Comments on: Batch product development 2

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 22:26:55 +0000

I am not sure if this is the correct place to post this question, but here I go anyways. (Is there a place to post new questions or topics?)

Comments are open for the purpose of continuing discussion on “old” topics. When you comment on a topic that has long scrolled off the page, in my way of thinking, you’re doing us all a favor in that it encourages people to read portions of the site that they haven’t seen. Otherwise, you (or anyone) can just email me. I don’t answer all questions (particularly if the search box provides a fast solution) but try to address the ones that could bear the airing.

My question is: are the sewing contractors typically the ones to figure out yardage needed for a certain style before ordering sample yardage.

You’re responsible for doing the best job you can. See the section on marker making in the book (particularly pgs 111-112, bottom of pg 115 through pg 118). Now, if you had your patterns digitized into a computer by a service, they could dummy a marker for you and give you allocation. That’s assuming of course that your marker maker wasn’t crazy.

I have done a calulation of yardage but I do not know how much clearance (or space) to allocate between pattern pieces

Julia, read your book!
See the illustration labeled 4.5 on pg 115. The answer is “none”. No clearance.

I am assuming that professional cutters will be much more efficient when they layout pattern pieces than I am as a home sewer.

The best way to know -definitively- is with a computer made marker (and knowing the number of units you want to cut). I understand if you can’t do that, no problem. Your other option is to assume the job yourself. Do it as professionally as you can using the guidelines starting at the bottom of pg 115. Take that to your contractor. Ask that person to critique it for what you should change. Then, re-make it. You have to read that whole marker making section in the book and buy the right kinds of supplies that I tell you about. That section is relatively detailed because so many DES need to cut their own stuff.

Your last option is to have the contractor make the marker but for that, your pattern needs to be production ready, all pieces cut out. They will need to know the number of units in order to plan the cut.

By: julia

julia — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:06:59 +0000

I am not sure if this is the correct place to post this question, but here I go anyways. (Is there a place to post new questions or topics?)
My question is: are the sewing contractors typically the ones to figure out yardage needed for a certain style before ordering sample yardage. I have done a calulation of yardage but I do not know how much clearance (or space) to allocate between pattern pieces, I am assuming that professional cutters will be much more efficient when they layout pattern pieces than I am as a home sewer. The reason why I ask this is because one sewing contractor that I was working with told me that I should figure out the yardage that I would need and like I said earlier, I assumed that the contractor would have a more efficient way of laying out the pieces. In the end I did not use her because she told me that the factories that she works with would not take my design because it was too labor intensive, I will be talking to a new contractor soon and I hope that I have better luck with them.

By: Mike C

Mike C — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 19:01:35 +0000

I am not putting his product down at all.. I am just saying that production methods on a line like this vary greatly from a “fashion line” . Production methods on his type of product (and also for companies that are denim product manufactueres etc) differ because they are more focused on one or two items. It is more like car production , than say a line like Anna Sui.

We’ve got 30+ styles and somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 SKUs. Construction of our pieces is simpler than some RTW, but the manufacturing issues overall are at least as complex (if not more so given our model).

By: christy fisher

christy fisher — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 16:58:14 +0000

I am not putting his product down at all.. I am just saying that production methods on a line like this vary greatly from a “fashion line” . Production methods on his type of product (and also for companies that are denim product manufactueres etc) differ because they are more focused on one or two items. It is more like car production , than say a line like Anna Sui.

Another thought on the “batch theory”.
When we were doing a rolling line (and working more similarly to Mike’s type of production)..
One of the most annoying things was when our Yarn mill would discontinue a color and come out with a new one in the middle of “season”..our buyers were expecting items to match up to existing items and we had to get into having specialty dye-runs made. etc just to keep our base items going. This added to most cost to product (and more stress).
The suppliers come out with “new” and discontinue often enough. Small producers have to work around that parameter until they can get to the point of guranteeing a large enough fabric run to assure dyebatch/print matching.

