Consulting Guideline - Quality Assurance

Guidelines
Quality Assurance System
KSA-Technopak
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content Page no.
1. Introduction to product integrity 3
2. Taxonomy of defects 5
3. Introduction to quality procedures 8
4. Quality control fabric 14
5. Quality control – spreading and cutting 24
6. Quality control – sewing 38
7. Quality control – washing and finishing 56
8. Style start up procedures 62
9. Annexure 67
Gen-Prom (UNDP) -2- KSA Technopak

In the sense of performance, quality refers to the performance features of a product.
Such features are decisive of product performance and of product satisfaction. These
features compete with each other in the market place. External customers, especially
ultimate users, compare the competing performance features of similar products. Their
comparisons then become a deciding factor in their purchase of the product. Due to the
competition in the market place, a primary goal for product performance is to at least be
equal or superior to the quality of competing products. Product Dissatisfaction
The word quality also refers to freedom from deficiencies such as late deliveries,
customer claims and returns, high rate of rework and even cancellation of sales. These
are the various manifestations of product dissatisfaction. Some deficiencies impact
external customers and hence are a threat to future sales as well as a source of higher
costs. Other deficiencies impact only internal customers and hence are mainly a source
of higher costs.
It is important to understand that if something is not as specified, it is defective and if it

is indeed defective, then it can either be repaired or it can’t be repaired. Seconds are
sold by the factory at a loss. Units to be repaired are also an extra cost because extra
costs are incurred in:
1. Handling the unit before repair.

2. Extra labor and materials in repairing.
3. Extra handling to get it back with the first goods.
The time consumed on repairing defective goods can always be used to produce more
first class goods. In all cases defective units are extra costs for the factory. Doing it right
the first time is the key to minimize costs arising from defective products.

Many companies require regular reports, but take no action to bring about
improvements as a result of those reports. A heavy focus is placed on measuring
system and methods instead of the results and possible improvements. Measuring a
process without improving it leads to increased costs and lower product quality.
What gets measured gets managed. Conduct of the quality function depends heavily on
the quantification of the product and process characteristics. The process of
quantification is called measurement. The measurement results are dependent on the
standards being used. Improvement occurs when the measured results are monitored
and compared against standards, resulting in actions.
The measurement of current performance is essential for continuous quality

improvement. What cannot be measured cannot be improved. There is no end to quality
improvement processes when results are continuously monitored.
Companies measure sales, profits, growth, and other parameters to satisfy

stakeholders. It is better to monitor the process that provides these results rather than
measure the results alone. Results will follow when input is controlled and the process
is monitored.
Quality assurance refers to the assurance to customers that the product, parts,
components, tools etc. contain specified characteristics and is fit for the intended use. In
today’s competitive industrial world, no business unit can exist for a long time without
adhering to the quality. Now the assurance of quality is not the responsibility of a senior
person or a department only. Only the inspection department or its personnel cannot be
held responsible for assurance of quality. It is the responsibility of everybody connected
with the production, directly or indirectly and each and every department.
First of all quality specifications for the product needs to be established, so that it can
meet the requirements of the customer.

Suitable quality standards for raw materials, parts, components, tools and equipment
etc. needs to also be determined in advance so as to manufacture quality product.
Proper inspection and testing procedures and methods needs to be evolved to check the
quality specifications of raw materials, parts, components, production processes and
methods and also final products. With the help of inspection and testing, a manufacturer
can determine whether they all conform to the predetermined quality standards or design
specifications or not.
• Ensuring that even with turnover of personnel, quality is maintained.
• Using entire quality control staff most effectively.
• Getting the most of the investment by reducing rejection and rework done on
alteration.
• Evaluate production, identify bad shipments and take corrective action.
• Evaluate operators in all areas of production and take corrective action.
A Critical Defect is defined as anything that can potentially be considered harmful to the
product user or render the product unsaleable and thereby lead to the cancellation of the
order. A Critical Defect can be, but is not limited to sharp points and edges, broken
needles, loose components or other foreign items which are potentially harmful and may
pose a hazard, improper or inaccurate country of origin or fiber, workmanship errors
such as stitches per inch less than the number specified on a major stress seam,
appearance defects such as wrinkles or creases which seriously affect appearance,
errors in permanent labels such as any size information on the garment is incorrect or
care instructions not printed clearly, omitted, incorrect, blotted out etc.
Gen-Prom (UNDP) 5 KSA Technopak

Any defect (if not repaired properly) that can potentially lead to cancellation of the entire
or a part of the order is classified as a major defect. Major defects are those that if
conspicuous on the finished product, would cause the item to be a ‘second’. A few
examples of major defects are: Dye misprints or dye smear in Zone A or B, fabric not as
specified, barre in Zone A and B, broken stitch, open seam etc. are all considered to be
major defects.
As the name suggests these defects are modest and do not affect the salability of a
product. Minor defects are those defects that would not cause the product to be termed a
second either because of severity or location. Defects such as birdseye, needle line and
slub are classified as minor defects depending on their severity.
Fabric procurement: Various defects can arise at the time of procuring fabric and can
have severe implications on the salability of the finished product. So it is essential to
check for defects at the fabric stage.
The quality procedures to be followed in fabric department are fairly simple. The fabric is
checked using the four point system of evaluation; the evaluation system will be
explained in detail later. The cutting department does not accept fabric if it has failed the
inspection in the fabric department. A Piece Goods Inspection Report provides
information regarding this to the Cutting Manager and the Production Manager. The
Quality procedures in the fabric department are explained in detail later in the guideline.
Stitching: The sewing defects begin and end with the operator. It has been noticed that in
most cases the operator is not aware of what is required from him/her in terms of
stitching quality. It is thus imperative that:

• One sealed sample / mock up (Sample as per order; correct fabric, trims etc.) be
available and easily accessible to all operators at the shop floor.
• In case of certain garment parts that require a skillful operation or for a critical
operation, the operator needs to be given a sample of the same for their ready reference.
• The broad objective of this is that there needs to never be any legitimate reason for
some one not knowing what is happening.
Measurement: Measurement defects arise due to lack of information about the

stipulated measurement requirements in the cutting, sewing, packaging departments.
These defects are particularly severe as they are difficult to repair and can render the
garment un-salable. Thus it is essential to put in place spec sheets at each and every
stage of production with clear instructions about what is required in terms of
measurement in that stage and ensure that the operators have a clear understanding of
specifications so as to avoid defects arising from misunderstanding of measurement
requirements.
Packaging: Clients have very specific demands when it comes to packaging of the
finished garments and any packaging defect is generally categorized as severe and or
major defects and they are best avoided. To overcome the problem of packaging defects
a packaging department needs to be setup and timely audits needs to be carried out on
the packaged goods.
Defects can be further classified as repairable or non-repairable. As the name suggests

