Quality management system for garment manufacturing

A garment manufacturing quality management system (QMS) is related to quality

control and assurance system that documents (quality manual) processes (Online
and offline), procedures, system, planning, responsibilities, and task for achieving
quality goals and policies to meet buyer requirements.  A quality management
system is focused on customer requirements and satisfaction through combine
effort of whole organization management by setting up a work standard.

A quality management system helps a factory to coordinate and instruct an

organization’s functions/activities to meet buyer requirements and improve its
effectiveness and efficiency on a continuous basis quality control and
improvement. Good quality management can guide a factory to the right path of
quality goal, to keep standard of the export garments. a good quality management
system should be implemented.

There are various quality related problems often seen in garments manufacturing
like sewing defects, colour defects, sizing, or garment defects.  

 Fabric defects

There are various fabric defects can occur while fabric manufacturing  like bowing,
crease mark, pin holes, knots, missing yarn etc. Defects can also occur while
dyeing and printing of the fabric like colour out, water mark, colour smears,
broken colour pattern, dye streak etc.

 Sewing defects

Sewing defects like open seams, missing stitches, uneven stiches, skipped stitches,
seam puckering, improper creasing of the garment etc.

 Colour defects

Colour defects like variation of colour between the approved sample and the final
garment, wrong colour combinations and mismatching of sewing threads or
accessories (like laces etc.)

 Size issues
Size issues like wrong gradation of sizes, difference in measurement of a garment

 Other defects

Others defects like defective buttons, snaps, stitches, holes, faulty zippers, loose or
hanging sewing threads, misalignment of buttons, missing buttons, cuts, stains,
short zippers, inappropriate trimmings etc

How to do Quality Control in Garment Industry?

Now let’s understand various ways of quality control in garment industry. Apparel
Quality Control System is followed by all concerned in the company from piece
goods inspection to the final statistical audit.

1. Raw Material Inspection:

Once you receive the fabrics or accessories in the ware house, it should be
inspected. 10% of the fabrics can be inspected as per “4 points” system/10 points
system point system. The most commonly used system is 4 points system.

2. Testing of raw material

Fabrics and accessories (laces, buttons zippers etc) can be tested in a lab to assure
that whatever raw materials, sourced by the apparel industry is as per the approved
standards. There are various parameters that are tested for fabrics like the weave of
the fabric, GSM (gram per square meter), thread count, yarn count, tearing
strength, texture, hand feel, dimensional stability, colourfastness etc.

3. In-process quality control in the garment industry

Quality can be controlled while inspecting during the process. There are various
processes involved in garment manufacturing like cutting of fabric, sewing and
finishing of a garment.

Cutting Quality Control in Garment Industry

In the cutting section, quality can be controlled in two stages (fabric spreading and
after cutting of fabric).
Fabric Spreading: spreading is laying out of the fabric in superimposed layers
(plies) of a specified length. Maintaining quality in fabric spreading is very
important. Various factors can be checked while spreading a fabric like tension in
fabric, fabric defects, marking of patterns, matching of fabrics/patterns etc.

After cutting: After cutting fabrics, there are various points that should be checked
like miscut, pattern checks, notches etc.

Sewing Quality Control in Garment Industry:

During the sewing, quality control can be done by an in-line quality controller.
Various parameters can be checked during sewing like machine tension, stitch per
inch, the needle of the machine, cleanness etc

4. Finishing section quality control in the garment industry

Apparel quality control can be attained by inspection at the finishing section of

garments. Garments can be checked to identify sewing defects, stains,
measurement inspection, loose threads etc.

5. Testing of final products

After manufacturing, a sample from the final lot is sent for testing to ensure that it
is as per the approved sample. There are various parameters that are tested for
garments like colour fastness, seam strength, seam slippage, size fitting test, button
/zip quality test etc. tensile strength, dimensional stability, pilling test, azo-free etc.

6. Acceptable quality level (AQL)

After completion of the packing of a complete lot of garment, a Quality manager

conducts audit based on required AQL garments. When quality managers are
satisfied with the audit then the same will be offered for a final inspection to the
buyer. AQL is the maximum number of items (defective) that could be considered
to accept during the random sampling of pre-shipment inspection.

7. Quality management system (QMS) 

QMS is another important aspect of quality control in the garment industry. A

quality management system (QMS) is a system that documents processes,
procedures, and responsibilities for achieving quality objectives. It helps to
improve the customer’s requirement, productivity and efficiency on a continuous
basis. There are other benefits of QMS like reduce wastage, improve process
control, lower costs etc.

8. Total quality management (TQM)

Apparel quality control can be done by applying TQM. It refers to a management

process to ensure that the organization consistently meets customer requirements.
It engages all divisions, departments and levels of the organization. It focuses on
processes and practices to eliminate waste and pursue continuous improvement.

The aim of TQM is to deliver the products or services of the highest value for the
customer at the lowest cost while achieving profits and economic stability for the
company. The most common TQM tools are in use today. Each is used for and
identifies information in a specific manner like pie charts and bar graphs,
histograms,  Pareto charts, flowcharts and modelling diagrams, scatter
diagrams, fishbone diagrams etc.

9. Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is another tool for apparel quality control. Lean

Manufacturing is a systematic method of eliminating waste by continuous
improvement. There are various benefits of lean manufacturing like improve
productivity and quality, reducing work in process (WIP) inventory, reduce cycle
and lead time, reduce manpower, time and space, sustainability, employee
satisfaction, and increase profit, Increase customer satisfaction and customer
service. Lean manufacturing tools used in garments industry like 5S, Kanban,
PCDA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) etc

Key Factors of Garments Quality Management

1. Proper reporting
2. Strict Materials inspection
3. Approved trim card
4. Keeping pattern log, library and evaluation report
5. Calibrate machine, process, and manpower
6. Follow SOP and Keeping version names
7. Visualize quality tools, sample, and metrics
8. Process audit or AQL inspection
 9. Keeping packing approval
10.Zero defects station
11.Review quality result and taking corrective action
12.Training and evaluate QC
13. Internal pre-final Audit before Final Inspection

Flow Chart of Quality Management System in the Garments Industry

QMS generally employs the following measures, techniques the ensure that
only quality goods are produced:

Inspect all incoming, in-process & final goods to ensure the quality of goods.
↓
Ensure that all patterns & grading of patterns are okay.
↓
Inspect marker and check if it is okay and within consumption.
↓
Inspect spreading, cutting & numbering.
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Ensure if relaxation time was given to knit fabric.
↓
Install in-line inspector in the sewing lines.
↓
Install Traffic Light Chart system or another system to monitor quality in the
production line.
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Inspect 100% of goods delivered from sewing lines.
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Inspect the table quality passed garments with Statistical Technique.
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Control reject goods so that they do not mix up with quality passed goods.
↓
Control repairable goods, washable goods so that they can be double-checked
to ensure quality.
↓
Inspect goods with the right equipment and in the right conditions.
↓
Inspect ironing, folding.
↓
 Make repeat inspection of garments prior to poly-bagging.
↓
Inspect poly-bagging & assortment.
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Final table inspection is conducted prior to shipment of goods.
↓
Impart training QA personnel so that they can easily identify defects &
understand the causes of defects.
↓
Impart training QA personnel on Statistical Methods.
↓
Make continuous improvement plans & implement them.

Reference

https://www.textileflowchart.com/2015/10/flow-chart-of-quality-
management-system-in-the-garments-industry.html

https://www.henryharvin.com/blog/quality-control-in-garment-industry/