufacturer can do business with buyer directly or through buying houses. In case garment manufacturer deals directly with the buyer then obviously buyer will communicate everything directly to the manufacturer. In other case buyers communicate with buying house and buying house forward information to their selected/ buyer approved manufacturers. Similar ways production follow up with manufacturers is by buyer or buying house

Skills Required to Become a Successful Merchandiser in Buying Role

Day to day Job Responsibilities of a Merchandiser Working in a Buying Agency

Question: What are the day to day roles of a merchandiser working in a buying agency? ... asked by Rajat

OCS's Answer:
Though job profile widely varies from organisation to organisation and position of a merchandiser in the organisation, I am listing down some of the common jobs that a merchandiser needs to do in a buying house on daily basis. Some tasks may be performed in a weekly cycle or season. After reading the following list, if you feel that something is missing then you are welcome to point it out in the following comment box.

1. Communicating with buyers by mail (mostly) for new queries as well as updates


2. Meeting with vendors and explaining new development requirement to vendor team 


3. Planning for new season sampling and production orders 


4. Collecting of garment samples, trims and different types of swatches from the vendors 


5. Submission of samples to buyer through courier 


6. Follow up with vendors for samples 


7. Follow up with buyers for approvals and feedback 


8. Giving approval on samples where buyer intervention is not required 


9. Updating latest comments on particular styles or order to vendor representative 


10. Update the buyers with the order status at all stages 


11. Execution of running orders (production) 


12. Visit to vendor site 


13. Sourcing of materials for new development 


14. Preparation of material requirement 


15. Selection and finalizing of vendors for the upcoming orders based on vendor’s experience of making similar products 


16. Preparing Purchase order 


17. Costing and negotiation with trim & accessory suppliers 


18. Handle quality issues for sampling as well as production 


19. Preparing inspection schedule for shipment and notifying to quality department in the buying house or third party QA. 


20. Maintaining files and Accounts 


21. Updating Time and Action calendar

What is Bit Loom?

Bit loom is a common term mostly used in garment supply chain (e.g. by apparel buyers, fabric manufacturers, merchandisers in woven garment manufacturing). It is one kind of fabric development sample. Normally yarn dyed fabric swatches (samples) are called as Bit loom. As solid colored or solid dyed fabric swatches (samples) are called as Lap dips. To develop fabric design that is made with dyed yarns (checks or stripes) or self colored yarn with different counts of yarn, a sample development loom is used (electronic or manual loom).

Swatch: Bit loom

Fabric is not made in full width (regular) in this loom. Only required width and sufficient length is made to represent fabric look. The purpose of using bit loom is to show the fabric design to the buyer for final look of the fabric without spending much time in fabric preparatory processes and with minimum cost for fabric development.

Bit loom is made only for fabric sample approval from buyers. Sometimes couple of samples (garments) are made with the development fabric.

How to determine GSM of woven fabric from its construction?

To determine approximate GSM (grams per square meters) of a given fabric, you can use following formula. One of my colleagues used to use this formula in testing lab. In case different counts of warp thread or weft thread is used then this formula will not give you correct GSM. It is also known as conversion formula from fabric construction to fabric weight.

Fabric GSM = (EPI/warp count + PPI/Weft count) x (100+crimp %) X 0.2327

For example, construction of a fabric is 40 X40 /120 X 60 and warp and weft crimp is 6%. Then GSM of this fabric will be,

GSM = (120/40 + 60/40) X (100+6%) X 0.2327

GSM =104.77

I found others to use this formula with different multiplying factors.

Fabric GSM= ((EPI/warp count X 1.1) + (PPI/weft count x 1.04)) x 23.5 By Dharmi 
Where 1.1 and 1.04 are warp and weft crimp factors respectively.

How to make a good and comprehensive production file?

In apparel export manufacturing merchandiser communicates with buyers starting from product development to shipment of the finished goods. Whatever information merchant receives from buyer related to production style, she communicates it to production team. Most of the organized factories follow a standard procedure for the communication in between merchandising to production department. Production file is such one example. Merchants are responsible for making production file.

