summary of gi

8/8/2019 Summary of Gi

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Communications with overseas & domestic suppliers, approval of productionsamples, & development of fabric & yarns are also included in productdevelopment, which are co-coordinated with other departments. Overall we cansay that merchandising is the core department of the entire industry. Once theproduction sample is approved & the grading done a final costing is doneaccurately using fabric averages from the CAD, cost of trims etc. Sampling

department directly co-ordinates with the merchandising & productiondepartment. The buyer sends spec sheet, sketches, fabric details, embellishment

details, stitch type etc to the merchandiser. Merchandiser files this informationalong with the details regarding costing, average, proto, fit, correction, size set &

approval in to a style package & hands it over to the Sampling department head.FABRIC SOURCING Fabric sourcing department is basically engaged in

determining how & where its merchandise i. It works in co-ordination with themerchandising department & looks after the delivery of the required goodswithin the scheduled time & cost. Fabric requisition from merchandiser Forwardfabric for inspection The purchasing department is similar to the sourcingdepartment but the main difference is that the sourcing department works forsourcing the fabrics alone while the purchasing department works for sourcing

the accessories & trims. The merchandisers give the techpack & the BOM (Bill OfMaterials) for a particular style to the purchasing department & the concernedperson will start the further process & for costing purposes the in-house price isgiven like, the cost involved in the production & also the price involved for a unitinvolved with respect to the complete procedure involved for its production. Thisbreakup is given to the merchandiser by the purchasing department for thecosting purpose, the cost sheet is made by the merchandisers & the order isconfirmed by the buyer based on the cost sheet given by the merchandiser. Thegoods are generally received in breakups as suggested by the merchandiseraccording to the requirements stated by the planning & the productiondepartment & this breakups will have specified date & quantity & if this breakupsis not being mentioned then the order is being placed with the supplier several

times for small quantities & POs have to be sent all the time so, in order toovercome this a breakups are being is given. Then the purchase department has

to follow up with the supplier for deliveries as & when the merchandiser asks forthe new set of the materials for that particular style & then the department also

has to maintain the receipts & also they have to maintain the documents of theinspections that are being carried out for those materials. 15% fabric inspection

is done for defects. FABRIC INSPECTION All fabrics are inspected under the 4point inspection system.

On receiving the orders, from the merchants they start to decide the date forhaving the PP (Pre-Production) meeting with the departments which are directlyinvolved which are, planning, production & the finishing departments. Theplanning department takes the approval or sits & conducts a meeting with 3other departments to come to end up giving a proper planning & schedulingdates for the particular style this will take about 10 15 days from themerchandiser approves the order that has to be followed. Firstly, they takeinputs from IED (Industrial Engineering Department) on productivity based onthe garment details which includes, SAM value of the garment, number of


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components in the garment, type of seams, length of stitches involved in thegarment, types of machines required to finish the garment, any specializedmachine is required or not for the manufacturing.

Thirdly, they confirm this consultation if its the final decision & then they also geta confirmation from the embroidery, washing & finishing departments if the slots

for the dates on which they have planned for those particular styles is available& then after confirmation they fix the particular dates on which the style has to

reach the embroidery, washing & finishing departments. After, a proper outputhas come from the PP meeting & there are proper confirmation obtained from

the departments the planning department will confirm the order plan with themerchants & then provide MIS (Management Information System) report to the

management every fortnight, then they prepare a Batch Commitment Sheet &this sheet is prepared about 3 5 days before the cutting date. The planningdepartment is responsible for the timely input of the raw materials to theproduction floor & they must make sure that none of the days the batch /sewingline must sit idle with a reason of raw material non-availability. The planningdepartment keeps in constant touch will most of the departments like the IED,

Finishing, Washing, Production, Marketing, etc., the communication within thedifferent departments is done purely on the mail basis & sometimes throughphone calls but any types of mails regarding the changes in the line of the styleor any such modifying sort of a situation then the department maintains a hardcopy of it for the future reference & confirmation. Fabric Sourcing department:The fabric sourcing department sends the samples of fabrics that have to beordered later may be for sampling, pilot or for the bulk production. The sourcingdepartment as soon as it receives the fabric swatches from the supplier they willselect the fabrics which they require for the particular style & then order for afew meters & then after they receive the small amount then they sent it to thelab along with the tests that are to be carried out for that particular fabricsample. Any of the 3 departments mentioned above, whenever they have to give

a fabric/accessory/garment sample for the testing purpose to the lab then theygenerally send it in a format sheet which includes the style number, buyer name,

specifications of the particular material with respect to the composition,construction, material type, color & other material related. CUTTING ROOM