Repairable defects are those defects that can be fixed and when fixed will not render the
garment unsaleable. Defects arise all the time during cutting, sewing, finishing and
packaging but to ensure a foolproof garment is sent out to the client we have repair the
defects that can be repaired and do away with the defects that can’t be repaired and will

cause the garment to be termed as a reject.
This guideline describes the procedures to be followed in the field of Quality Assurance.
From the product perspective, the focus is clearly on 1) Productivity 2) Quality
Both Productivity and Quality needs to go hand in hand. It is normally found that one
gains at the expense of the other, but the factory endeavor would be to achieve both up
to the desired degree and beyond. For this to be possible it is necessary that
standardized procedures be followed in the field of Quality Assurance. These guidelines
provide a detailed outline regarding the quality systems to be followed in the factory.
The garment in its manufacturing process moves through the fabric, the cutting, the
sewing and finally the finishing department. Quality Procedures are to be followed in
each of these departments. Each department needs to treat the following department in
the chain as its customer and itself as the supplier to that customer. For example, the
cutting department needs to treat itself as the supplier to its customer, which is the
Sewing department.
One important basis of the quality calculations explained here before we discuss the QA
procedures is– DHU, which means Defects per Hundred Units. This is a term, which will
be repeatedly used in this guideline; hence it needs to be well understood. DHU
calculates the ‘defects’ found in a sample of hundred units, and NOT the ‘defective units’
itself amongst the sample of hundred units. This implies that if hundred shirts are being
checked and seven shirts are found to be defective with presence of two defects in each
of the seven, then the DHU is 14, and NOT 7. This tends to inflate the figures, but not
without a sound logic behind it. The identification of defects is done with the motive that
they will be corrected, and in terms of corrections it is the ‘defects’, which we will need to
correct, immaterial of whether these defects are spread across many garments or one.
Hence, it is important to record the defects rather than the defective garments, at least
up till the finishing stage. Once the garment is finally ready after the finishing, it makes

sense to record the defective garments rather than the DHU, as that is what ultimately
matters to the buyer.
The following flowchart gives an overview of the checking procedures the garment goes
through, during its various stages of being manufactured.

Departmental Procedures
Quality Reports and

Assurance Aids: Decision support
1) Style Start- Fabric Department systems:
up Check 1) Piece goods inspection
sheet 1) Piece Goods
2) Key Inspection
inspection Report
points (for 2) Cutting room
each style) Inspection
3) Quality report
Specification 3) Cut-Audit
Sheets ( for report
each Cutting Department 4) In-line
operation) 1) In-line inspection Sampling
4) Monthly 2) Cutting Audit report
individual 5) In-line
operator sampling
inline defect record
sampling 6) Daily end
report line
5) Daily prime inspection
targets Sewing Department report
6) Quality drills 1) In-line random 7) Daily end
7) Operator inspection line
trainer’s Summary
2) End line inspection
quality sheet
checks 3) Daily Audit 8) Quality audit
8) Linking of form
operator 9) Daily
DHU to finishing
various report
schemes, like 10) Presentation
Star Finishing Department check report
operator, 1) Final checking 11) Daily Line
Graduation, 2) Presentation Check quality report
etc. 3) Checker’s Audit 12) Weekly
4) Pre-shipment audit quality report
This guideline provides a department wise description of the quality systems to be

followed in each department, with focus on the formats to be followed and made use of.
The ‘systems’ and the ‘formats’ have to be executed in tandem. For example, the In-line
sampling report mentioned in the previous table collects information on ‘A’ particular
operator, working in ‘B’ particular line, producing ‘C’ particular defect, ‘N’ number of

times. Now, this report on one hand provides useful information on ‘the problem’, but on
the other hand, does not ‘correct’ the problem. Whereas, the system if correctly followed,
does ‘solve’ the problem. The quality system prescribed directs that the bundle, which
was detected by the Inline Q.C, as being defective, would be ‘rejected’. (The presence of
one defect in a sample size of 8 pieces, selected randomly in a bundle size of 20 pieces,
renders the bundle as a “defective bundle”). The defect, bundle number, and the
operator name are duly recorded by the Q.C in the report.
The system further prescribes that the entire bundle of 20 pieces be checked by the
Inline checker himself, and made defect free. Now, the bundle would be re-examined by
the Q.C using a sample size of 8 for a bundle of 20, and if the bundle passes the re-
checking only then it would be allowed to pass on to the next operator. Now, the Inline
checker can play truant, by NOT checking the entire bundle for defects, and correcting
only the particular piece, which was caught by the Q.C. To ensure that this does not
happen, the Q.C. would use one of the Quality assurance aids — ‘The red tab’. The Q.C
would add a red tab provided to him, and NO operator is allowed to accept a bundle from
previous operation if it has a red tab. The Q.C is the only one who has the replacement
for the red tab to a green tab (Only Available with the QC), once he finds the bundle to
pass the re-check. This would ensure correct quality pieces to be passed on to the next
operation.
Now, all three - 1) The Formats, 2) the Quality System itself, and 3) The Quality
Assurance Aids, have played their respective part in bringing about the correct quality. It
is also important to note that the formats being filled up would be of little use if the
information gathered were not effectively made use of. This information can be very
effectively used for analysis and to take decisions regarding corrective actions to be
taken. It needs a pro-active approach from both, the QA team as well as the Production
team.
Based on the above, the guideline goes on to describe the Formats, Systems, and the
Quality Assurance aids to be used in the various departments. Some of these are
general points and do not figure under a particular department and hence have been
covered either in the beginning or towards the end, keeping in view the flow of the
information. However, the focus of the guideline would be on the Quality Assurance
Formats to be used at various stages, which are used for the collection of useful
information.
The table on the next page describes “Quality assurance distribution list” which gives a
detailed list of the formats to be followed by the QAD in various departments. For the
purpose of standardization each format has been given a particular code. The list also
describes that the information once collected would be passed on to whom, for effective
use of the information. The abbreviations used in the table are:
• QAD: Quality Assurance Department
• QAM: Quality Assurance Manager
• QA: Quality Auditor (reports directly to the QAM, and is in charge of all Q.C’s and
Checkers)
• F.M: Factory Manager

• P.M: Production Manager
• S: Supervisor
• IED: Industrial Engineering Department

Quality Assurance – Distribution List
No. Description Originator Distribution Freq.

I. Style Start up
1. Start-up Check Sheet PM Line-Incharge, QAD,Every Style

QAM, PM IED
2. Key Inspection Points Every Style
QAM QAD, PM, Merchandiser
3. Quality Specifications Sheet QAD, QAM and Line Every Style
QAE
Incharge
II.
Fabric Store
1. Piece Goods Inspection report QAE QAM, FM, Cutting-
Incharge, Merchandiser
III. Cutting section

1. Cutting Room Inspection report QAE QAM, Cutting Incharge,Each Cut
2. Cut Audit report QAE QAM, Cutting In-charge,Each Cut
Line-Incharge
Sewing Section
IV.
In Line Sampling
a. In-Line Sampling Report QAE QAM, Line-Incharge Daily
b. In-Line Sampling Defect Record QAE Line-Incharge Daily
c. Monthly individual inline sampling report QAE QAM, Line-Incharge Monthly
100% Inspection
a. Daily End Line Inspection Report QAE QAM, PM, Line-Incharge Daily
b. Daily End Line Summary Sheet QAE QAM, PM, Daily
c. Measurement Checking Sheet QAE QAM, PM, Line-Incharge Daily
Quality Audit
a. Quality Audit Form- End Line Quality Auditor QAE, QAM Daily
b. Quality Audit Form- Sewing QAM QAD Daily
V. Finishing Section
1. Daily Finishing Report QAEQAM, Finishing In-charge Daily

2. 100% Presentation Report QAEQAM, Finishing In-charge Daily
3. Pre Shipment Quality Audit Form QAM Merchandiser, QAD, Daily
Finishing In-charge

