Preventing Apparel Production Losses through Thorough Tech Pack Review
Minor apparel design and tech pack development mistakes can lead to significant losses. If instructions are provided accurately in the garment spec sheet, the outcome is correct, and time and money expenses align with the garment's costing and delivery timeline. However, if mistakes in the tech pack are overlooked during the review process, problems can escalate to significant monetary losses during sample development and production. Minor oversights can result in a considerable expense, making it crucial to review tech packs thoroughly and ensure that all specifications in the spec sheet are correct. Tech pack review is essential, and designers should try to ensure accuracy.
Avoid Costly Mistakes: Accurate Tech Pack Review
A tech pack contains vital information and instructions that factories follow without question. It is a contract, and factories abide by it entirely, except when given new instructions during sample development. It is not recommended to alter a tech pack once it has been handed over to the factory, except for significant issues related to production feasibility or impossible jobs given in the tech pack instructions. When developing a sample, the details specified in the tech pack guide the development of trims, prints, embroidery, tags, labels, and other items. This process involves preparing the final prototype, developing dies, print screens, embroidery CADs, and other significant components required for a garment sample. It is a costly process, and the factory invests a lot of money in developing these items.
Changing these dies, CAD and other components can result in double the cost, which can be avoided by conducting a thorough tech pack review. It is the responsibility of both the brand owner or line sheet designer and the tech pack designer to review the tech pack to ensure it is perfect to the optimum level before it is handed over to the factory.
I can provide an example based on my experience during the garment development and production process. One of my clients made a minor change to their website address, and a single letter needed to be added, but it was overlooked. It may seem insignificant on the surface, but in practice, it was a significant issue during sample development, and rectifying the mistake was costly. Similarly, even a tiny error in the garment fit measurement could result in the garment shape being entirely different, and sometimes, the entire garment shipment gets rejected. Therefore, reviewing the Tech Packs as often as possible before they reach the apparel production unit is crucial.
Essential Tech Pack Audit for Clothing Brands
A Tech Pack Audit is essential and unavoidable for a new clothing brand with limited resources to establish its garment label and succeed in the market. New line sheet designers with less experience should seek out well-equipped and experienced Technical Designers or reputable design studios. Technical Designers often provide unnecessary information for garment units, which can be confusing and result in the wrong product being produced. Therefore, only the necessary information should be provided clearly and concisely so that garment units can comfortably develop the product. Changes to the tech pack can be made quickly and at a lower cost, but producing garments with the wrong specifications cannot be reversed and can result in significant losses for the apparel brand.
Step-by-Step Apparel Production Planning
For two reasons, taking a step-by-step approach when planning apparel production and scheduling is essential. Firstly, it saves time and, as a result, reduces the cost of production. Secondly, it increases the quality of the garments, thereby significantly reducing the rejection rate. The properties of raw materials directly impact the final product of the production order. However, it's essential to consider the human factor, which is equally significant and cannot be overlooked. Garment pre-production activities are planned and executed by people, not computer programs, yet the critical path method (CPM) often ignores this factor. The apparel production process is complex; some processes cannot be executed by a computer and cannot be fitted into CPM. Specifically, pre-production activities such as tech pack designs, sample development, garment pattern design, print, and embroidery designs require a human touch.