This article is written based on my observation considering the Indian garment export houses. Making a plan and execution of the plan is ‘must do’ task to meet the lead time. As standard procedure factories make plans and do extensive follow up of tasks. Still factories do not meet their target dates for final inspection and fail to ship good on agreed shipment date. In this article, I have explained the 5 most visible reasons that cause the delay in shipment.
Product development and sampling stage fall under pre-production processes. Other pre-production processes include sample approvals, finalising vendors and cost negotiation with raw material suppliers. Most of the factories do not consider including development stage schedule under plan. It results in no control on pre-production processes. It goes long and long. When sample approval gets detailed, consequentially ordering of trims and fabric get delayed. A complete plan is done when you include sampling plan under your planning. Out of total lead time most part is consumed by pre-production functions. As a result, planned cut date (PCD) gets postponed.
Normally, factory planner discusses with the supplier about their lead time for sourcing goods such as fabric and trims prior to making the final production scheduling. Suppliers fail to send good on time due to too many uncertainties. Sourcing delays also consumed extra time and make it difficult to start in-house processes on time. Few export houses experienced that yet after loading of cutting and stitching, trims such as care label, laces or main label are yet to be sourced. Partly stitched garments start piling up in the line and line supervisor load another style keeping running style aside from the line until they receive trims. How many factories can manage delay in such situation?
Fabrics, trims and accessories get in-housed at last. Goods are passed through quality checks before using in product or cutting. Unorganised factories mostly source fabric from power loom and face quality related problem. It may be shade variation/matching, wrong GSM quality, low quality print etc. If an inferior quality of raw material found, fabrics are send for re-processing or resourcing. It causes further day in PCD.
Pressure and urgency increases when factory starts production processes (such as cutting, preparatory and sewing), as an order has already eaten up bigger part of total time scheduled for the production processes (production to finishing). Not having much time on hand, managers push everything on fast pace. They even push their whole team on quantity production. In this stage they forget to care of the quality of the product. Once they start ignoring standard procedures they get stuck on stitching quality or related problem arises. Repair and re-inspection become a main process. These processes increase production time.
For high fashion product, few value-added processes such as panel printing, embroidery, bead work or dyeing process are needed. For these value-added processes factory normally send fabric or half stitch garment to sub-contractors for job-works. Sub-contractors also come with their big commitments on delivery and quality. But when the factory receives goods, they had to count some more days on their delays. This happens due to an absence of planning at subcontractor factory.
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The current reality of Production Planning and Control department in apparel industry
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What is Line Planning?
Product development and sampling
Product development and sampling stage fall under pre-production processes. Other pre-production processes include sample approvals, finalising vendors and cost negotiation with raw material suppliers. Most of the factories do not consider including development stage schedule under plan. It results in no control on pre-production processes. It goes long and long. When sample approval gets detailed, consequentially ordering of trims and fabric get delayed. A complete plan is done when you include sampling plan under your planning. Out of total lead time most part is consumed by pre-production functions. As a result, planned cut date (PCD) gets postponed.
Delay in the sourcing of raw material
Normally, factory planner discusses with the supplier about their lead time for sourcing goods such as fabric and trims prior to making the final production scheduling. Suppliers fail to send good on time due to too many uncertainties. Sourcing delays also consumed extra time and make it difficult to start in-house processes on time. Few export houses experienced that yet after loading of cutting and stitching, trims such as care label, laces or main label are yet to be sourced. Partly stitched garments start piling up in the line and line supervisor load another style keeping running style aside from the line until they receive trims. How many factories can manage delay in such situation?
Inferior quality of sourced goods
Fabrics, trims and accessories get in-housed at last. Goods are passed through quality checks before using in product or cutting. Unorganised factories mostly source fabric from power loom and face quality related problem. It may be shade variation/matching, wrong GSM quality, low quality print etc. If an inferior quality of raw material found, fabrics are send for re-processing or resourcing. It causes further day in PCD.
Production urgency
Pressure and urgency increases when factory starts production processes (such as cutting, preparatory and sewing), as an order has already eaten up bigger part of total time scheduled for the production processes (production to finishing). Not having much time on hand, managers push everything on fast pace. They even push their whole team on quantity production. In this stage they forget to care of the quality of the product. Once they start ignoring standard procedures they get stuck on stitching quality or related problem arises. Repair and re-inspection become a main process. These processes increase production time.
Delay from Sub-contracting Jobs
For high fashion product, few value-added processes such as panel printing, embroidery, bead work or dyeing process are needed. For these value-added processes factory normally send fabric or half stitch garment to sub-contractors for job-works. Sub-contractors also come with their big commitments on delivery and quality. But when the factory receives goods, they had to count some more days on their delays. This happens due to an absence of planning at subcontractor factory.
Related Articles:
The current reality of Production Planning and Control department in apparel industry
How to calculate the production capacity of a factory?
What is Line Planning?
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