VI Process Monitoring / Feed Back
1. Daily Line Quality Report QAE GM, QAM, PM, Line Daily
Incharge
2. Weekly Quality Summary QAE Director, QAM, PM, Weekly
Cutting In-charge,
Finishing In-charge
The formats of these are included in the annexure.
Quality control Fabric
1. To identify and mark fabric faults on the fabric.
2. Decision to cut the fabric lot or not.
3. Increased productivity of the cutting department.
Even the most outstanding manufacturing methods cannot compensate for defective
material. This section provides recommendations to help you create an aggressive piece
goods quality control program and eliminate many quality problems before the
manufacturing process begins
1. The fabric manager needs to always inspect fabric as soon as it reaches his facility.
2. The fabric needs to always be stored in clean and moisture free environment.
3. As soon as the fabric arrives, a swatch needs to be submitted to laboratory for
checking whether the fabric adheres to fabric performance standards.
4. Many companies prefer to do fabric checking while spreading though the fabric needs
to be checked beforehand as a separate operation. This is because while spreading, a
spreader is concerned primarily with spreading the fabric and not with inspecting the
quality of the fabric.
Postponing piece goods inspection till the fabric is on the cutting table could have the

following effects:
1. Delay: This is due to the fact that if fabric inspection is done at the cutting stage and
then fabric is found to be defective, the time lost between fabric receipt and inspection
(spreading) would be additional delay in the lead-time of the order.
2. Loss of Time and Effort: The decision to accept or reject the fabric would be taken
only once the entire fabric has been checked; in other words spread. In case the fabric is
found to be defective and has to be rejected, not only the effort and time of spreading
this fabric is wasted; but also the time and effort of rolling the fabric again to be returned
is wasted. The blockage of the cutting table and the time of the cutting master wasted
during the process of spreading and then putting the fabric back into rolls or folds needs
to also be considered.
The four point system is widely accepted in the textile and garment trade because it is
easy to understand and implement. This system also lays down standards that have
proven to be acceptable in the garment trade and it is recommended to use the same
system while checking fabric.
Fabric meterage to inspect

1. At least 10% of the meterage to be inspected.
2. For a shipment/ order of upto 200 Kg – It is recommended that for a shipment of up to
200 Kg, inspection needs to be carried out for100% fabric.
A shipment between 200 - 2000 Kg- Inspection needs to be done for at least 200 Kg or
10% whichever is greater.
Roll Size
It is advised for better utilization of fabric that there needs to not be more than 10-15% of
“short rolls” (rolls of 20 Kg and less) in an order.
Selection of Rolls
At least one roll of each colour (even if it exceeds 10% of the total meterage) needs to be

selected. In case more than one roll per colour is to be checked, then select the number
in proportion to the no. of total rolls per colour received.
Defect Classification
The four point system classifies defects as shown in the following table:
Length of Defect, either length or width Penalty Points

3 Inches or less 1 Point
Over 3, but not over 6 inches 2 Points
Over 6, but not over 9 inches 3 Points
Over 9 inches 4 Points
Holes and openings
1 inch or less 2 points
Over 1 inch 4 Points
o A maximum of 4 points is charged to one linear meter.

o Defects less than 1” from the selvedge of the fabric will not be counted.
o Only major defects are considered.
Note -When inspecting piece goods prior to cutting, it is necessary to rate questionable
defects as major, since the Inspector will not know where the defect may occur on the
item.
No penalty points are recorded for minor defects. Major Defects are classified as follows:
o Major woven fabric defects such as slubs, holes, missing yarn, conspicuous yarn
variation, end out, soiled yarn, and wrong yarn.
o Major knitted fabric defects are mixed yarn, yarn variation, runner, needle line,
barre, slub, hole, and press off.
o Major dye or printing defects are print out, dye spots, machine stop, colour smear or
shading.

Acceptance Point Count
This method of acceptance uses a projection of total defects based on the number of
defects found in the inspection of a sample.
The points are calculated on a 100 square meter basis.
To calculate the average points/100 square meters for the shipment:
Total points counted for all rolls inspected X 39 X 100

Total meters inspected X Cut table width (inches)
Up to 40 points per 100 square meters is the acceptable defect rate.
Bowing and Skewing

Check for skewed, bowed and biased fabric. For this purpose check the bowing and
skewing at every 10 meters. The bowing and skewing are calculated as follows: Bow: A
bow is an uneven deviation of a weft from a line drawn perpendicular to the selvedge of
the fabric. A bow may have different forms:
Single Bow%= Dip of the Bow (Maximum deviation from perpendicular line) X 100
½ Width of the fabric
Double Bow%= Dip of the Bow (Maximum deviation from perpendicular line) X 100
¼ Width of the fabric
Skew: Skew is a straight line deviation of a weft from a line drawn perpendicular to the
selvedge of the fabric.
Skew%= Dip of the Skew (Maximum deviation from perpendicular line) X 100
Width of the fabric
If the average Bowing or Skewing for a roll is more than 2-3%, reject the roll.
Other considerations for rejection:
Any noticeable shading within the roll

o Off shade fabric
o Hands feel not to standard.
o Critical defects running for more than 2 meters.
o All major defects running for more than 2 meters in the fabric needs to be cut out.
o Pattern repeat not up to standard or unacceptable variations.
o Appearance not up to standard or objectionable
Often fabric checkers who check the fabric are not trained. They are unaware of the
nature of fabric defects and their causes. Thus, there is a chance that the fabric checker
does not notice a defect at all. This is augmented by the fact that these checkers check
fabric every day and their eyes become so accustomed to the colour/design of the fabric
that there is a high probability of them not noticing certain defects. It is thus imperative
that these checkers needs to have ready actual samples of these defects. The easiest
way to make this reference guide is to collect various defects in fabrics as and when they
occur. These samples need to be stuck in the form of a booklet along with their
classification as major or minor. This guide needs to serve as a ready reckoner and thus
needs to be in a simple/local language with as many visuals as possible in order to make
judgments in visual fabric evaluations easier and more ‘accurate’. This guide needs to
ideally be developed by the fabric department themselves and needs to be available and
easily accessible to all personnel involved with the activity of fabric checking.
In case the audit fails, the quality auditor is required to inform the quality manager.
Quality manager needs to then send a written document to the buying head and the
team subsequently decides whether to pass the fabric. In case of a failure it is the
responsibility of the vendor to get new fabric, refinish, or re-dye the fabric. In such a case
it may be advantageous to conduct a 100% inspection of the piece goods. The
management would take this decision after discussion. The Quality/ Buying head and the
vendor shall discuss the commercial implications of such an action and arrive at a

decision. This may lead to a rescheduling of production dates and a penalty (if any) to be
imposed
The format to be used for piece good inspection is explained below.
o Date, Inspected by, Fabric supplier, Purchase Order, Total Rolls Received, Total
Yards Inspected: All self explanatory.
o Style: As all orders are tracked through style number it is important to mention the
style number, this continues through the entire order processing.
o Total penalty points: Summation of the total points assigned for each roll; total points
are the frequency of the number of defects multiplied by penalty points depending on the
length/diameter of defect.
o Points per hundred square yards: Average number of points per hundred square
yards of fabric checked; calculated with the formula at bottom of format.
o Accept/Reject Shipment: Mark according to the desired quality standards.

o Roll Number: Number of roll being inspected, selection of rolls needs to be made as
explained above.
o Colour: Colour of roll being inspected at least two hundred yards or ten percent,
which ever is more, needs to be inspected in each colour.
o Width: Width of the roll ordered and maximum and minimum width of the rolls
inspected (measured at regular intervals).
o Length: Length of the roll as marked on the roll by the supplier and actual length as
observed during the inspection in yards.
o Shade Diff: Marked as yes if there is a shade variation in the roll from either start to
end or from selvedge to selvedge.
o Defect Marking: Each defect when observed on the fabric is measured and then a
code of the defect as mentioned on the bottom of the format is marked on the
corresponding column classified by length of defect.