Merchant (or Production planning team) conducts pre-production meeting with production team after getting approval on final sample (usually PP sample). Merchant handovers Production File to production team with all required information and samples. A clear and complete production file includes all required information needed to make the style as per buyer requirements. In this article how to make a good production has been discussed in detail

A standard production file contains following items.

1. Check list (production file) 
2. Technical sheet (Tech pack including measurement sheet) 
3. Production Order sheet (with color and size break up), cut plan and mini marker 
4. Comment sheets (comment received from buyer on each development samples) 
5. Approved PP sample with buyer comments 
6. Approved fabric swatches of all color ways. If there is any shade band it is also mentioned what lots are accepted and what are not accepted. If there is contrast color combination it is mentioned in the file. 
7. Approved Print strike off and embroidery strike off (if present in the style) 
8. Trim card (Trim card must contains approved sample of trims such button, lace, sewing thread, main label, acre label etc.) 
9. Post sewing processing details (washing, dry cleaning or dying) to be mentioned with final look. 
10. Packing specifications (if not mentioned in production order) 
11. Other specific information those are very important for the style quality – needle size to be used. 
12. A copy of Time and Action calendar (prepared by Production planning department) 
13. Copy of the PP meeting notes (Minutes of the Meeting of Pre-production meeting) 
14. FPT and GPT report (if available at the of PP meeting)
15. Ex-factory date – at what date shipment to be ready for final inspection and to be ready for the move to the port. 

How to make Production File:

1. Issue a ring binder or paper spring file from stationary department (store). 
2. Take print out of all buyer documents (tech pack, specification sheet, comments, production order and important mail communications) and staple category wise. 
3. Issue few swatch cards (little bit thicker paper) and make trim card. Staple trims on the trim card. Or you can put trims inside small poly pouch and staple the pouch on the trim card. Sign on the trims as your approval. 
4. If you have approved strike offs for printing and embroidery or handwork, staple those approval on the swatch card. 
5.  Punch all documents and swatch cards with punching machine and file them in the ring binder (production file) in a sequence of above list. 
6. Prepare a check list with above and fix it on the inside front cover. In the check sheet mention what is approved, what is awaiting for approval, what are pending to hand over etc. 
7. Insert separator in between the documents (if it is a large file with different type of documents) 
8. Label the file with Style/Order Name, Buyer Name, Merchants name, File hand over date, planned cut date and Ex-factory date.

How to keep track of current Fashion Trends?

Fashion magazines are generally the best source of information on current and near-future fashion trends. To name few top magazines – Vogue, RTW, Gloria Medias, Images Business for fashion, Apparel, Inside Fashion, Apparel online, Lace-n-Lingerie, Zink Magazine etc. Domestic brands and export manufacturer for whom trends are important should regularly check online magazines and their sites. To name few of such sites are www.apparelresources.com, www.just-style.com, www.imagesfashion.com , www.instyle.com, www.vogue.com and Some magazines offer free subscriptions to e-mail lists on current industry and/or fashion trends. Such as www.fashionatingindia.com

Other options to keep track on current and future fashion trends

1. Social networking sites made it easier to keep track of current fashion trends. Lot of groups and forums are there in Facebook and LinkedIn social networking sites. Join to those groups to get update of current fashions trends 
2. Follow buyer’s web site regularly. Buyer place their upcoming product ranges on display on the site.  
3. Visit the designers sites and check what they have brought to the market. You can get good design ideas from those designer creations. 
4. Visit apparel stores regularly and keep eye on fresh arrivals (merchandise). 
5. Even you can regularly check online apparel shopping sites and subscribes for new arrivals notification of those online apparel shopping sites. Through regular watch and research data provided on the online magazine you can keep yourself updated on current and future fashion trends. 

Pricing Terminologies used in Garment Export Business ?

How to improve seam performance against slippage in garments?

