In apparel export manufacturing, the merchandiser communicates with buyers starting from product development to shipment of the finished goods. Whatever information the merchant receives from the buyer related to the production style, she communicates it to the production team.
The organized garment factories follow a standard procedure (SOP) for the communication between the merchandising and production departments. The production file is such an example. Merchants are responsible for making production files in a garment factory.
A merchant (or Production planning team) conducts a pre-production meeting with the production team after getting approval on the final sample (usually PP sample). Merchant handovers Production Files to the production team with all required information and samples. A clear and complete production file includes all the required information needed to make the style as per buyer requirements.
In this article, how to make a good production file has been discussed in detail
A standard production file contains the following items.
- Checklist (production file)
- Technical sheet (Tech pack including measurement sheet)
- Production Order sheet (with colour and size break up), cut plan, and mini marker
- Comment sheets (comments received from buyer on each development sample)
- Approved PP sample with buyer comments
- Approved fabric swatches of all colorways. If there is any shade band it is also mentioned what lots are accepted and what are not accepted. If there is a contrast color combination it is mentioned in the file.
- Approved Print strike-off and embroidery strike-off (if present in the style)
- Trim card (Trim card must contain an approved sample of trims such as button, lace, sewing thread, main label, care label etc.)
- Post sewing processing details (washing, dry cleaning, or dyeing) to be mentioned with the final look.
- Packing specifications (if not mentioned in production order)
- Other specific information those are very important for the style quality – needle size to be used.
- A copy of the Time and Action calendar (prepared by the Production planning department)
- Copy of the PP meeting notes (Minutes of the Meeting of Pre-production meeting)
- FPT and GPT report (if available at the time of PP meeting)
- Ex-factory date – at what date shipment to be ready for final inspection and to be ready for the move to the port.
How to Make a Production File?
- Issue a ring binder or paper spring file from the stationary department (store).
- Take printouts of all buyer documents (tech pack, specification sheet, comments, production order, and important mail communications) and staple category-wise.
- Issue a few swatch cards (a little bit thicker paper) and make trim cards. Staple trims on the trim card. Or you can put trims inside a small poly pouch and staple the pouch on the trim card. Sign on the trims with your approval.
- If you have approved strike-offs for printing and embroidery or handwork, staple that approval on the swatch card.
- Punch all documents and swatch cards with the punching machine and file them in the ring binder (production file) in a sequence of the above list.
- Prepare a checklist with the above and fix it on the inside front cover. In the check sheet mention what is approved, what is awaiting approval, what is pending to hand over etc.
- Insert a separator in between the documents (if it is a large file with different types of documents)
- Label the file with Style/Order Name, Buyer Name, Merchant name, File handover date, planned cut date, and Ex-factory date.
Bill of materials format and its use
10 tips to reduce garment sampling time