Quality Control Spreading and cutting
1. To ensure that all garment parts are cut as per the pattern.
2. Decision to re-cut the garment parts.
3. Increased productivity of the sewing room.
Spreading though not considered an important operation in garment manufacturing and

is normally carried out manually without supervision of the cutting master, is a critical
checkpoint. The post- sewing measurement defects found in a garment can in most
cases be attributed to in-correct spreading and cutting. While spreading, the quality
assurance inspector is to check the fabric lay for the following defects:
• In case of a marker always compare the marker with the original pattern.
• Marker making: To make sure that all parts of a particular garment appear on the
marker, check for the smaller parts [collars/cuffs] and their presence in pairs.
• Marker Placement: To check that the marker is placed on the spread with the edge
parallel to the selvedge of the piece goods. Also to ensure that all cut pieces are
complete.
• Table Marks: To check the table for all table marks. Allow no minus tolerance for
splicing [a minimum of one inch of overlap].
• Markers: To ensure that the marker is not creased, damaged, or has overlapped
parts.
• Marker Blueprint: To make a random check of some measurements in the marker.
Some times while making a blueprint of the marker, unknowingly the marker gets pulled
and the sizes get distorted.
• Spread Height: To ensure that the height of the spread is at least two inches less
than the cutting blade knife. In case of knits, to ensure that the ply height is stable.
• Narrow Goods: After completion of the spread, check the far edges of the spread to
see that all piles extend beyond the marker line.
• Tension and Creasing: To ensure that there is no artificial/excessive tension due to a

very tight’ spread. Also to check randomly for any creasing of the fabric.
• Leaning: To check that one edge of the fabric is square to the tabletop. Visually
inspect to ensure the alignment of the edge with the tabletop.
• Count: To check the count after completion of spreading, and before cutting. Count
all plies at both ends. There is no tolerance for this.
Often changes are made to markers to adjust certain production problems. Under no
circumstance needs to this happen. In case such a situation arises, all changes needs to
be made in consultation with merchandisers/ quality inspectors. Needs to there be any
changes required in the pattern/marker, a new pattern and marker needs to be
developed. Under no circumstance needs to changes be made to the same marker.
Under no circumstance needs to any tolerance be allowed in spreading or cutting as a

defect in spreading/cutting would lead to accelerated defects in the sewing process.
The Spreading Inspector has to inform the spreading master/cutting masters of the
irregularities in the spreading and ensure that corrective steps are taken. In case of re-
spreading or redevelopment of marker, the Inspector needs to decide on the date along
with the spreader and inform Quality Inspector.
• Always try and inspect without disturbing the cut block. This is essential in case the
particular piece has to be re-cut.
• Do not disturb the order of the cut pieces as they have yet not been numbered.
• Sometimes manufacturers in order to save time, pass on a decision of re-cutting in
the cutting room to “trimming” or “snipping” in the sewing room. Such a practice, leads to
added cost in the sewing room for trimming of each and every piece instead of it being
cut in bulk in the cutting room.
• The cutting department needs to give “ready cut” pieces to the sewing room at all
times. This refers to all parts being cut exact as per the marker.
• Fabric faults must be marked and defective parts replaced.
• Pattern pcs. must be correctly placed on the fabric.
• Provision must be made for matching stripes.

• All pcs. must be correctly identified by style and size.
• Parts must be fully marked within the defined lay width.
• Line definition must be satisfactory (neither too thin nor too thick).
• Defective parts must be replaced.
• In case of fusing, check for bubbles, incorrect fusing etc.
• Bundling needs to be checked (sampled) for bundle nos., style nos., etc.
Number of parts to inspect

It is recommended that at least 50% of the garment parts in the marker be inspected.
Parts cut on different types of cutting machines needs to be taken in the ratio of 1:1. This
is recommended to take care of both small and big parts of the garment. For example
the big parts of a polo shirt are cut on straight knife and the small parts are cut on band
knife. For the purpose of inspection, the parts chosen for size ‘M’ would be front, back
and sleeves (straight knife); placket, yoke half-moon and cuffs (band knife). In case all
garment parts are cut on one type of cutting machine, the parts selected needs to be a
combination of both the big and the small parts. In case there are a lot of measurement
problems observed in the sewing room, it is advisable that all garment parts be checked
in the cutting room.
In case of particular problems in measurements (under/exceeding tolerances) the quality

team
needs to check all the garment parts in cutting room as per recommended system.
Selection of garment cut parts

A combination of both big and small garment parts needs to be inspected.
The garment parts lying near the selvedge and the ends needs to always be inspected.
While inspecting a garment part three pieces needs to be taken from the stack in order to
compare- top, middle and bottom pieces.

Defect Classification
• Miscuts: Check for miscuts or for failure of the cutter to “split the line”.
• Matching plies: Check the top ply with the bottom ply.
• Ragged cutting: This is a judgment defect; for certain parts such as pockets and
collars ragged cutting can be a critical problem whereas for some parts like front the
defect would be less severe in case the ragged edges are not too severe.
• Notches: The notch location needs to be checked by placing the pattern over the top
ply.
• Check pattern: Compare the pattern with the marker to ensure that the marker is
correct.
• Slant knife: Check the top and the bottom ply for slant knife. This occurs while cutting
when the knife blade tilts. This results in a difference in sizes throughout the ply height.
• Measurement Checks: Tolerance for straight knife 3mm, tolerance for band knife
2mm and tolerance for dye-cuts 1mm.
• Quality Inspector needs to try and assess the wastage of fabric in cutting. In a case
where excessive wastage is found for e.g. end wastage, the inspector needs to make a
note and discuss it with the senior management.

Cutting Room Inspection Report is used to identify and minimize defects during
layering and after the pieces have been cut.
Only after the lay and cut parts have been inspected needs to they be forwarded for
numbering.
Once the lay is ready for cutting the checker goes and inspects the lay and only if it is
approved, the lay is allowed to be cut.
• Date: Self explanatory.

• Style: Style number given by the buyer.
• Spreader: Name/Number of the team spreading.
• Inspected by: Name of the cutting checker conducting the audit.
• Cut No.: Refers to the number of the lay in the style.

• Cutter: Name of the cutter who has cut the lay
This format is further sub-divided into two parts
1. No. of Plies: This is to check the number of plies present in the lay as against the lay
order report. So it also acts as a guideline to check that excess plies are not spread. For
this the checker has to physically count the number of plies in the lay at both ends.
2. Marker way: This is to check that the marker is placed on the grain line, fabric
direction is right and number of pieces marked is according as per the marker. It needs
to be mention how many garments are placed on the marker e.g. 6way /8 ways marker.
3. Sizes Marked: Specify the sizes in the ratio to be marked.
4. Specified Length: Specified length of the lay (marker length + buffer).
5. Actual Length: Marker length is as per the specification and needs to be measured
from one end of the lay to the other. This is to ensure fabric is not wasted.
6. No of parts/garment: This is the total number of parts per garment for that style (for
example two front, one back, two sleeves, one front placket, one collar, one collar band,
two cuffs, two sleeve placket).
7. Total no. of parts: Number of garment parts that are to be present on the marker
(number of parts per garment x sizes marked).
8. All parts present: Comparison of parts that needs to be in marker (from total no. of
parts) and those present on the marker. This is to check that no parts are missing as per
requirements. Here it is also important to check that all parts have the right information
on the marker including the style number, part name, grain line etc.
9. Alignment defects: This is to check all parts are on grain line, no pieces are
overlapped and all plies in the lay are aligned properly from one side.
10. Check matching: Specifically for checks or stripes. To check the garment has all
parts matching and the completed garment would have no matching problems. E.g.
matching of stripes/checks.

