Communications with overseas & domestic suppliers, approval of production

samples, & development of fabric & yarns are also included in product
development, which are co-coordinated with other departments. Overall we can
say that merchandising is the core department of the entire industry. Once the
production sample is approved & the grading done a final costing is done
accurately using fabric averages from the CAD, cost of trims etc. Sampling
department directly co-ordinates with the merchandising & production
department. The buyer sends spec sheet, sketches, fabric details, embellishment
details, stitch type etc to the merchandiser. Merchandiser files this information
along 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 the
merchandising department & looks after the delivery of the required goods
within the scheduled time & cost. Fabric requisition from merchandiser Forward
fabric for inspection The purchasing department is similar to the sourcing
department but the main difference is that the sourcing department works for
sourcing the fabrics alone while the purchasing department works for sourcing
the accessories & trims. The merchandisers give the techpack & the BOM (Bill Of
Materials) for a particular style to the purchasing department & the concerned
person will start the further process & for costing purposes the in-house price is
given like, the cost involved in the production & also the price involved for a unit
involved with respect to the complete procedure involved for its production. This
breakup is given to the merchandiser by the purchasing department for the
costing purpose, the cost sheet is made by the merchandisers & the order is
confirmed by the buyer based on the cost sheet given by the merchandiser. The
goods are generally received in breakups as suggested by the merchandiser
according to the requirements stated by the planning & the production
department & this breakups will have specified date & quantity & if this breakups
is 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 to
overcome 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 for
the 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 the
inspections that are being carried out for those materials. 15% fabric inspection
is done for defects. FABRIC INSPECTION All fabrics are inspected under the 4
point inspection system.

On receiving the orders, from the merchants they start to decide the date for
having the PP (Pre-Production) meeting with the departments which are directly
involved which are, planning, production & the finishing departments. The
planning department takes the approval or sits & conducts a meeting with 3
other departments to come to end up giving a proper planning & scheduling
dates for the particular style this will take about 10 15 days from the
merchandiser approves the order that has to be followed. Firstly, they take
inputs from IED (Industrial Engineering Department) on productivity based on
the garment details which includes, SAM value of the garment, number of
components in the garment, type of seams, length of stitches involved in the
garment, types of machines required to finish the garment, any specialized
machine is required or not for the manufacturing.

