SOURCING GARMENT PRODUCTION

The first meeting at the factory – 

Turn up to your appointment on time, if you can’t make it or are running late, let them know.

Have a pen and paper ready to take notes. Your aim to find out whether this as a right factory for you; can they produce your garments and achieve required standards? 

Do not be afraid to ask for a list of their current and past clients to see if they at the same price level with your brand. However, do not be surprised, if some manufacturers are reluctant to cite customers as they may have signed a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA); others could be quite open about labels they are supplying. 

Do not just rely on their word, ask to see examples of their work and request a tour of the factory floor and pay attention to the product they are working on at the time of your visit. Is it similar to what you intend to produce, is the make up to an adequate standards? 

Equipment – 

Make a checklist of the equipment you might require for your garment production, find out if all the machines and tools are available and readily accessible.

Factory conditions – 

Do they have a kitchen and rest area for the staff, bathrooms, enough light and fresh air? 

Do they adhere to health and safety standards? 

A happy workforce is more productive, efficient and able to produce a good quality product.  

It’s not a legal requirement, but some of the factories might have done an external audit; see if they’d be happy to share the reports with you.  Find out about their quality control (QC) procedures – if any. Do they outsource production to other manufacturers or freelancers? Would you be able to access and QC your product with ease during sampling and manufacturing process?

Find out how they would store your materials and if they have insurance in place to cover the stock in case of unfortunate events. 

Costings – 

Be specific, if you want specific answers to questions about production charges, payments and delivery terms. 

Simply asking how much it  would cost to produce 10 dresses, will not get you very far. 

Ideally, you’d have your tech packs or detailed flat drawings prepared for the meeting. 

If you don’t have any, don’t despair, most manufacturers will be able to provide you with a ballpark figure if you have inspirational images and garments ready for them to review. 

Do not overload a manufacturer with a request to price lots of garments. Think of three to four core pieces from your collection that would be enough to compare prices.  

Do not hesitate to ask for a suggestion on the garment finish or fabric choices; any reputable manufacturer will be happy to make recommendations to improve quality and reduce the cost if possible. Manufacturers will most likely ask you technical details about the garment construction, 

Booking production – 

Try to get a clear understanding  of what you need to have in place to start working with the manufacturer and their availability. Find out how much time they require to manufacture your designs and how they manage their internal planning; 

severe production delays could cause your brand lost revenue and clients.  

Timing –  

Manage your time well at meetings. 

Be aware of the time allocated for your meeting and keep within it. If you find you have not covered what you need, check you can “overrun”; do not assume the manufacturer has unlimited time.

Be professional – 

This applies to both the designer and the garment manufacturer; if everyone treats each other with respect, producing the collection will be a happier and in budget experience.