After the lay has been cut, the cutting checker checks each part cut in the lay for all sizes
(3 plies of each part- top, middle and bottom for some defects and entire lay for others).
The checker marks a “1” for every defect found and “0” for the every defect free piece. It
is important to note that all parts being cut needs to be inspected before the cut is
passed by the checker.
1. Parts: List of all parts present in the marker. The above listing is for all parts in a full
sleeve shirt.
2. Defects:
a. Size: The first and most important parameter which is checked after the lay has
been cut is the measurement or the size matching in top, middle and bottom ply for
each part. For this, the top, middle and bottom ply of each part and each size in the
lay is measured against the hard pattern and for each defect a “1” is put against the
part name and ply position. This helps us to take a corrective action before the cake
is disturbed.
b. Notches: Here we check each part cut in the lay for the presence of notches/burnt
marks in the right location and right depth as in the pattern. For this, the whole part is
considered as one and for each notch in that part a point is allocated. It is very important
to check that all notches are present in the right place and right depth so that they are
easily visible while sewing.
c. Others: These include other cutting defects like frayed edges, fused edges etc.
d. Alignment: This is checked in case of stripes/checks where in we check that the

stripes on the cut part are in tune with that on the pattern.
e. Remark: Any Specific remarks for the cut parts checked
f. Total defects: As per the calculations shown in the format.
g. DHU: Defects/ hundred units used to keep follow on the quality standards and

maintain minimum DHU and minimize it further.
Before the cut parts are issued to the sewing room, they are audited by the quality
checker
once all the processes in the cutting are over. The cutting room checker prepares Cut
Audit
Report based on the AQL chart, as this is an audit and not hundred percent inspection. It
is
important to note here that each size cut in the lay is separately audited. For example if
the cut has the ratio S/1, M/2, L/3, then there will be 6 different audits for each size.

DHU = [(a + b + c + d)/(no. of pieces checked x parts/piece)] X 100
• Date: Self Explanatory.

• Style Number: Style Number given by the buyer and being used for identification in
the factory.
• Inspected by: Name of checker inspecting the cut.
• Cut Number: Identification number for the cut being inspected. It is the same as that
recorded in the all the process in the cutting room.
• Size: To check that size marked on the cut detail is same as the piece present.
• DHU: Defects per hundred Units as calculated at the after filling the format.
• Accept/Reject: Final decision on whether the size in the cut is accepted or rejected

based on the DHU calculated.
• Bundle/Parts/No of pieces selection: This is done as per AQL chart where in we
select the number of bundles to inspect, number of parts to select per bundle and
number of pieces per bundle to inspect.
• Bundle number: Number of the bundle being checked.
• Bundle ticket: Check if the bundle ticket contains all desired information regarding
number, size and number of pcs in the bundle.
• Sequence of plies: Sequence of plies has to be maintained as mismatch in
sequence might result in shade variation during sewing.
• No. of pieces: Check that the numbers of pieces present in the bundle is same as
mentioned on the bundle ticket.
• Piece inspection: In this section, the checker performs a quality check on the
selected parts and number of pieces as per AQL. The various parameters checked on all
selected pieces are detailed below.
• Shade Variation: The checker takes out all parts for the ply number being checked
and ascertains if there is any shade variation in different parts of the same garment. The
checker assigns “1” point if there is shade variation in the ply number being checked and
“0” if no shade variation. Points are assigned for the garment as a whole and not for
individual parts. Also for shade variation, checker will check all parts for the garment and
not only the ones selected as per AQL.
• Notch Position: For notch position, the checker places the selected parts of the
garment on the hard patterns and checks if the notches marked on the patterns are
present in the part or not. The checker assigns “1” point for each part if the notch is
missing or not right depth.
• Fusing: In case if a part with fusing is selected by the checker for audit, then he will
assign “1” point for fusing to be incorrect and “0” if it is right for each part checked.
• Matching: This is checked in case of stripe or check garments. If the parts being
checked have a requirement for matching, then the checker will assign “1” point for the
whole garment if the matching is inappropriate and “0” if it is OK.
• Remark: Any Specific remarks for the pieces checked.
• Total defects: As per the calculations shown in the format.

• DHU: Defects/ hundred units used to keep follow on the quality standards and
maintain minimum DHU and minimize it further.
• In case of the cut/size being rejected in the audit and a second audit is conducted, it
is mentioned one the report at the bottom and the re-audit report made on a new format
and attached with the previous one.
Quality Control - Sewing
This system describes how monitoring of quality is an on going process and not merely a
control mechanism. The approach of this method is to be pro-active rather than
corrective. The entire system revolves around “building” quality into the garment and not
“inspecting” quality into the garment.
The sewing defects begin and end with the operator. It has been noticed that in most
cases the operator is not aware of what is required from him/her in terms of stitching
quality. It is thus imperative that:
• One sealed sample (Sample as per order; correct fabric, trims etc.) be available and
easily accessible to all operators at the shop floor.
• In case of certain garment parts that require a skillful operation or for a critical
operation, the operator needs to be given a sample of the same for their ready
reference.
• The broad objective of this is that there needs to never be any legitimate reason for
some one not knowing what is happening.

The 3-part system is suggested to be used in the sewing room. The components of the
3-part system are:
1. In-process sampling
2. 100% Inspection
3. Quality Audit
1. In-Process Sampling
Sampling is more economical and feasible than checking everything. A proper sampling
system can give results that are closely representative of the actual situation. Attention
can also be focused on areas where defects are being produced.
The objectives of in-process sampling are:

Maintaining a steady and tight control over all operators.
Concentrating attention where poor quality is being produced.
The “Inspector” needs to be a person who is not directly responsible for production.
The Inspector needs to have adequate knowledge of the garment being produced in
terms of tolerances, stitching details, workmanship quality required and manufacturing
standards for the garments.
All operators (if possible) needs to have a quality specification sheet at their
workstation which describes:
1. The part/ parts they are to stitch together
2. The workmanship quality pertaining to that particular part for e.g. a straight seam or a
curved one.
3. Any quality problems likely to occur at their particular operation.
4. The tolerance pertaining to their respective sewing operation.
5. This information needs to be available to all the operators at their workstations where
it is easy to read and needs to be legible (neat and if required in the local language)
6. It is the responsibility of the supervisor that each operator understands his/ her
specification clearly before production starts.