BASIC WORK FLOW Cutting department receives the order for cutting a garmentstyle from the production manager. Spreading is the process of superimposing

plies of fabric on a horizontal table in a manner, which permits these plies to becut simultaneously into product components acceptable for assembly. Thecutting department issues the amount required by the production departmentwhen asked for. Embroidery The cutting department is responsible for sendingthe cut components of a style for embroidery as stated in the productionpackage. PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Functioning of the Department: The

production floor does production in 2 types, once during pilot production wherethey have to produce about 150 200 garments for the new style this will takeabout 40 55 days. The production managers help the planning departmentduring planning or allocating a particular line for the style by telling them thecapacity of the line & also telling them about the skills of the operators.


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This department will analyze & estimate the manpower & their skill level which isrequired for the production of the garment, they also set a target to the batchfor an hour, for a shift & for a month which will help them to maintain theiroutputs & also helps in timely completion of the order or sometimes earlier. Theembroidery section receives the garments from the sewing floor or from thecutting department & then they start their embroidery process. After the

embroidery is been done for the 1st set of the garment or the cut parts receivedthen they send them to the trimming & the checking section for every machine

there are operators for this process. Wet processing 2. Dry processing 1st thedry processing is carried out & then the wet processing is been followed. In the

dry processing there are 4 different types they are, 1. Crinkling After the dryprocessing the next main thing which has to be done is wet processing. Wet

processing involves mainly 2 types, they are 1. Washing process: After dyeing isfinished the fabrics or the garments are taken to the washing process.Sometimes it so happens that some styles / garments don't demand for dyeingso at such situations they are sent directly to the washing process from the dryprocessing stage or else the original procedure that is followed in the company isthat 1st the garments are sent to the dry processing & then from there to the

wet processing where its 1st sent to the dyeing & then to the washing process.After the entire process is done then its followed by the hydro extraction wherein which a specified lot of garments are put into the hydro extracting machinedepending on the tumbler capacity & then the excess of water which hadaccumulated in the previous stages will be extracted by compressing thegarment with the optimum pressure that has to be used for that particular style /garment. Once the inspection is over the garments are sent to the finishing & thepacking section or sometimes if the garments has to be attached with someaccessories or trims after the washing & dyeing stages then such styles are sentto the production floor to finish the left over job on them & then sent to thefinishing & the packing department. The washing department in this unit (Unit 7)is the centralized one for the units located in Bangalore & its surrounding areas

so the washing unit will be receiving the garments from different units for thewashing purposes hence this department has to keep in track of the garments,

quantity of the garments received, processes that has to be carried out for them,the stage in which they are, duration required for the process to be finished for

the garments,., Sewing audit: In sewing process the inspection is done in 2areas, they are 1. Here the entire manufacturing process for a particular

garment is split into the required number of parts may be two three & then atthe end of each stage the inspection is carried out by the person whose main jobis auditing. EG if the garment that is being manufactured is a shirt then theentire manufacturing process is broken down into stages like, the finish of front,finish if back, sleeve attach finish & then the entire shirt. End line audit: Here thegarments are checked after the entire process is over & the specifications are

mainly based on the dimensions of the garment at the critical positions & thenthe placements of the labels. Semi pressing: This happens when a garment isdifficult to inspect in the crushes manner as it comes from the washingdepartment hence, they do a partial pressing for the garments & then inspect it& trim it & then send it to the complete pressing process.


