{"id":832,"date":"2017-08-23T05:03:57","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T04:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insider.utelier.com\/?post_type=toolkit&p=832"},"modified":"2019-07-30T11:25:59","modified_gmt":"2019-07-30T10:25:59","slug":"quality-control-fashion-manufacturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fashioninsiders.co\/toolkit\/top-tips\/quality-control-fashion-manufacturing\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of Quality Control in fashion manufacturing"},"content":{"rendered":"
Without a track record for selling your products, buyers who do invest in you will expect perfection.<\/p>\n
Simply put, it is a process implemented in factories, for maintaining the best quality throughout every stage of the manufacturing of products.<\/p>\n
There are many different quality control processes, including checking materials for flaws and defects, ensuring that colours are correct, and examining the strength of the final product.<\/p>\n
In the apparel, accessories and footwear sectors, seams and\/or stitching must be neat and strong, and all products must be produced to the same size and standard.<\/p>\n
With so many quality control processes involved in the manufacture of products, factory workers should be trained to maintain standards for their own work. These processes would then be checked by a manager or a Quality Control Specialist before the next process is executed.<\/p>\n
Checks ideally should be made at three stages of the production process:<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n All of the above checks are necessary to avoid failing the final inspection and the rejection of shipping the goods.<\/p>\n Without these crucial steps set up in the factory, many things could go wrong. Your products would be returned to you should the materials used are of poor quality or have faults in them.<\/p>\n If the final products are ill-fitting and the seams are poorly stitched, a buyer would not hesitate in rejecting your order.<\/p>\n If your business is small then you should be able to manage quality control yourself.<\/p>\n Ensure that your paperwork is thorough, as mentioned previously. Build up a good relationship with the factory and make appointments to drop in to oversee the quality control process.<\/p>\n Should there be any problems prior to production, you will be in a great position to block or solve them and to validate quality while on the premises.<\/p>\n It is possible to hire Quality Control Inspectors<\/strong> who can visit the factory, on your behalf, and make the required checks at every stage of the production process or inspect goods prior to shipment.<\/p>\n Inspectors need to keep accurate records of products checked, sometimes carrying out a statistical analysis.<\/p>\n They often produce written reports for the production team and meet with clients to discuss how quality standards can be maintained, or highlight problem areas that require review.<\/p>\n Quality Control Inspectors can be found through word of mouth, so engage with your contacts and ask questions. Another option is to hire QC inspectors through Intertek<\/a>, a quality service provider.<\/p>\n Whilst you are not legally obliged to carry out quality control checks on your goods, there are benefits to your business if you do.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be a lemon like Lululemon. In 2013, the company had to recall approximately 17% of their best-selling “Wunder Under” yoga pants, due to the material being too sheer. It cost them\u00a0$67 million<\/a>\u00a0in revenue, a loss of roughly\u00a0$2 billion<\/a>\u00a0in market value, and a drop in stock price of\u00a05.2 %<\/a>!<\/p>\n <\/p>\nTop Tips for effective Quality Control:<\/h3>\n
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If you were to undertake quality control inspections yourself, you would need the following attributes:<\/h4>\n
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Why is Quality Control important in a business?<\/h3>\n
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