The main features of the system are:
The Inspector moves round the sewing room, visiting operators or operations at random.
He/she then takes a quantity of garments, usually a bundle. From the bundle he/she
selects a given number of garments or parts of a garment and checks them against the
specification of the operation concerned. The findings of the check are recorded on a
sampling record. Depending on the results of the check, the whole bundle is accepted as
being of satisfactory quality or rejected as being unsatisfactory. The rules, which decide
what constitutes a satisfactory or unsatisfactory bundle, are laid down as part of the
factory’s system. Accepted bundles needs to proceed to the next operation ad rejected
bundles are passed to the supervisor for action. When the supervisor gets a rejected
bundle he/she assesses the problem and instructs the operator to repair the defect and
check the rest of the bundle. The supervisor also seeks and rectifies, if possible, the
cause of the defect.
The operator who had sewn the rejected bundle now comes under a procedure called
“clearance”, which brings the operator under a closer scrutiny than the usual random
sampling. This continues until the operator is “cleared” by steady good production. Under
clearance the Inspector returns to the operator after a short interval and takes a recently
completed bundle or bundles. These bundles are checked and accepted or rejected
using the same rules as for the random sampling.
The operator is “cleared” when a given number of bundles are accepted. This number is
called the “clearance number”. During clearance, accepted bundles are passed on to the
next operation and any rejected bundles are given to the supervisor for action as with
any faulty bundle. When the operator has been cleared he/she is not checked again until
her name comes up in the normal random sampling procedure. In this way, the Inspector
keeps checking an operator whose quality is bad while still going around the factory
checking other operators. Of course, neither the Inspector nor the supervisor is expected
to calmly allow an operator to remain “uncleared for quality” for long. The supervisor will
speak to the operator on the first rejection and needs to take urgent action after a second
rejection to find out what is wrong, and cure it. An important point of this system is that at
no time does the Inspector return the work directly to the operator; only the supervisor
returns work for repair. He/she is responsible for his/her section and needs to see all
work that is being returned. He/she will then judge the reason for the defect and take the
appropriate action, dealing with operator, machine, cut work etc.
The ideal situation is where the supervisor feels that the Inspector is there to help by
finding quality problems for before they become serious, and when installing a sampling
system this attitude must be introduced from the start. The supervisor needs to be
educated to see the Inspector as a helper, an extra pair of eyes, not someone there to
create trouble. Unless the supervisors and Inspectors cooperate, the system will not
work.
There are 4 parameters that need to be defined before starting in-process sampling.
1. LOT - The collection of garments/parts from where the sample is to be taken e.g. 1
bundle.
2. SAMPLE SIZE - The no. of garments/parts to be taken for inspection from the lot e.g.
6 garments from one bundle of 25 pieces.
3. ACCEPTANCE NUMBER - The number of faulty garments/parts that a sample may
have without the entire lot being rejected e.g. 0 out of 6. If there is even 1 defective
in the sample the entire lot will be rejected.
4. CLEARANCE NUMBER - The number of lots that must be accepted in succession
to take the operator out of the clearance procedure e.g. 1 lot.
2. 100 % Examination
100 % examination is the process to check all stitched garments and some garment
parts in production. 100% examination needs to be done within the line and at the end of
the line.
Objective
1. Prevent defective garments from being passed.

2. Repair faulty garments, and remove the cause of the defects.
3. It is likely that even after in-process sampling some faulty garments will be produced.
The
objective of the 100% inspection is to prevent faulty garments from being passed on to
the
next operation.
Examination Points
For economic reasons, there needs to be as few examination points as possible. On the
other hand, for easy repairs, examination points needs to be placed before any operation
which over sews an earlier one. To reconcile these opposing objectives, it needs to be
considered how many defects are actually being produced by each operation, how many
are found at the examination point and whether or not these defects will show in the
finished garment. The usual position for in-line examination points is after a critical
component has been made, before attaching it to the main garment: for example, after
‘make shirt collar’.
Inspection Guideline (100% Inspection within the line and at the end of the line)
The Inspector needs to be trained to inspect. This implies that there needs to be a
pre-defined set of actions that he/she undertakes to examine each garment/ part for
visual, measure ment and workmanship.
Examination tends to be a boring job and any Inspector can become jaded after a
while and simply not see what he/she is looking at. To avoid this, an operation
description must be written for this job detailing how the Inspector checks the garment.
The Inspector needs to be positioned within the line similar to a sewing operation.
His/ her workstation needs to be adequately large to handle garment parts, reports
and other work aids he/she needs to carry out the inspection.
The Inspector needs to have adequate authority not to forward a bundle to the next
opera tion in case faults are found. He/she under no circumstance needs to be harassed
by the operator to pass on the bundle just because the production target for the day has

to be met.

3. Quality Audit

Quality audit is an examination of small number of garments from finished stock from
sewing.
These are taken as representative of the quality going to finishing room.
All end-line checkers are audited individually 4 times a day to ensure a control on
checking
Objective
To check the other parts of the system.

To obtain figures which can be compared with figures of in-process sampling and
final inspection giving comparisons of the effectiveness of the above two systems.
To look at the garment from the customer’s viewpoint and analyze results.
1. The Auditor for the Sewing floor needs to be a qualified and experienced quality
controller, and needs to be able to check a garment thoroughly as per buyer’s
specifications.
2. The Auditor needs to himself randomly pick up the garments from each checker’s
passed pieces. These pieces needs to not be given to him by the supervisor or
any other personnel.
3. He needs to audit each checker at least 4 times a day in order to get a
representative checking efficiency of the checker.
4. The Formula for checking efficiency of checker is:
Checking Efficiency = 100% Inspection DHU x 100
100% Inspection DHU + Quality Audit DHU
The various reports generated are explained now

Inline Sampling record helps to identify an operator’s performance over a period of one
week and the need of improving quality with individual operators. The sewing in line
checkers generate the report; each operator is checked as per the procedure explained
above.
This report gives feedback regarding the quality produced by the operator and also
analysis of the operation he is doing. The report is updated daily so that follow-up can be
done on daily basis and improvement in quality monitored. This report also helps in
identifying low quality
1. Week starting: Date as on Monday, as this is a weekly report.

2. Section: Line number or the section of line for which the report is being made.
3. Inspected by: Name of Inline checker doing the checking.
4. Style: Style number as per the specification.
5. Bundle size: Average number of pieces present in the bundle e.g. 30pcs.
6. Sample to inspect: The sample to be inspected from the bundle is mentioned here.
7. Acceptance number: The acceptance number for defects is zero for higher quality
standards.
8. Operation: List of operations being done in the section.
9. Operator: Name of operator in front of the operation mentioned earlier, as per the
operation he/she is doing.
10. Analysis by operator: This gives the overall weekly DHU for that operator i.e. defects
/sample inspected for that operator.

11. Analysis by operation : This gives the overall weekly DHU for that operation i.e.
defects /sample inspected for that operator
12. Total pieces checked: Gives daily total pieces checked for of all operation and
operators.
13. Total defects found: Total defects found out of the pieces checked in that day.
14. Inline DHU: Defects per hundred units using the formula defects/pieces checked.
Every time the checker checks an operation he fills in the number of defects found in the
pieces checked, if there are no defects he puts a tick in the corresponding block showing
that no defects were present.
In addition to the above report, a separate daily report is also maintained, which
details the type of defects found.
In line sampling defects record are generated along with inline sampling report by the in
line checkers, this is a daily report and carries the description of the defect so that proper
follow up can be done and maximum defect producing operators and operations be
identified. To identify the operator who is responsible for a particular defect, the serial
number in Inline Sampling Report and Inline Sampling Defects Records is kept same in
both the reports.