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A Merchandisers key responsibility is as follows:- Product Development Market &product Analysis Selling the concept Booking orders Confirming DeliveriesDesigning & Sampling Costing Raw Material Flow Monitoring Production FollowUps Payments Follows Once the order is placed its their duty to complete thenecessary paper work, provide breakdown information to all other department &

get samples approved for fit, color & quality. Communications with overseas &domestic suppliers, approval of production samples, & development of fabric &

yarns are also included in product development, which are co-coordinated withother departments. Once the production sample is approved & the grading done

a final costing is done accurately using fabric averages from the CAD, cost oftrims etc. SAMPLING DEPARTMENT BASIC WORK FLOW; In any export house,

the sampling department is one of the most important departments & it plays avital in the uplifting of a unit. Sampling department directly co-ordinates with themerchandising & production department. Sampling is done to see how theproduct will look like when produced in bulk & to check whether there are anydiscrepancies in the pattern are made according to the buyers specification. Thebuyer sends spec sheet, sketches, fabric details, embellishment details, stitch

type etc to the merchandiser. Merchandiser files this information along with thedetails regarding costing, average, proto, fit, correction, size set & approval in toa style package & hands it over to the Sampling department head. Sampling isthe product development stage. The sampled garments represent the accuracyof the patterns & quality of production skills & techniques. The samples not onlyserve the purpose of communicating correctly with the buyer regarding theirstyles & products, but it also helps to calculate the fabric consumption along withthat of thread & other accessories used. This department makes samples on thebasis of specifications & requirements sent by the buyer in the tech pack. TYPESOF SAMPLES Proto Sample: Fit Sample: Pilot Run Sample: Pre ProductionSample: Pre Size set: Size Set: TOP Sample: Shipment Sample: Sales Sample:Machine details There were a total of 300 machines in the sampling department.

The Details Attached to the Garment Sample After the confirmation of order,each sample sent to the buyer has the following details attached to it, with the

help of a tag. Fabric requisition from merchandiser.

10 15% shrinkage test for light weight fabrics & mostly 100% for heavy weightfabrics. The process for shade segregation in the fabric audit department isdescribed follows: The fabric is received from the fabric store with Lab report.Swatch of fabric of about minimum 10% or at times 100% rolls from each lot /color are cut for lab tests if any. In GARMENT, 4 point grading system is followedin the fabric audit department. For every fabric order one meter of fabric is kept

aside for lab testing & quality standard reference randomly. Minimum of the 10bits from different bales of fabric is kept from every consignment order forshrinkage test. The lab in the factory is equipped with all the necessary devices& instruments that are required for the testing of both the fabric & the accessoryitems. But, there are several tests which the buyer prescribes for which themachineries aren't available in the factory for such tests the factory doesn't havethe right machineries so they send such fabrics or accessories, which requiressome other tests to the external labs which are authorized ones with the buyers


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& the merchants approval. Fabric Sourcing department: The fabric sourcingdepartment sends the samples of fabrics that have to be ordered later may befor sampling, pilot or for the bulk production. The sourcing department as soonas it receives the fabric swatches from the supplier they will select the fabricswhich they require for the particular style & then order for a few meters & thenafter they receive the small amount then they sent it to the lab along with the

tests that are to be carried out for that particular fabric sample. The list of teststhat the sourcing department generally asks for are. Accessory Stores: The

stores receives the raw materials in-house & after this they will have to do thesampling process & then they have to make a list of the tests that are supposed

to be carried out for that particular accessories & then they send this to the lab.The lists of accessories & tests that are generally tested are, Button breaking

test Colored laces & tapes are tested for color fastness Color fastness test forelastics Lining fabrics for their dimensional stability Corrugated boxMerchandising Department: The merchandising department keeps in touch withthe lab for the general tests which has to be carried out on the garment sampleswhich are termed as lab dips. After the tests are been carried out & the resultsare received then the garment fabric samples are sent to the external lab for

tests to be carried out if the buyer specifies. Any of the 3 departmentsmentioned above, whenever they have to give a fabric/accessory/garmentsample for the testing purpose to the lab then they generally send it in a formatsheet which includes the style number, buyer name, specifications of theparticular material with respect to the composition, construction, material type,color & other material related. The duration which the lab takes to finish thetests depends on several factors like: Types of tests. If the results are requiredsoon & the tests doesn't involve any kind of long process then that particularsample is taken 1st & then tested & sent back within a day, suppose the samplereceived involves more number of tests & tests which involve long processingthen such tests takes time about 2 3 days & then after receiving. !