Thirdly, they confirm this consultation if its the final decision & then they also get
a 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 output
has come from the PP meeting & there are proper confirmation obtained from
the departments the planning department will confirm the order plan with the
merchants & 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 planning
department is responsible for the timely input of the raw materials to the
production floor & they must make sure that none of the days the batch /sewing
line must sit idle with a reason of raw material non-availability. The planning
department keeps in constant touch will most of the departments like the IED,
Finishing, Washing, Production, Marketing, etc., the communication within the
different departments is done purely on the mail basis & sometimes through
phone calls but any types of mails regarding the changes in the line of the style
or any such modifying sort of a situation then the department maintains a hard
copy of it for the future reference & confirmation. Fabric Sourcing department:
The fabric sourcing department sends the samples of fabrics that have to be
ordered later may be for sampling, pilot or for the bulk production. The sourcing
department as soon as it receives the fabric swatches from the supplier they will
select the fabrics which they require for the particular style & then order for a
few meters & then after 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. 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 they
generally 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 garment
style 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 be
cut simultaneously into product components acceptable for assembly. The
cutting department issues the amount required by the production department
when asked for. Embroidery The cutting department is responsible for sending
the cut components of a style for embroidery as stated in the production
package. PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Functioning of the Department: The
production floor does production in 2 types, once during pilot production where
they have to produce about 150 200 garments for the new style this will take
about 40 55 days. The production managers help the planning department
during planning or allocating a particular line for the style by telling them the
capacity of the line & also telling them about the skills of the operators.
This department will analyze & estimate the manpower & their skill level which is
required 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 their
outputs & also helps in timely completion of the order or sometimes earlier. The
embroidery section receives the garments from the sewing floor or from the
cutting department & then they start their embroidery process. After the
embroidery is been done for the 1st set of the garment or the cut parts received
then they send them to the trimming & the checking section for every machine
there are operators for this process. Wet processing 2. Dry processing 1st the
dry 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 dry
processing 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 is
finished the fabrics or the garments are taken to the washing process.
Sometimes it so happens that some styles / garments don't demand for dyeing
so 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 is
that 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 machine
depending on the tumbler capacity & then the excess of water which had
accumulated in the previous stages will be extracted by compressing the
garment 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 & the
packing section or sometimes if the garments has to be attached with some
accessories or trims after the washing & dyeing stages then such styles are sent
to the production floor to finish the left over job on them & then sent to the
finishing & 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 the
washing 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 2
areas, 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 at
the end of each stage the inspection is carried out by the person whose main job
is auditing. EG if the garment that is being manufactured is a shirt then the
entire 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 the
garments are checked after the entire process is over & the specifications are
mainly based on the dimensions of the garment at the critical positions & then
the placements of the labels. Semi pressing: This happens when a garment is
difficult to inspect in the crushes manner as it comes from the washing
department hence, they do a partial pressing for the garments & then inspect it
& trim it & then send it to the complete pressing process.
A Merchandisers key responsibility is as follows:- Product Development Market &
product Analysis Selling the concept Booking orders Confirming Deliveries
Designing & Sampling Costing Raw Material Flow Monitoring Production Follow
Ups Payments Follows Once the order is placed its their duty to complete the
necessary 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 with
other departments. Once the production sample is approved & the grading done
a final costing is done accurately using fabric averages from the CAD, cost of
trims etc. SAMPLING DEPARTMENT BASIC WORK FLOW; In any export house,
the sampling department is one of the most important departments & it plays a
vital in the uplifting of a unit. Sampling department directly co-ordinates with the
merchandising & production department. Sampling is done to see how the
product will look like when produced in bulk & to check whether there are any
discrepancies in the pattern are made according to the buyers specification. The
buyer sends spec sheet, sketches, fabric details, embellishment details, stitch
type etc to the merchandiser. Merchandiser files this information along 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. Sampling is
the product development stage. The sampled garments represent the accuracy
of the patterns & quality of production skills & techniques. The samples not only
serve the purpose of communicating correctly with the buyer regarding their
styles & products, but it also helps to calculate the fabric consumption along with
that of thread & other accessories used. This department makes samples on the
basis of specifications & requirements sent by the buyer in the tech pack. TYPES
OF SAMPLES Proto Sample: Fit Sample: Pilot Run Sample: Pre Production
Sample: 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 weight
fabrics. The process for shade segregation in the fabric audit department is
described 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 followed
in 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 10
bits from different bales of fabric is kept from every consignment order for
shrinkage 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 accessory
items. But, there are several tests which the buyer prescribes for which the
machineries aren't available in the factory for such tests the factory doesn't have
the right machineries so they send such fabrics or accessories, which requires
some other tests to the external labs which are authorized ones with the buyers
& the merchants approval. Fabric Sourcing department: The fabric sourcing
department sends the samples of fabrics that have to be ordered later may be
for sampling, pilot or for the bulk production. The sourcing department as soon
as it receives the fabric swatches from the supplier they will select the fabrics
which they require for the particular style & then order for a few meters & then
after 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 tests
that the sourcing department generally asks for are. Accessory Stores: The
stores receives the raw materials in-house & after this they will have to do the
sampling 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 for
elastics Lining fabrics for their dimensional stability Corrugated box
Merchandising Department: The merchandising department keeps in touch with
the lab for the general tests which has to be carried out on the garment samples
which are termed as lab dips. After the tests are been carried out & the results
are 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 departments
mentioned above, whenever they have to give a fabric/accessory/garment
sample for the testing purpose to the lab then they generally 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. The duration which the lab takes to finish the
tests depends on several factors like: Types of tests. If the results are required
soon & the tests doesn't involve any kind of long process then that particular
sample is taken 1st & then tested & sent back within a day, suppose the sample
received involves more number of tests & tests which involve long processing
then 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 an
authorization by the production manager to cut a given amount of styles, from
the spreads. ACTUAL CUTTING PROCESS Solid cutting Spreading Spreading is
the process of superimposing plies of fabric on a horizontal table in a manner,
which permits these plies to be cut simultaneously into product components
acceptable for assembly. For this, 1st of all a thin brown paper sheet is spread
on the cutting table using an adhesive tape to prevent the bottom plies from
shifting 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 spread
with the spreading machine due to requirements of matching so they are spread
manually. Often structures like jacquard & checks are spread & cut in single
number for accuracy. Then block are cut out from this spread for specific number
of pieces. The size of the block is dictated by the CAD room itself, which sends a
mini marker for the cutting of the blocks from the lay & placement of the
patterns 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 take
care 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 matching
precision, & sequence identification. Panels having faults like wrong grain line,
inappropriate size, incorrect shape & any fabric defects like holes, cut, shade
variations 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 is
required 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 their
outputs & also helps in timely completion of the order or sometimes earlier. The
embroidery section receives the garments from the sewing floor or from the
cutting department & then they start their embroidery process. After the
embroidery is been done for the 1st set of the garment or the cut parts received
then they send them to the trimming & the checking section for every machine
there are operators for this process. Wet processing 2. Dry processing 1st the
dry 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 dry
processing 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 is
finished the fabrics or the garments are taken to the washing process.
Sometimes it so happens that some styles / garments don't demand for dyeing
so 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 is
that 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 machine
depending on the tumbler capacity & then the excess of water which had
accumulated in the previous stages will be extracted by compressing the
garment 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 & the
packing section or sometimes if the garments has to be attached with some
accessories or trims after the washing & dyeing stages then such styles are sent
to the production floor to finish the left over job on them & then sent to the
finishing & 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 the
washing 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 2
areas, 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 at
the end of each stage the inspection is carried out by the person whose main job
is auditing. EG if the garment that is being manufactured is a shirt then the
entire 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 the
garments are checked after the entire process is over & the specifications are
mainly based on the dimensions of the garment at the critical positions & then
the placements of the labels. Semi pressing: This happens when a garment is
difficult to inspect in the crushes manner as it comes from the washing
department hence, they do a partial pressing for the garments & then inspect it
& trim it & then send it to the complete pressing process.
 Starting a Clothing Line Business
Apparel manufacturing is one of the most in-demand businesses today. Find out how to
start and run a clothing business.