1. Date: self explanatory.
2. Inspected by: Name of the checker doing the inspection.
3. Style: Style number as per the specification.
4. Serial number: This number is the serial number taken from the Inline Sampling
Report and helps to identify the operator who has generated the defect. e.g. if the
operator number 2 produces a defect and it is marked in the Inline sampling report
then number 2 needs to appear in the Inline Sampling Defects Record front of the expla-
nation of the defect as this would help identify the operator responsible for the defect.
5. Operation: Name of the operation where the defect was identified.
6. Defects description: Self explanatory.
7. Pieces checked: Total number of pieces checked from the bundle.
8. Defects found: Total defects found in the bundle.
9. Bundle Number: Self explanatory.
10. 100% Check by the Supervisor: If the defects are consistent the supervisor checks
the entire bundle and signs after repair has been done.
11. Recheck by QC: QC rechecks the entire bundle and signs his approval
4. 100% Part Checking (In Line)

At any critical point in the line (for eg. at the end of collar attach or placket attach in case

of Full sleeve-shirts,), a 100% inspection facility is provided. The QAM needs to discuss
the location of the 100% checking with the Line In charge and the P.M. All the parts have
to pass through this checking point in order to be fed to the next stage. These 100%
checking locations needs to normally be kept at not more than two in the line. However,
this number may vary according to the style and critical points in the garment. The
inspections needs to be effective in identifying all defects in a garment based on
operations completed till then. To ensure all seams and quality characteristics are
inspected in a short period of time a defined inspection method needs to be followed.
It is very important to note that since here inspection will be done bundle-wise, any
pieces given back for alteration to the lines have to be replaced in the same bundle and
only after the bundle is completed will it be given to the next operation.
100% End Line Checking

After the garment and thread trimming is complete, it is put into end line checking in
bundle form. End line checking is a 100% inspection of the garment with regard to
workmanship (quality), material and measurements. Concept of end line inspection is
that if ever any defects are missed in inline checking then those can be rectified. It also
forms a feedback for the inline checkers to target the defects and avoid the same in the
production. Since checking is done bundle wise all alterations are sent to the operator
who had performed that particular operation (matching the bundle number with gum
sheet).
END LINE INSPECTION REPORT

Refer format in annexure
• Line No., Date, Style No.: Self explanatory.
• Checker: Name of the checker checking the garment.
• Defects description: Description of defect found in the garment e.g. skip stitch.
• Total Pieces Checked: Number of pieces checked by the checker in an hour.
• No. of passed qty: Number of garments passed by the checker in the hour.

• No. of defects: Total defects found in that particular hour (sum of all defects found).
• DHU: Defects per Hundred Units to be calculated as per the formula.
• In Line QC sign: Signature of roaming QA so that she can check those operations
where most defects are occurring on regular basis.
• Supervisor Sign: Line supervisor signs so that she also is aware of the exact defects
being produced in the line.
The production supervisor is responsible of the operator’s work so it is of utmost

importance that he or she has control over the quality level at which the operators
produce. To prevent repairs and to ensure good quality there is a useful tool called
“Quality Drill”. It is very effective in making operators quality conscious. During this
exercise you confirm to the operator the commitment to good quality that the company
has made and motivate him/her to produce with quality.
The procedure is the following:
1 Give the masking tape to operator and ask him to mark defects.
2 Ask the operator to inspect, based on the Quality Specification, the bundle in which he
is working on, the bundle he has already finished, and the bundle he is going to work on
next. This way the operator has the chance to see if the work he is doing is of good
quality and also make sure that the work he is receiving from the previous operation is
not defective.
3 Ask the operator to mark any part that is out of tolerance with the tape.
4 Ask the operator to do it while standing up and when he or she is finished he needs to
signal the supervisor that he is ready to have the results evaluated.
5 The supervisor makes sure that the instructions have been understood and then leaves
to continue with the regular activities.
6 When the operator has signaled that he is finished, the supervisor returns.
7 The supervisor then proceeds to inspect at random a number of parts of any bundle. If
he is to find a defective part he needs to separate it and ask the operator why the part
was not identified. If there are no defective parts found by the supervisor he turns to the
operator and asks the operator to show him the defective parts he found.
8 If the operator has found no defects then the supervisor needs to select a part and ask
the operator to explain why this part is of acceptable quality. The operator needs to be

able to explain why based on the points described in the quality specification.
9 If defective parts are identified then the operator needs to explain why they are defective
based on the points described in the quality specification.
10 If the supervisor notices that the operator is not very clear of what the requirements for
operation are or how to find out if these requirements have been met or not, then the
Quality specification sheet needs to be reviewed point by point.
11 If the supervisor notices that the operator “overlooks” the defects then the supervisor
needs to review with him the importance of doing a job properly every time.
The contact that a supervisor and the operator have during the Quality Drill is very
valuable. During this time the commitment of everyone to guarantee a job is done well is
strengthened. At this time the operator needs to be encouraged to learn the quality
requirements of his operation. He needs to be complimented if he knows the
requirements and works to achieve them every time.
This exercise needs to be performed on standard time and at least once a day. It is
necessary that the trainer and the supervisor explain the importance of the Quality Drill
to the operators stressing that its sole purpose is to help them improve their quality. The
initial resistance by the operators is normal, but as soon as positive results from the
exercise are seen, the operators will take the initiative to do the exercise themselves.

Quality Control - Washing
It is recommended that 100% inspection and an audit be carried out either after washing
or finishing. Incase the wash process is rigorous or a special wash is being done, it is
advisable to check all garment after washing. It is recommended that the garments be
slightly ironed and then inspection be carried out.
1. 100% Inspection
Objective
To identify defects that occurs after washing.
Inspection Guideline
• Emphasis needs to be on those areas that are affected by washing e.g. button
attachment, fraying of collar etc.
• Inspection could be combined with thread trimming in case of normal washes.
• It is recommended that the garments be ironed lightly (“a quick iron”) before
inspection. This eases out the creases from the garment and aids the inspectors in
identifying defects.

Daily Quality audits are recommended to ensure consistency in quality. It is acceptable
to inspect a small number of garments thoroughly. However, under no circumstance
needs to the audit be missed or its results overlooked. Finishing Quality audit is an
examination of small number of garments passed by the Checkers from finished stock.
These are taken as representative of the finished quality going to customers as “firsts”.
Objective
1. To check the other parts of the system.
2. To obtain figures that can be compared with figures of 100% final inspection giving
comparisons of the effectiveness of the above system.
3. To look at the garment from the customer’s viewpoint and analyze results.
1. The Auditor for the Checkers audit needs to be a qualified and experienced Quality
Controller, and needs to be able to check a garment thoroughly as per buyer’s
specifications.
2. The Auditor needs to himself randomly pick up the garments from each checker’s
passed pieces. These pieces need to not be given to him by the supervisor or any other
personnel.
3. He needs to do and audit of each checker at least 4 times a day in order to get a
representative checking efficiency of the checker.
4. For the washing/ finishing audit, emphasis needs to be given to areas affected by
washing/ finishing (e.g. trimming holes, fraying at the collar due to washing etc.)
5. Quality Audit is an every day process and needs to be undertaken without fail.
A quality audit is recommended to be followed after packing of the goods begins. The
audit needs to be conducted daily to ensure that the shipment is of consistent quality.
Quality audit is an examination of small number of garments from finished stock. These

are taken as representative of the finished quality going to customers as “firsts”.
1. The Auditor needs to ideally be from the senior management and needs to try and
scrutinize the product from the buyer’s point of view.
2. The Auditor needs to himself randomly pick up the garments to inspect from the day’s
production. These pieces needs to not be given to him by the supervisor or any other
personnel Specifically, the following points must be checked for conformity with
standard:
a. Carton size (oversized cartons not allowed)
b. Carton quality carton gross weight/net weight
c. Carton tape
d. Cartons do not have factory/vendor name, address etc. printed
e. Cartons marking needs to be clearly marked.
f. Un-assorted or broken pre-pack carton numbers packing list must show all the
details.
g. Packed quantity .
h. Packing size ratio in a carton.
i. All garments to be in individual poly bags.
j. No loose pcs. packed, unless specified on P.O.
k. Type of fold according to packing instructions.
l. Correct Bar coded ticket with correct placement- use scanners to read the bar
codes.
m. Size clips present (if required).
n. Hang tag positions.
o. Adhesive size strip placement.
p. Check garments for workmanship, fit and measurement quality as per the
washing audit
Non Conformance to quality standards

