Importance of Quality Control in Textile and Apparel Industry

The garment industry has high standards of quality control. You could blame it on

sub-standard manufacturing and complaining customers and you would not be
far off the mark. The results of these factors have played a role in the textiles
industry is setting quality control standards that can be measured and monitored.

There are five main factors measured in the garment industry that point to the
quality of a particular clothing item. They include the following: reliability,
performance, visual quality, perceived quality and durability.

Things you need to know in quality control process for textile and apparel:
As customers demand quality for what they spend on any kind of item, the
clothing industry is also viewed under the same microscope. As a result the
following tests are conducted on textiles in the factory:

1 – Quality Control:
Textile testing equipment such as the Martindale Abrasion
Tester and Crockmeter are used to perform inspection of products used in the
clothing industry. Using standards set at the international level measurements
and durability tests are conducted.

2 – Conformity:
Using pre-production samples, the product is examined for such things as type of
raw materials used, design, colors and all associated factors that are used to
produce a finished item.

3 – Quality:
Such textile testing equipment as the launderometer examines products for
defects in the fabric, colors, accessories, defects to the labeling and
manufacturing. Products that do not pass this stage are eliminated and do not
end up in the marketplace.

4 – Measurement:
Each product undergoes strict measurements as prescribed by a standard chart.
The measurements are specific to the item but can reveal errors created
somewhere through the production line.

5 – Packaging:
Even after the finished product meets the strict textile testing equipment
standards, the shipping containers and packaging also require standardization.
The checks include carton sizes, weights, labeling and assorted other details
related to shipping and receiving.

How to control quality:

The key step to controlling quality in the textile industry should start at the
garments factory and that requires specialized equipment. Textile testing
equipment is the most efficient and cost effective way of keeping standards in
place through various product line productions. There are additional ways to
ensure quality control in the factory and they include:
1. Ensure operators have proper training and use quality sewing materials
2. Understand and follow quality specifications
3. Provide good and bad feedback on products being manufactured
4. Check on work being produced on a daily basis
5. Reference a quality control checklist
6. Use textile testing equipment to maintain quality standards
7. Do not compromise quality under any circumstance

Management System in Garment Industry

In the recent past, the corporate world has become extremely competitive.
Exposure to media, the advent of social media, increased consumer awareness
and more active pressure groups have now made it important for the firms to
focus on customer satisfaction. Customers today are well informed about the
value of money they should expect and therefore retaliate almost instantaneously
if their expectations are not met. For this reason, quality management is one of
the top priorities for the firms today. They aim to make sure that the customers
get the best quality product and can attain the maximum utility from buying that
product.

The apparel industry, which mainly falls under the fashion industry, is one of the
rapidly growing industries around the world. It is usually a high demand product,
 and most customers are very particular about the value for money in case of the
apparel industry. Many young people today are extremely fashion conscious and
therefore look way beyond the quality and the stitching of the fabric. Everything
from the making of the fabric to it’s stitching to its styling, packaging, selling and
after-sales services are judged by the customer and are important influencer on
the consumer’s buying decision. For this reason,a comprehensive quality
management system in the apparel industry and therefore most apparel
brands follow a strict quality management protocol. Failure to do so increases the
probability of returns and refunds, which are an added cost for the business. The
total quality management system that is followed by a major chunk of apparel
brands around ensuring efficiency and perfection in all processes ranging from
product design and development to selling and after-sales service. This is
extremely important to make sure that the customer will return again for buying.

In general, the quality management process may have three elements:

1. Quality control
2. Quality assurance
3. Quality management
When it comes to the quality management at the production level in an apparel
industry, communication between the customer and the producer is of utmost
importance. It is important that manufacturer asks the customers about all his
expectations before accepting the order. Likewise, the producer should also make
sure that he communicates all his reservations and issues to the manufacturer
beforehand. Last minute changes can incur higher costs. It is essential that the
company representative who negotiates with the customer should have around
grip on all production and packaging protocols.
 Quality Management Systems (QMS)

Quality management systems are the most widely used method in the global
apparel industry.Quality Management systems are a series of interdependent and
interlinked techniques that aim at achieving the maximum level of satisfaction. In
essence, Quality Management Systems is a preventive measure to eliminate risks
of returns in future. A standard Quality Management protocols ensure that only
those goods are produced and are invested upon, which are of high quality and
will not disappointed with what they got. 

A standard quality management protocol for any apparel brand is as

follows:

 Maintaining a strict check and balance on all incoming, in-process and

finished and final products that leave their premises.
 Running thorough checks on all patterns and pattern grading.
 Monitoring and ensuring efficiency of markers and marker making
methods.
 Monitoring quality checks on garments and raw materials coming in from
the suppliers using sophisticated equipment such as Martindale Abraison
Tester and Air Permeability Tester.
 Monitoring all processes such as spreading, cutting, knitting, dying,etc.
using equipment such as Wringer and IR Lab Dyeing Machine
 Making sure that knitting looms are given their due relaxation.
 Installation of inline inspection systems in sewing lines
 Install necessary systems such as Traffic Light Chart systems or another
relevant systems to be able to monitor quality in production lines.
 Making sure that all goods that come out of sewing lines are inspected
thoroughly and 100% for quality,
 Using Statistical Techniques to inspect the table quality inspection for in
line passed garments.
 Ensuring control and sorting of rejected pieces and making sure that they
do not mix with those that have been passed the quality checks.
 Ensuring control of goods that are repairable or washable so that they can
be reassessed for quality.
 Making sure that all quality assessments are done using the right machines,
equipment, tools, and techniques and under right conditions so that the results
are accurate.
 Inspect all pieces for the right techniques of ironing, pressing and folding.
 Making sure that all finished goods are rechecked for quality before poly-
bagging.
 Making sure all packaging material and poly-bags are up to the required
quality standard.
 Making sure that all packaging measurements packaging procedures are in
line with the customer’s requirements.
 Ensuring one final round of inspection at the manufacturer’s end before
dispatching the goods.
 Ensuring that all quality assurance staff has undergone updated training
programs that enable them to identify defects and understand the causes of
defects.
 Making sure that all quality assurance personnel are provided with
necessary training related to using statistical methods.
 Researching room for continuous improvements and plan and implement
them.
When it comes to the apparel industry, quality standards need to be calculated
regarding the quality of yarn, fiber, stitching, dying, durability, fastness, designs
and final finished goods.This is extremely important a seemingly perfect finished
good may turn out poor after use at the customer’s end because of a defect in
yarn or dying process, regardless of how physically appealing the final good was
when packaged. This can hit the brand hard and can turn away the customer from
repurchasing. Therefore, it is important to employ Total Quality Management
Systems so that quality can be precisely measured at every level and defected
pieces can be separated instantaneously. It is important to understand that new
technology and tools result in continuous improvements in quality management
systems and therefore apparel industries should ensure that all its inspection
systems are up to date so that firms an remain competitive. This is because the
quality is one of the key factors that influence customer buying decisions.