CUTTING ROOM BASIC WORK FLOW Cutting department receives the order for

cutting a garment style from the production manager. Cutting order is anauthorization by the production manager to cut a given amount of styles, from

the spreads. ACTUAL CUTTING PROCESS Solid cutting Spreading Spreading isthe process of superimposing plies of fabric on a horizontal table in a manner,which permits these plies to be cut simultaneously into product componentsacceptable for assembly. For this, 1st of all a thin brown paper sheet is spreadon the cutting table using an adhesive tape to prevent the bottom plies fromshifting during cutting. Then the actual spreading process begins with the laying

of 1st fabric layer on this brown sheet & subsequently the other plies are laid.The machine is moved through the lay following the pattern lines of the marker& the reciprocating blade cut the pieces of the fabric progressively. its a non-portable cutting device, which cuts the fabric as it is passed across the blade.Cut pattern pieces Block cutting Jacquard, stripes & checks cannot be spreadwith the spreading machine due to requirements of matching so they are spreadmanually. Often structures like jacquard & checks are spread & cut in singlenumber for accuracy. Then block are cut out from this spread for specific number


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of pieces. The size of the block is dictated by the CAD room itself, which sends amini marker for the cutting of the blocks from the lay & placement of thepatterns on the blocks. The plies in the block are aligned to the match the stripes& a rough cutting of the fabric following the markings of the pattern is done.Cutting of striped fabric is a more time consuming process. its important to takecare that pieces cut from 2 different bolts (bundles) of fabric aren't mixed up.

Ticketing is the process of marking the cut components for shade matchingprecision, & sequence identification. Panels having faults like wrong grain line,

inappropriate size, incorrect shape & any fabric defects like holes, cut, shadevariations etc. Embroidery The cutting department is responsible for sending the

cut components of a style for embroidery as stated in the production package.

This department will analyze & estimate the manpower & their skill level which isrequired for the production of the garment, they also set a target to the batch

for an hour, for a shift & for a month which will help them to maintain theiroutputs & also helps in timely completion of the order or sometimes earlier. Theembroidery section receives the garments from the sewing floor or from thecutting department & then they start their embroidery process. After theembroidery is been done for the 1st set of the garment or the cut parts receivedthen they send them to the trimming & the checking section for every machinethere are operators for this process. Wet processing 2. Dry processing 1st thedry processing is carried out & then the wet processing is been followed. In thedry processing there are 4 different types they are, 1. Crinkling After the dryprocessing the next main thing which has to be done is wet processing. Wetprocessing involves mainly 2 types, they are 1. Washing process: After dyeing isfinished the fabrics or the garments are taken to the washing process.

Sometimes it so happens that some styles / garments don't demand for dyeingso at such situations they are sent directly to the washing process from the dry

processing stage or else the original procedure that is followed in the company isthat 1st the garments are sent to the dry processing & then from there to the

wet processing where its 1st sent to the dyeing & then to the washing process.After the entire process is done then its followed by the hydro extraction where

in which a specified lot of garments are put into the hydro extracting machinedepending on the tumbler capacity & then the excess of water which hadaccumulated in the previous stages will be extracted by compressing thegarment with the optimum pressure that has to be used for that particular style /garment. Once the inspection is over the garments are sent to the finishing & thepacking section or sometimes if the garments has to be attached with some

accessories or trims after the washing & dyeing stages then such styles are sentto the production floor to finish the left over job on them & then sent to thefinishing & the packing department. The washing department in this unit (Unit 7)is the centralized one for the units located in Bangalore & its surrounding areasso the washing unit will be receiving the garments from different units for thewashing purposes hence this department has to keep in track of the garments,quantity of the garments received, processes that has to be carried out for them,the stage in which they are, duration required for the process to be finished for


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the garments,., Sewing audit: In sewing process the inspection is done in 2areas, they are 1. Here the entire manufacturing process for a particulargarment is split into the required number of parts may be two three & then atthe end of each stage the inspection is carried out by the person whose main jobis auditing. EG if the garment that is being manufactured is a shirt then theentire manufacturing process is broken down into stages like, the finish of front,

finish if back, sleeve attach finish & then the entire shirt. End line audit: Here thegarments are checked after the entire process is over & the specifications are

mainly based on the dimensions of the garment at the critical positions & thenthe placements of the labels. Semi pressing: This happens when a garment is

difficult to inspect in the crushes manner as it comes from the washingdepartment hence, they do a partial pressing for the garments & then inspect it

& trim it & then send it to the complete pressing process.


