QUALITY…DOES YOUR CUTTING ROOM CUT IT?

QUALITY…DOES YOUR CUTTING ROOM CUT IT? by Robert L. Lowder, Principal CHARLES GILBERT ASSOCIATES, INC..

DEFINING QUALITY IN THE CUTTING ROOM

QUALITY IS DEFINED BY THE CUSTOMER WHO ARE THE CUSTOMERS IN THE CUTTING PROCESS?

THE VENDOR/CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP • PIECE GOODS MILLS • PATTERNS & MARKERS • SPREADERS • CUTTERS • ASSEMBLERS • NUMBERING

THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF THE CUSTOMER/VENDOR RELATIONSHIP • EACH STEP IN THE PROCESS BECOMES ONE PART OF THE CHAIN OF VENDOR TO THE NEXT STEP. • PIECE GOODS IS THE VENDOR TO SPREADING. P/G’S AND SPREADING ARE VENDORS TO CUTTING. ETC.

THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT • WHILE EACH STEP IN THE CUTTING PROCESS HAS ITS OWN SLANT ON QUALITY AND CAN BE JUDGED INDEPENDENTLY, THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF CUTTING STEPS IS THE WAY TO MEASURE QUALITY IN CUTTING.

QUALITY OF PIECE GOODS SOME THOUGHTS ON THE QUALITY OF PIECE GOODS

DISCUSSION QUESTION? • WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS THE QUALITY OF PIECE GOODS? • WHO STANDS TO GAIN THE MOST FROM IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY TO PIECE GOODS?

DEFINING DEFECT LEVELS IN CUTTING…CRITICAL. • CRITICAL DEFECT…WILL CAUSE FAILURE OF THE CUT PARTS UNLESS MAJOR REVISIONS ARE MADE. • SOME CRITICAL DEFECTS WILL CAUSE FAILURE AND CANNOT BE UPGRADED.

DEFINING DEFECT LEVELS IN CUTTING…MAJOR. • MAJOR DEFECTS WILL CAUSE A FAILURE OF ONE OR MORE GARMENTS UNLESS SPECIAL ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE DEFECT. • MAJOR DEFECTS MEAN LOST TIME IN THE SEWING ROOM.

DEFINING DEFECT LEVELS IN CUTTING…MINOR. • MINOR DEFECTS WILL NOT CAUSE A FAILURE IN A GARMENT OR THE CUTTING, BUT ARE NEVERTHELESS LESS THAN PERFECT QUALITY.

MAJOR AREAS OF QUALITY OF PIECE GOODS • FABRIC WIDTH • LENGTH OF BOLT • SELVAGE EDGE • SHADE • CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS • DAMAGE

FABRIC WIDTH • “CUTTABLE WIDTH”…NARROWEST POINT IN THE ROLL MEASURED FROM INSIDE THE SELVAGE • ANY GOODS UNDER WIDTH IS A CRITICAL DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RETURNED OR A PRICE REDUCTION SHOULD BE NEGOTIATED, INCLUDING THE COST OF NEW MARKERS AND EXTRA YARDAGE.

LENGTH OF BOLT • WHILE VARIANCE IN YARDAGE IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE REMEDIED THROUGH PRICE ADJUSTMENT, IT MAY BE A SIGN OF OTHER QUALITY CONCERNS, SUCH AS SHRINKAGE. • YARDAGE LENGTHS LESS THAN TICKET YARDS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CRITICAL. THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED BEFORE USING THE GOODS.

AN OLD RULE THAT STILL WORKS • USE ONLY MEASUREMENT DEVICES RECOGNIZED BY THE VENDOR TO DO A SAMPLING OF GOODS. • A YARDAGE PROGRAM DOCUMENTS THE YARDAGE USED ON EACH ROLL. IT CAN CONFIRM PROBLEMS IN SAMPLING.

SELVAGE EDGE • EDGES SHOULD BE SMOOTH ON THE ROLL AND OF CONSISTENT WIDTH. • WAVY OR TIGHT SELVAGE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CRITICAL DEFECTS THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED WITH THE VENDOR BEFORE USE.

SHADE OF PIECE GOODS • SOME TYPES OF PIECE GOODS HAVE MORE VARIATIONS IN SHADING THAN OTHERS. • THERE ARE SOME RULES CONCERNING SHADING THAT CAN BE USED TO GRADE GOODS BY SHADE.

SHADE…cont’d. • PIECE GOODS CAN VARY IN SHADE A GREAT DEAL DEPENDING UPON TYPE, PROCESS, AND CUSTOMER TOLERANCE TO VARIATION. • SHADE RANGES ARE AGREED BEFORE GOODS ARE PRODUCED. • THESE SHOULD BE DEMONSTRATED WITH RANGE CARDS.

SHADE…THE BASIC RULE IS A BOLT OF GOODS CONTAINS ONLY ONE SHADE.

SHADE DEFECTS... • VARIATIONS IN SHADE FROM END TO END OR SIDE TO SIDE ARE CRITICAL DEFECTS. • SHADES OUTSIDE THE RANGE ARE CRITICAL DEFECTS. • THESE SHOULD BE RESOLVED WITH THE MILL BEFORE USING.

CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS…Weaving, Knitting, Finishing • NEARLY ALL PIECE GOODS HAVE SOME DEFECTS. • SOME TYPES HAVE MORE THAN OTHERS. • DIFFERENT MILLS JUDGE DEFECTS DIFFERENTLY. • KNOW YOUR MILL’S PROGRAM.

QUALITY…DOES YOUR CUTTING ROOM CUT IT?