Maintaining good product quality when manufacturing a new piece of apparel is a common concern, even when working with a regular manufacturer.
The issue here is that the garment is ‘new,’ and, in this case, new means ‘increased risks.’ Increased risks that the manufacturer will make errors in production, that deliveries might be delayed, or that costs may spiral…and the list goes on.
Examine a couple of suggestions for reducing these risks in this scenario here.
Can your supplier handle this new product?
This depends on your relationship with them and their history. If the new piece of apparel is very similar to something they’ve worked on before with great success, then maybe involving a third party (for performing product inspections) isn’t necessary. You may even be able to coach this supplier to be able to self-inspect.
But if you have any concerns about their ability to handle, for instance, complex sewing around corners, then involving a third party inspector is a wise move even if the supplier promises to conduct more in-house QC.
Start with a pre-production meeting
We always recommend starting with a pre-production meeting as a safety net when textiles are involved because it would be helpful in reminding them what is important for you.
Our QA technician will intimately understand in advance your garment and requirements, and when they visit your supplier they’ll check the production setup, product samples, and any defects, reporting back to you with photos, and they discuss all of these elements with the supplier to assure they’re 100% on target to successfully produce the garments.
It could take place on the day they start to sew (which gives our QA technician the ability to see at least 10 finished pieces or so coming out of the lines). If the way they sew the first bundle is not good, the following pieces probably won’t be either! If there are any misunderstandings or issues changes can be made at a very early stage with a view to improving quality and reducing risks of further problems.
Start here, and then if you find issues…
Go for inspection during production (DPI)
We can also send an inspector in a bit later into production, say when 10 to 20% of the garments have been sewn, and inspect them in an inspection during production.
Again, this inspection will find any problems at a relatively early stage in production so corrective actions can be taken before problems have become too serious. You will be made aware at this point if production staff understand your quality standard and are capable of producing the garments to your expected level of quality.
It is quite similar to a final radom inspection (typically without checking packing).
What will these cost?
Both of these are 1-man-day services which cost US$299 for textile products.
Any questions or concerns?
Are you going to start manufacturing a new piece of apparel soon? What procedures or checks have you put in place to assure that your supplier will reach your expectations? Perhaps you have some worries? Do let us know, please.
P.S. you may also enjoy these blog posts…
- How To Choose Which Product Quality inspection You Need?
- How Much Does a Quality Inspection in China cost?
- Why checking quality during loading is a bad idea
- Quality control basics
- What Is Quality Assurance?
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