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Starting a Clothing Line BusinessApparel manufacturing is one of the most in-demand businesses today. Find out how tostart and run a clothing business.by Jenny FulbrightPowerHomeBiz Staff Writer

Apparel manufacturing remains one of the most in-demand businesses today. According to the

American Apparel and Footwear Association (http://www.americanapparel.org), apparel salesfor 2000 reached $315 billion, representing a 90% growth from its 1990 levels.Starting a clothing business is just like any other business: you need to have the resources to

jumpstart your vision, skills and know-how in managing the business, and marketing savvy topromote the business. You must also have a business plan that will serve as your detailedguide that will walk you through your first couple of years in business. Having gone through theprocess of thinking through a plan for your business will enable you to always know what stepsto take next.

However, there are a number of unique factors that a would-be apparel manufacturer needs toknow about the clothing business. Small businesses face an increasing competition from bigfirms given their marketing muscles and economies of scale. In the United States, at least, the

industry is reeling from a shrinking availability and high cost of skilled labor (hence, bigcompanies can outsource the manufacturing of their apparel to contractors in developingcountries).

There are also a growing number of small manufacturers that significantly tightens thecompetition. Plus, small companies need to have the resources to cope with the rapid changesin apparel trends and styles.

Despite these problems, a number of small businesses are able to overcome these difficulties,and even grow to become powerhouses in their segments. Here is a comprehensive guide tohelp you successfully start and run a clothing business.

The First Step

The first step you must take is to determine what kind of clothes you want to manufacture.Ascertain if there is a market for your proposed product. You must be able to define yourspecialty, both in line and price category.

The market for clothes is as varied as the demographic segmentation of the population. Willyour focus be based on gender (girls or boys; and women and/or men) or age (baby clothes orgranny clothes)? Are you planning to create clothes for infants or apparel for large women? Do
http://www.americanapparel.org/http://www.americanapparel.org/


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you intend to create apparel for pre-teens, career professionals, or school clothes? The marketis so wide and varied.

You can design clothes for a specific niche market. You can venture to create apparel for sportsenthusiasts and athletes. Even then, you still have to decide whether you will design golfing

apparel, tennis outfits or swimwear. With the increasing popularity of yoga, yoga clothes arevery hip nowadays.

The scope of your product line also needs to be considered. Are you planning on designing afull product line, separates or coordinates?

The type of distribution will also dictate the kinds of clothes you will offer. Note that where yousell your products will depend largely on who your customers are. Will you sell your clothesexclusively or will you use other distribution methods? Are you planning to sell your productsexclusively in pricey boutiques or will you sell it in discount stores? Are you aiming for themiddle-income market and mass-producing low-cost apparel? Your pricing will be an importantfactor that will dictate your marketing strategy.

You also need to consider your capacity and supplier deals that you can get. If you will offerclothes of limited quantity, will you be able to find sewing contractors who are willing to dealwith small production orders? Or will the costs be too prohibitive for your operations? Also, willthe fabric suppliers be willing to give you small cuts of the textiles you need?

Knowing Your Market

Once you have a clear idea as to what clothes to manufacture, your next step is to determine ifthere is a market for your product. Crucial to your start-up phase is the information aboutpotential customers and your target market, as well as how you will reach them with yourproduct.

There are two ways to go about this: (a) check with retail store buyers; and (b) talk withcustomers who will ultimately wear your clothes. These are the two sets of customers that youneed to please; unless you intend to exclusively distribute your apparel and skip otherdistribution means from boutiques to department stores.

In your specialty field, find out everything you can about your competition. Check out how othersmall businesses, and even the big ones, fare in terms of craftsmanship, quality of fabric andstyling. Can you do better, or at least approximate their levels? If not, you must rethink yourbusiness strategy.

To get the information that you need, investigate from retail sources, such as owners ofboutiques, buyers or textile suppliers. These groups of people can provide you with first-handinformation about businesses in the area that are already producing the same kind of apparel.