..and as a former retailer (yep, owned 3 stores back then too)..It drove me nuts when we would just get a roll going on a product and then it would be discontinued. When you bring in new, something has to be let go, or your line gets too large…but retailers are used to the seasonal ebb and flow of product, so marjket seasons are the best time to “bring in and let go” rather than continuously. An occasional “new is fine”. but I feel a constant woudl be too much.

One shift I am seeing..which the “big guys” will have a hard time competing with.. is the focus on “personalized”.. I am thinking that a new method of manufacturing is going to involve the buyer being able to “pick a sleeve, a body, a color, etc” and the have a 3-4 week turnaround on the production.
If patterns are done “kaizen style” and you limit your fabric sources, and keep production in-house..this is possible.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 15:42:58 +0000

Christy,
I have to set you and any others who read about the “sweatsuit company” that Mike owns. Actually, he and his wife run the company, and his product line is amongst the finest and best valued I have seen in a long time. He is using some very nice technical performance fabrics, and their workmanship is exemplary. However, he does sell a one “themed” product. That theme would be outstanding value for the buck. Thought you should know.

By: Jinjer Markley

Jinjer Markley — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 15:33:11 +0000

First compare the timeline above with the timeline shown in the first table; this is 10 days vs nearly 2 months.

I don’t understand how you can compare these when you gave 3 weeks for product development in the batch graph, and a total of 6 days in the rolling graphs. I’m not arguing with either assumption, just with the comparison. It’s apples and oranges.

By: christy fisher

christy fisher — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 15:09:40 +0000

I agree with Vesta. I tried rolling production with the majors (department stores) when I was doing a line of production knitwear in the 80s (similar to Units, but in sweater knits). The overwhelmed/anxiety level was awful for me and the continuous outflow of promotional material was ridiculous for us.
Rolling production could work for cars..or a specified product with minor adjustments,,but in the world of fashion (not jeans and shirts), the outlay is far too great for a smaller company.
The sweatsuit company (I think it is Mike who owns that)would have an easier time because they basically sell one PRODUCT.. I can see where Vesta’s babyslings could also fall into that category, but she is even seeing the overwhelming expense of continuous PR costs ..and she is right.. most of our buyers are still into the paper. Many go online, but many do not. I find cranking new stuff out every 2 weeks..or even every month..is just too much..plus I think the buyers would become numb and actually order less per order. Most of us make the REAL money off of REORDERS..a base line is so crucial to keep a company going..The “new items”, in my opinion, should be icing on the cake, not the cake itself.

By: Joe Ely

Joe Ely — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 13:45:23 +0000

Great example, Kathleen. I’m very interested to see who and how this can work in the gritty world of clothing sales.

I have to think that this rapid turnaround could be a big big competitive advantage to some enlightened value stream.

By: Vesta

Vesta — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 20:38:32 +0000

It’s funny to be reading about this sort of rolling development and production, as that’s how we’ve always functioned (granted, not efficient, just rolling). And we’re just now making moves to more of a batch schedule (quarterly, seasonal) for two reasons:
1) marketing to brick and mortar retailers – we’ve sold primarily to online retailers until now, so our rolling introduction of new offerings was fine. Our retailers would just log into the website and see what’s new/available before they order. But as we bring on more brick and mortar retailers, we’re finding that they’re not so fond of online transactions, and prefer to have things in print, like catalogs or line sheets. So by batching a little more, we’re able to send out, say, quarterly line sheets and still give the retailers access to the newest offerings.
2) our sanity – quarterly batching of new style launches helps us plan more easily. We can look forward at our year and see when the major cash outlays will be, when we’ll need to have postcards and line sheets printed, when we’ll need to have photo shoots and meetings set up.

Rolling production has, I think, contributed to our feeling stretched thin and a little out of control. Now, I’m speaking for a micro-company here. There are a total of about 5 people involved from within the company. Perhaps if there were more people working full time, it wouldn’t feel so out of control.