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quality control | Apparel Network

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The Production Process in the Garment Industry

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We’ve talked about the importance of developing a production schedule for the production process, the ins and outs of the sampling process, and quality control.

Production Process in the Garment Industry| Apparle NetworkBut how does the production process in garment manufacturing work in a more general sense?

There are three macro phases to the garment production process:

  • Pre-production
  • Production
  • Post-production

Pre-Production Process

The pre-production process includes:

  • Design/Sketch: during this phase designer and manufacturer work together to fully discuss the design and come to a complete understanding of what the designer wants the final product to look like.
  • Pattern Design: a hard paper copy of each component of the garment is made reflecting the exact dimensions and includes a number of components such as seam allowance and trimming allowance.
  • Sample Making: samples  (also known as proto samples) are made based on the pattern design and sent to the designer for any eventual corrections.
  • Production Pattern: a final pattern, one that is extremely precise and reflects the styles approved for manufacturing and meets spec requirements is made.

After these steps follow pattern grading and marking, where the dimensions of each size are perfected and the markers for cutting are established.

Production Process

During this phase the physical production of the garments take place. This phase includes:

  • Spreading: the various fabrics are arranged and sorted on the spreading table and stacked according to size based on the marking.
  • Cutting: the fabric is cut according to the marker dimensions.
  • Sorting/Bundling: the cut fabrics are then sorted and bundled according to their size.
  • Sewing/Assembling: the various cut fabrics are sewn together to make a full garment.

Post Production Process 

  • Inspection: all the finished garments are inspected for defects (open seams, wrong stitching techniques, non- matching threads, and missing stitches, etc.).  This is the first quality control inspection for the finished garments that will have to go through yet another inspection phase before being shipped.
  • Pressing/Finishing: the garments are pressed and a few final touches are added such as thread loose cutting.
  • Final Inspection: the garments go through one final round of quality control to weed out any defective garments.
  • Packing: the finished garments are sorted according to size and design and packaged for shipping. Once the garments are packaged they’re sent to dispatch where they will be shipped to their final destination.
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Quality Control in Garment Manufacturing

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Quality Control in Garment Manufacturing | Apparel NetworkOne thing our experience has taught us at Apparel Network: too many brands contracting with offshore manufacturers neglect to ask about quality control processes not only at the factory, but at every step of the production. In order to produce high quality garments, everyone involved in the manufacturing needs to maintain some sort of quality assurance or quality control plan and procedures that includes factory monitoring, testing, inspections, audits etc.

There are myriad issues that can plague garment manufacturing, so quality checks need to be put in place at every stage of the production. Typical QA processes include:

  • Fabric Defects Check
  • Cutting Room Quality Checks
  • Piece Goods Inspection
  • In-Process Quality Control
  • Quality Management Systems

Something to remember: larger manufacturing operations don’t necessarily offer better quality assurance. Very often, American and European fashion brands gravitate towards bigger manufacturers, assuming that they will be better organized and more reliable. But size matters less than having good processes in place.

Garment production is a much more complex undertaking than, say, electronics or home goods manufacturing where the processes involved are simple. It doesn’t take years to understand how aluminum die casting works, but with textile products the complexity is exponentially larger and so are the risks. Without having substantial industry experience there is a high likelihood that something will go wrong.

Quality Contron in Garment Manufacturing | Apparel NetworkIt takes a minimum of six months to train a competent textile inspector, and at least five years in the lines to develop a good production supervisor. There are no shortcuts – it takes a trained eye to ensure that quality related problems don’t ruin your merchandise. Sewing defects (open seams, incorrect stitching techniques, creases or raw edges), color and shade variations, sizing problems, and a whole range of related process issues (faulty zippers, irregular hemming, loose buttons or improper button holes, uneven parts, inappropriate trimming, etc.) all need to be spotted and corrected before finished products are shipped to their destination country.

Quality is what drives the value of any product or service and goes a long way to establishing your brand name and building your reputation. That’s why solid quality control from your manufacturing team in China is essential for any apparel exporter.

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