They may also be able to tell you about customer buying patterns for couture clothes, babyoutfits, or your clothing specialty. More importantly, they can give you valuable ideas of whatkinds of clothes they want and think will sell for your market.

Other sources of information you should check out are trade papers, industry directories, tradeassociations, buying offices and other salesmen. They can likewise provide useful marketinformation for you.


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How To Enter The Market

Before you begin creating a sample product, you must first identify your potential clients and howare you going to sell to them.

There are several ways of meeting potential buyers for your new clothing line. Seek out salesagents and buyers of retailers, major department stores or boutiques. Talk to them, ask whatkinds of clothes they are looking for, and determine if there is a fit between your product andtheir design philosophy. You can also travel to market weeks in New York, Chicago, LosAngeles, and Atlanta to meet buyers, get ideas, and check out your competition.

Once you have surveyed the market landscape, decide on how best are you are going todistribute your products. Your distribution channel can dictate the quality, quantity and costingstructure of your clothing line.

You can start small, and sell the clothes youve created in flea markets, community and churchfairs during weekends. Once people starts to notice your products and demand begins to grow,you can slowly expand your business until you have enough capital to go full-time into theventure.

If you want a larger scale approach, the easiest method of entry is to find a specific retailer whoagrees to buy the designs you intend to produce. This approach allows you to cautiously startwith comparatively low risk. With your sales assured, you can begin to think of the productionaspects of your business to make sure that you are able to meet your clients delivery schedule.

A variation of this approach is to sell through consignment. You bring your clothes to a retailer orshop owner, and the shop owner gets a percentage from the sale of your items. Make sure,though, that the terms of agreement with the shop owner is well-laid out and written, if possible.

You may also wish to go about it alone and sell your products in your own store. This howeverrequires more capitalization as you would need a small retail space to display your items. Youmust be able to get a location that is accessible to customers, as well as convenient to buyers,textile suppliers or their sales agents. You must also be near the fashion district of your area toenable you to see the trends that are shaping. Should you choose this route, you need todevelop a solid merchandising plan that includes creating the right look and feel for your store.

The Question of Production

How much you think you can sell will drive the quantity with which to order your raw materials

and negotiate with the contractors who will produce your designs (if you will subcontract it). Thisrequires a balancing act: ordering too many raw materials is an unwanted cost that you shouldavoid at this point.

The decision to outsource or do production in-house will depend on several factors: the kind ofclothing you are doing, the quantity of items, the equipment you need, cost, and your expertise.For example, hand-painted shirts are easier to produce and require lesser equipment thanevening gowns.


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If you are going to do in-house production, the basic equipment you will need include a cuttingtable, a cutting machine, sewing machines, pressing equipment, and facilities for inventorystorage and shipping. You must also have the space and equipment to store the finishedproducts.

Financing the Business

There are stories of entrepreneurs who started their clothing business with nothing and thenearn a million in their first year of business. However, success stories like these are more theexemption than the norm.

How much you need to start a clothing line depends on many factors whether you will buy orrent your equipment, subcontract production, hire a designer, rent a retail store, and hire asalesman to push your products.

The creation of your first set of samples alone can cost as much as $10,000 from design tofinished product, depending on the clothes that you are creating. Restored vintage clothing cancost less to produce. Printed shirts may also require minimal start-up capital. But a line of anupscale career outfits for women may cost more.

If you are creating a pre-teens wear line and one sample alone costs $30 to produce and youneed 50 items for each of the four seasons, your production cost for your first year will be$6,000. But if your sample costs $100 per item, your production costs will significantly increaseto $20,000 for your first year.

While you may be able to start your business with less, keep in mind that you still needresources to keep the business going and growing. Unless you hire a savvy PR company tomarket your business and put your brand on every magazine, expect a couple of years at leastto acquire a reputation for fit, delivery and customer acceptance. The apparel industry is a trickybusiness you will never know what will sell from one season to the next.

Having your own clothing business is not an easy task. You need to have the managementknow-how of running a business and a thorough understanding of the industry. You must be ableto juggle well three basic functions: design, production and sales. To top it all, you must keepabreast with the introduction of new fabrics. You need to be savvy that in a lot of things tosuccessful in the garment industry, from finding salespeople to sourcing fabric, hiringcontractors, and managing your receivables.

summary of gi

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