In case the audit fails, the auditor is required to discuss the matter with the concerned
Supervisor/ Production Head. The garments needs to then be rectified/ altered the first

thing the next day before production of new pieces begins.
100% Inspection
During the finishing process an inspection is required to be done on all garments. The
inspection needs to be effective in identifying all defects and size variations in garments.
To ensure that all seams and quality characteristics are inspected in a short period of
time a defined inspection method needs to be followed. If the checker finds any defect in
the garment he/she needs to make a note of the same in the report and put the indicative
clip on the garment before returning the garment to the hanger stand. This way the
helper can take the garment to the desired operator to get the defect amended. The
inspection operators need to have their forms filled out correctly. A good source of
information to determine the quality performance is the point of 100% inspection. From
the 100% inspection reports the supervisor needs to analyze the most frequently
occurring
defects and needs to take corrective action to prevent the occurrence of these defects in
future.
The inspection form is totaled 4 times a day so a supervisor can actually see the results
of what he or she has done to stop defects.
The report being used for 100% inspection in finishing is explained below.
100% Presentation Report

This report is generated at the presentation check stage to so see if any defective pieces
are getting passed from the prior check points and if any defective pieces are found
proper feedback be given and action taken. At this check point, the checker’s sole aim is
to ascertain if the packed/folded garment meets the buyers’ specifications and “A” zone
of the garment does not have any defects. This report is almost similar to the 100%
inspection report, the only variation being in the defects description as at this stage in
addition to the sewing defects, we will also check for any packing defects like wrong
hang tag etc.

1) The start of a new style in the production line entails a detailed look into the quality
requirements from the buyer and preparations for the same. Each buyer has a set of his
own requirements, which have to be carefully studied, and the production has to be
executed in accordance with it. The style start up procedures is provided exactly for that.
The style start up plan will have following parts:
• Style start up check list
• Key inspection points
• Quality specification sheet
The style start up check list is a sheet which details all points that need to be in proper
order on the sewing floor before the production begins. This sheet is generated by the
QAH/QA and requires the presence of the IE, line-In charge, QA/QAH, Mechanic (The
sheet is different than Style start up Plan prepared by the Planning Department).The
team moves to each station checking whether all the necessary requirements for starting
an operation are met or not. For example the industrial engineering department would
check whether:
a) The machine has proper settings, guards, thread tension, stitch formation etc. This
is done along with the mechanic.
b) The workplace has the guides, attachments, folders etc. and that care has been
taken for housekeeping.
c) The methods describing the positioning of the parts, pick up, sewing movements,
dispose etc are properly described to the Q.A. and the operator. Then a feedback
is sought from them to ensure understanding of the same. Also, a check is made
on whether the method documentation sheet for that particular operation, which is
prepared by the IED for each operation, has been installed at each workplace, and
that the description is lucid and unambiguous.

The sheet requires only a tick mark to be put to indicate “correct and as required” and a
cross if not. The format is otherwise self-explanatory.

The Key Inspection Points are prepared by the QAH / QA for the benefit of all. This is a
list of quality parameters as desired by the buyer, at most noticeable locations in the
garment. This also includes information derived from the comments of the buyer during
the sampling stages. These are also instructed to the operator trainers so that they can
ensure knowledge of these points down to the individual operator level.
The Quality Specification sheets are prepared by the QAE/ QAM, for each and every
operation in the operation bulletin. The Quality specification sheet for each operation is
discussed with the individual operator and the respective operator trainer at the style
start up. Then, the operator trainer permanently puts up these sheets at respective
workstations for future reference of the operator.
To ensure good quality goods at the end you have to ensure good quality inputs. If you
apply this to every process in the system you get the foundation of TQC: every process
is a system in itself where incoming quality will determine outgoing quality. Good quality
needs to come out of every process in order for every process to produce good quality.
Quality needs to be built into every process of the system to ensure results at the end.
We could waste our resources in trying to guarantee quality by inspecting finished goods
and eliminating those that seem to be defective. What we propose to do is to prevent the
defects and guarantee quality at every step of the process through effective planning and
controls.

Annexure 1

Annexure 2

Annexure 3

Annexure 4

Annexure 5

Annexure 6

Annexure 7

Annexure 8

Annexure 9

Annexure 10

Annexure 11

Annexure 12

Annexure 13

Annexure 14

Consulting Guideline - Quality Assurance

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Guidelines

Quality Assurance System

Content Page no.

1. Introduction to product integrity 3

3. Introduction to quality procedures 8

4. Quality control fabric 14

5. Quality control – spreading and cutting 24

6. Quality control – sewing 38

7. Quality control – washing and finishing 56

8. Style start up procedures 62

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It is important to understand that if something is not as specified, it is defective and if it

1. Handling the unit before repair.

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The measurement of current performance is essential for continuous quality

Companies measure sales, profits, growth, and other parameters to satisfy

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• Ensuring that even with turnover of personnel, quality is maintained.

• Using entire quality control staff most effectively.

• Evaluate production, identify bad shipments and take corrective action.

• Evaluate operators in all areas of production and take corrective action.

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Measurement: Measurement defects arise due to lack of information about the

Defects can be further classified as repairable or non-repairable. As the name suggests

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From the product perspective, the focus is clearly on 1) Productivity 2) Quality

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Quality Reports and

This guideline provides a department wise description of the quality systems to be

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• QAD: Quality Assurance Department

• QAM: Quality Assurance Manager

• F.M: Factory Manager

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No. Description Originator Distribution Freq.

1. Start-up Check Sheet PM Line-Incharge, QAD,Every Style

III. Cutting section

1. Daily Finishing Report QAEQAM, Finishing In-charge Daily

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The formats of these are included in the annexure.

Quality control Fabric

1. To identify and mark fabric faults on the fabric.

2. Decision to cut the fabric lot or not.

3. Increased productivity of the cutting department.

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Fabric meterage to inspect

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Length of Defect, either length or width Penalty Points

o A maximum of 4 points is charged to one linear meter.

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The points are calculated on a 100 square meter basis.

To calculate the average points/100 square meters for the shipment:

Total points counted for all rolls inspected X 39 X 100

Up to 40 points per 100 square meters is the acceptable defect rate.

Bowing and Skewing

Other considerations for rejection:

Any noticeable shading within the roll

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The format to be used for piece good inspection is explained below.

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