10 Common Apparel Steps for Analysis an Export Order

10 Common Apparel Steps for Analysis of an Export Order  

Noor Ahmed Raaz
Specialized in Apparel Manufacturing
Owner and Editor in chief Textile Merchandising
Asst. Prof., Department of Textile Engineering
Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technology
Email: mnnabi@adust.edu.bd

Garments Export Order Analysis:

An apparel merchandiser should have proper knowledge about total export order procurement. She/he should need to do an analysis and research the export order with manufacturers and buyers. During export order execution an apparel merchandiser normally faces to the different problem such as costing, consumption, pricing, accessories booking, on time shipment, sampling, and quality issues. Therefore, they need to handle all of these problems smartly. Proper analysis of an export order can be making a good review with the buyer for getting the next export order.

How to Analysis an Export Quality Garment Order by a Merchandiser:

Here given 10 common apparel steps for analysis an export order. But below steps can be changed by buyer anytime. It’s all about buyer requirement.

1. Garment Measurement Chart
2. Size Ratio
3. Color Combination
4. Trims and Accessories List
5. Fabric Consumption
6. Garment Cost
7. Accessibility of Sewing machine
8. Garment Quality
9. Time and Action Plan
10. Merchandising Filing

1) Measurement Chart:

Garments analysis has started by the garment measurement chart. It is one of the major parts to execute any apparel export order and initial step to start the analytical process. When a merchandiser gets this measurement chart from the buyer then she/he will send to the pattern maker to precede pattern.

2) Size Ratio:

The size ratio of an order from a buyer is normally expressed as English capital word such as XS, S, M, L, XL to 5XL etc. According to the size ratio S: M: L i.e. 1:2:1. buyer orders their product. That like an example, but size ratio plays an important role in costing and consumption.

3) Color Combination:

Before bulk production, buyer normally conforms the color combination according to the size ratio. Merchandisers are getting all the information about the color combination from the order sheet. When receiving the color code or Pantone number from buyers, and then merchandisers have to do lab dip for order approval. Lap dip approval is one of the important tasks for a merchandiser.

4) Trims and Accessories List:

Another important task of a merchandiser is to gather all the trims and accessories before bulk production. A merchandiser should be booking all the trims and accessories on time.

5) Fabric Consumption:

The fabric is known as the raw material of the garment because the fabric is taking almost 70% of the total garment cost. Therefore, the analysis of fabric consumption is important task for a merchandiser. In an apparel industry, profit or loss generally depend on the total consummation of fabric in an order. So, fabric consummation must be calculated correctly before fabric cutting.

6) Garment Cost:

Merchandisers should confirm each and every product costing and negotiation with a buyer about order costing. For order, execution needs to different types of costing such as fabric cost, trims and accessories cost, dyeing cost, washing cost, printing cost, embroidery cost, transportation cost and others cost. Normally garments are calculated as per dozen, but it’s also calculated as a piece.

7) Accessibility of Sewing Machine:

We know that sewing department is the heart of garment industry. The sewing machine is mostly used to stitch fabric to attach jointly with the help of threads. Different types of sewing machines are necessary for joining different part of garments. A merchandiser should have proper knowledge of sewing techniques. Before taking any order from the buyer, merchandiser should check out the availability of required sewing machine in the sewing section.

8) Quality of Garments:

Garments manufacturer should ensure proper quality of an order. Without best quality, the garments are not accepted by the buyer. So a merchandiser needs to ensure the best quality of products. Therefore, the quality has a great impact on garment analysis. At the present time, buyers are more aware of quality issues and they do not compromise with any quality mistake. Each buyer of the garment industry has an individual quality instruction.

9) Time and Action Plan:

A garment industry has different types of work to do such as order analysis, costing, consumption, fabric and accessories booking, sampling, cutting, sewing, finishing etc. For proper execution, those works, need a proper scheduling plan. Time & action plan (TNA) is the sum of total order plan schedules. This order plan schedule is expressed with a sheet format which is known as time and action plan or time and action calendar.

10) Merchandising Filing:

During an export order execution, a merchandiser should keep correct and clean file up. The main reason of merchandising filing is smooth handling an export order. Normally, total export order records are arranged by dates, number, alphabetic or alphanumeric. Using different folder or color top of the file which also makes filing system easier. This filing system will help to record full order documents and future quotations about that order from the buyer.