Seam slippage is one of the causes of seam failure that affect appearance and performance of the garment. Seam slippage occurs on woven fabric, when yarns slide together along other yarns or a line of stitching. Seam slippage occurs with a low stitch count, insufficient tension on threads, or improper stitch and seam selection.

1. Most slippage occurs in the seams that run parallel to the warp. 
2. Slippage will more likely to occur in fabrics that have filament yarns, low counts and unbalanced weave. 
3. Seam slippage may also be affected by stitch type and size, tension, seam type and size, thread used for sewing and excessive use of fabric lubricant. 

Remedies:

• A tighter stitch will reduce seam slippage as stitches grip fabric. 
• Using higher stitch per inch (SPI), lapped seam and double row of stitches will increase the grip, hence reduces seam slippage 
• By increasing seam margin (allowance) as the higher number of stitches in between seam and cut edge create a resisting force to slippage. 
• Sewing the seam with lining fabric or tape will help to reduce slippage. Seams cut along with warp line are more prone to slippage than those cut on the bias.

Why not to request your buyer, they may like your option?

I thought, let’s try. When our MD sir was giving me this suggestion to do it then why not to try? It worked. After a day I got approval of the lap dip. And go ahead with the bulk order. After a week, I shipped my first order. 

Learning: Why not to request buyer, they may like your option?

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Apparel merchandising

What are the main activities of an export house merchant?

1. Communication with buyers in terms of sample development, approvals, order confirmation 
2. Communication with internal departments and forwarding required information to the respective departments 
3. Procure order & Order confirmation 
4. Product development, sample development and sample approval 
5. Development of bit loom, print strike off, embroidery strike off etc 
6. Style Costing 
7. Calculating consumption of raw materials (Bill of material) 
8. Price Quoting 
9. Lab dip & Approval 
10. Sourcing and purchasing of raw materials, 
11. Approval of fabric, Trims and Accessories 
12. Fabric Testing and garment testing done from testing labs 
13. Factory Scheduling / Planning 
14. Order Follow up: all steps of production & Quality 
15. Follow up vendors for subcontracting jobs like printing, hand embroidery and washing 
16. Ensure on Time Delivery 
17. Liaison with the customer during Design, Sourcing, Production & Shipping 
18. Conduct pre-production (PP) meeting with other departments, handover production file and samples to the production team.
19. Attend buyer’s meeting 
20. Ensure Customer Satisfactio

 

How to Review or Study Reference Garment Sample?

In garment export orders, most of the time buyers send reference sample to the supplier with technical specifications and note on critical points. It is to help supplier for preparing correct material requirement, understanding buyer quality requirements and to make proper production planning.

• Check fabric details, accessories, styling and garment construction.
• Check garment detailing for process requirements, like printing or embroidery is needed or not. If needed is it before stitching or after stitching. Think about cutting whether block cutting is needed or not.
• Go through the specs sheets and compare/match it with the sample for possible query on points of measurement. Note that buyer’s way of measuring certain specs varies and you should be aware of their established standards.
• Wash care instruction
• Identify and list down garment components or parts
• List down main material, trims and accessories used
• Specification of sewing threads (thickness and variation).
• Turn down the garment and identify operation sequences, note if few operation can be started simultaneously.
• In operation sequence also note seam types, stitch classes and accordingly think about machine type guides or attachments that would suitable for the operation.
• Note down operations that looks difficult in sewing and may need attention for quality stitching.
• Review the sewing allowances required or may be required by the various sewing methods.
• Identify finishing processes and note with specification.

How to choose right method for garment printing?

Most used printing methods are screen printing, heat transfer printing, direct print, cut out print, block print, boutique print. Each printing method has multiple ways of application. Like - pigment print, discharge print, transfer print, khadi print etc. For example, if you are going to print light color on dark base then discharge print is always advisable. Discharge print also gives soft hand feel. If you want bright white print on dark base (black) color then you have to choose khadi print instead of other options but hand feel is harsh in khadi print.

Picture: Styleceo.com