It would not be wrong to say that quality is the backbone of any business; without quality products and services, especially in highly competitive markets that businesses operate in these days, any firm is unlikely to survive. This holds even more important for garments, where quality is difficult to nail given the labor-intensive nature of the product. Unlike large scale machine-manufactured products that can be made in large amounts with the exact same specifications for each unit, garments are stitched by hand and therefore are always subject to the risk of inconsistency between consecutive products and unsatisfactory quality.
However, given all the difficulties in achieving a consistent garment quality, the business has to make sure to minimize any variability in quality in order to ensure that customer expectations are met adequately.
If the garment importer is unable to satisfy the expectations of the customer regarding the garment that is being purchased, then there always remains the risk of losing potential customers to competitors who are better able to meet with these quality standards.
So how can an importer manage garment quality control in his business? Given below is an extremely simple, yet greatly effective, a guideline to ensure that garments meet with the set quality standards.
By following these steps, you can rest assured that the troubles of having to return deliveries due to quality issues or fear losing out on customer satisfaction.
1- On-site Tests Before The Garments Are Shipped
Just like other consumer products such as electronics, garments should also be thoroughly inspected on-site during the production process in order to ensure compliance with the set quality standards. Routine checks in between the production process would ensure that the finished product received is of the utmost quality. The inspector should look at the garment’s durability and functionality during the on-site tests. Given below are a number of ways through which the inspector can perform the inspection:
a. Fitting Test
The inspector will usually put each piece of garment on a model or a mannequin to observe its fit. To do this it is important to have a mannequin responding to each size that the supplier is producing.
b. Dry And Wet Crocking Test
This test is essential to see the durability of the colors of the fabric. In the dry crocking test, a dry piece of cloth is rubbed against the garment, whereas in a wet crocking test a wet piece of cloth is used. The piece of cloth used is white in color, and if it shows any color due to rubbing it is because the garment is leaking its color. Thus this is a way to randomly pick out garments to see the strength of the colors used in the garments.
c. Seam Strength Test
In the seam strength test, the inspector will stretch the garment along any seams such as the armholes and the necklines, using a very normal force. The inspector is then supposed to look for any cracks of stitching or binding in the fabric, as well as for any sequins or beads used. This test is usually conducted on each article of the batch because an issue with the seams can undoubtedly impact the product’s stability quite adversely.
d. Fatigue Test Of Fastener
In this test, the fastener is opened and closed, such as any buttons or zippers at 50 cycles per fastener. If the fastener works adequately after these cycles, then the garment quality is up to mark. The inspector need not inspect each and every fastener because the supplier usually uses the same brand of fasteners in the entire branch.
e. Stretch Test
The inspector should stretch any elastic part of the garment to ensure that it functions properly. Upon stretching, the garment should not change shape or show any loose fibers. To ensure utmost quality control, the entire shipment should be inspected because the elasticity of the garment is of utmost importance to its functionality.
f. Stitches Per Inch
This is an excellent measure to gauge the strength and performance of the garment. The close the stitches, or in other words the denser the stitches, the more likely the garment is to be of higher quality. To ensure consistency, the importer should specify the stitches per inch in the spec sheet for the garments that are handed over to the supplier at the time of order.
2. Setting Clear Measures Of Tolerances For Garments
In simple words, tolerance for each garment would outline the margin of error in which the specific point of measurement can vary from the given specification. What this will do is make it much easier for the quality control inspectors to decide which garments pass the set quality standards and which do not.
The great emphasis on size is mainly due to the fact that one of the first and foremost things a customer notices about any piece of garment is its size: how comfortably the garment sits on the body and complements the figure. If the business is unable to achieve this then it is unlikely to be very profitable.
By providing a detailed list of tolerances to both the supplier and the QC team the business can ensure that all the goods produced are within a given standard. Each point of measure should be clearly outlined in the spec sheet handed out to the suppliers. The specs should ideally include the following points:
- The specific point of measurements for each garment: Every garment would require a differing point of measurement, for example, a shirt would need the measurement of the sleeves whereas a pant would require the measurement of the waist size.
- The standard measurements for each size: Given that each style of the garment would come in differing sizes, the business should carefully think about the measurement for each size. This would depend upon the preferences of the customer as well as the garment type.
- The tolerance for each point of measure: This would make it easier for the suppliers to comply with the set standards of quality.
It is important to note that not all points of measures will be equally important for every garment; for example, depending upon the design of the garment, the margin of error for certain specifications such as the neckline on a wedding dress may be much more important to be kept in a low tolerance than the width of its belt that may be given a higher tolerance.
If the importer does not provide the supplier with certain tolerances than the supplier is likely to use his own judgment, which may or may not align with the importer’s expectations. Therefore it is best if the importer provides the supplier with clear and concise specifications.
Tips on how to measure garments Adequately
Here is a list of tips that would help in measuring garments adequately and consistently:
- The garment should be laid down on an even flat surface for accurate measurement
- The garment should not be stretched when taking the measurement so as to not to distort any reading
- An initial measurement should always be taken prior to fitting on a model
- If there is any stretchy material, that measurement should be taken last.
3. Lab Testing To Ensure Quality Control Of Garment
Even-though in-house quality inspection is very important, a step beyond that is to involve an accredited laboratory for assessment. A lab can help the business assess the colors, sequins, or the quality of the base fabric that is used in the garment.
a. Performance Testing
It is also essential to assess the durability and performance of the garment on repeated use. Involving a lab ensures that an in-depth analysis of the garment takes place, including the physical properties that include:
- The stability of the garment with washing and drying
- The strength of the color used in the fabric when exposed to light, water, and bleach
- Other physical characteristics such as abrasion resistance
b. Composition Testing
Most countries around the world have laws and rules in place that require garment importers to clearly label their products to identify the fiber quality used in the garment. These regulations are in place so as to equip the customer with complete knowledge regarding the quality of the garment, as well as to prevent any possible allergic reactions to certain fibers.
For this reason, third-party laboratories are in place so that they can verify the composition of fibers used in every garment, which is of utmost importance to the importer.
c. Safety And Environmental Testing
Because garments are a product that is in contact with the skin the most if the garment contains any harmful fibers it might cause serious damage to the skin- exposing the importer to severe liabilities. For this reason, lab tests are essential to ensure that only safe chemicals are used in the production of garments.
Conclusion
Adherence to the above guidelines will ensure that garments are not only consistent in quality but also meet the expectations of the customers and any other legal obligations an importer may have to oblige by.