by Jenny Fulbright
PowerHomeBiz 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 sales
for 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 to
promote the business. You must also have a business plan that will serve as your detailed
guide that will walk you through your first couple of years in business. Having gone through the
process of thinking through a plan for your business will enable you to always know what steps
to take next.

However, there are a number of unique factors that a would-be apparel manufacturer needs to
know about the clothing business. Small businesses face an increasing competition from big
firms 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, big
companies can outsource the manufacturing of their apparel to contractors in developing
countries).

There are also a growing number of small manufacturers that significantly tightens the
competition. Plus, small companies need to have the resources to cope with the rapid changes
in 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 to
help 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 your
specialty, both in line and price category.

The market for clothes is as varied as the demographic segmentation of the population. Will
your focus be based on gender (girls or boys; and women and/or men) or age (baby clothes or
granny clothes)? Are you planning to create clothes for infants or apparel for large women? Do
you intend to create apparel for pre-teens, career professionals, or school clothes? The market
is so wide and varied.

You can design clothes for a specific niche market. You can venture to create apparel for sports
enthusiasts 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 are
very hip nowadays.

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

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

You also need to consider your capacity and supplier deals that you can get. If you will offer
clothes of limited quantity, will you be able to find sewing contractors who are willing to deal
with small production orders? Or will the costs be too prohibitive for your operations? Also, will
the 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 if
there is a market for your product. Crucial to your start-up phase is the information about
potential customers and your target market, as well as how you will reach them with your
product.

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

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

To get the information that you need, investigate from retail sources, such as owners of
boutiques, buyers or textile suppliers. These groups of people can provide you with first-hand
information 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, baby
outfits, or your clothing specialty. More importantly, they can give you valuable ideas of what
kinds of clothes they want and think will sell for your market.

Other sources of information you should check out are trade papers, industry directories, trade
associations, buying offices and other salesmen. They can likewise provide useful market
information for you.
How To Enter The Market

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

There are several ways of meeting potential buyers for your new clothing line. Seek out sales
agents and buyers of retailers, major department stores or boutiques. Talk to them, ask what
kinds of clothes they are looking for, and determine if there is a fit between your product and
their design philosophy. You can also travel to market weeks in New York, Chicago, Los
Angeles, 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 to
distribute your products. Your distribution channel can dictate the quality, quantity and costing
structure of your clothing line.

You can start small, and sell the clothes you’ve created in flea markets, community and church
fairs 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 the
venture.

If you want a larger scale approach, the easiest method of entry is to find a specific retailer who
agrees to buy the designs you intend to produce. This approach allows you to cautiously start
with comparatively low risk. With your sales assured, you can begin to think of the production
aspects of your business to make sure that you are able to meet your client’s delivery schedule.

A variation of this approach is to sell through consignment. You bring your clothes to a retailer or
shop 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 however
requires more capitalization as you would need a small retail space to display your items. You
must 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 to
enable you to see the trends that are shaping. Should you choose this route, you need to
develop 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). This
requires a balancing act: ordering too many raw materials is an unwanted cost that you should
avoid at this point.

The decision to outsource or do production in-house will depend on several factors: the kind of
clothing 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 than
evening gowns.
If you are going to do in-house production, the basic equipment you will need include a cutting
table, a cutting machine, sewing machines, pressing equipment, and facilities for inventory
storage and shipping. You must also have the space and equipment to store the finished
products.

Financing the Business

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

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

The creation of your first set of samples alone can cost as much as $10,000 from design to
finished product, depending on the clothes that you are creating. Restored vintage clothing can
cost less to produce. Printed shirts may also require minimal start-up capital. But a line of an
upscale 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 you
need 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 increase
to $20,000 for your first year.

While you may be able to start your business with less, keep in mind that you still need
resources to keep the business going and growing. Unless you hire a savvy PR company to
market your business and put your brand on every magazine, expect a couple of years at least
to acquire a reputation for fit, delivery and customer acceptance. The apparel industry is a tricky
business 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 management
know-how of running a business and a thorough understanding of the industry. You must be able
to juggle well three basic functions: design, production and sales. To top it all, you must keep
abreast with the introduction of new fabrics. You need to be savvy that in a lot of things to
successful in the garment industry, from finding salespeople to sourcing fabric, hiring
contractors, and managing your receivables.