QUALITY PROCEDURES IN SAMPLING AND SAMPLE DEVELOPMENTPRESENTED TO:MS. PRIYADARSHINIPRESENTED BY:MD. SHAD ANWAR(09)SYMPHONY SATPATHY(24)

In any export house, the sampling department is one of the most important departments and it plays a vital in the uplifting of a unit. Sampling department directly co-ordinates with the merchandising and production department. Sampling is done to see how the product will look like when produced in bulk and to check whether there are any discrepancies in the pattern and are made according to the buyers specification.Merchandiser procures order from the buyer. The buyer sends spec sheet, sketches, fabric details, embellishment details, stitch type etc. to the merchandiser. Merchandiser files this information along with the details regarding costing, average, proto, fit, correction, size set and approval in to a style package and hands it over to the Sampling department head.

With increased competition and growing dynamism of the number of designs spilled over the fashion markets, it has become critical to understand the sample development process, firstly to get the attention of the buyer and then once an order is placed to control quality and costs in the initial stages itself.

To allow the buyer to judge the production capabilities of the manufacturer.To provide a means for making revisions in the bulk production process.To let the manufacturer estimate the thread and fabric consumption, and develop cost quotations.

Samples that is made in development stage are:Proto SampleFIT sampleSalesman Sample/Photo shot SampleSize set SamplePre-production Sample

In production stage factory need to submit few more samples:Top of Production SampleShipment Sample

PROTO SAMPLES:This samples are proto type of new design created by designers. This is the first sample in product development stage. Proto sample is made to communicate the design of a style or a line or to present garment structure. In proto samples fit and fabric detailing is not been considered.

FIT SAMPLE:Once proto sample is approved, FIT is being made with actual measurement. Modification on the pattern is done to get desired fit of the garment. FIT is one of the most important factor to be considered during sample development. FIT sample is being tested on live model or Dress form for to verify garment fit and fall.

SALESMAN SAMPLE:Salesman samples are made to put on display in the retail showroom. Salesman sample (SMS) are displayed for assessing customer's feedback and according to customers response buyers forecast demand of an particular style. Sales samples are made with actual fabric and trims and accessories. Buyer pays for salesman samples to the developer.

SIZE SET SAMPLE:The purpose of the size set is to check fit of the garment in different sizes. In this stage factory develops samples in multiple sizes. Generally, buyers ask size set sample in jump sizes, like S, L, XXL. Buyer check size set sample and give feedback to factory if anything need to be corrected.

PRE-PRODUCTION SAMPLE:All the above samples are made in sampling department. Buyer wants pre-production sample (PP sample) to be made in actual production line,so that operators know what are they going to make. This sample is made with actual fabric, trims and accessories and made by sewing line tailors. PP sample must be approved by buyer or buying house merchants (technical persons) prior to proceeding actual production.

TOP OF PRODUCTION SAMPLE (TOP SAMPLE):Once production is online, few pieces is taken out in the middle of the production. Production pieces are sent to buyer as TOP sample. All buyers does not asked for TOP sample. Purpose is to cross-check whether factory is following PP sample specification or not.

SHIPMENT SAMPLE:When style is being finished and packed for shipment, 2-3 finished and packed pieces with all packing details are kept for future reference. Shipment sample is kept by factory merchants and buyer's merchant. The approved shipment is sent directly to warehouse and merchants at the buyer do not get garment out of the shipment. That is why they keep shipment sample for future reference.

After the confirmation of order, each sample sent to the buyer has the following details attached to it, with the help of a tag. It contains the details pertaining to both, what the buyer has demanded and what supplement fabric/trim etc they have used.Ref no.ColorFabricCompositionDescriptionQuantityStyle no/ SizeStore

Development team Designers/Sample developers, Customers/Clients, Textile technologists Garment technologists Packing & Dispatch, Sourcing &Purchasing, Costing & Finance, Sales & Marketing, Production team, Planning Control &,Testing Quality control

There are different phases of sampling; The first phase covers the development of the initial concept or design idea and getting the approval by the customer.The second phase covers the process after getting acceptance of the first prototype sample and carry out the functions of sourcing and ordering component, testing the product and carry out trails once the finalized sample specifications has been drawn up.The third and final phase includes a range of activities that are carried out before large scale or bulk production capacity outside the producer/developers if this is needed.

Even though the sampling processvaries frombuyer to buyer and the type of style as well, but still a particular order of sampling is followed, terminology of which can differ depending upon the buyer. Starting from the very first stage ofdesign development (line development),followed is a chain of a proto sample, fit sample, ad or photo shoot sample, salesman sample, pre- production sample (red seal sample), GPT sample, size setsample, TOPsample (gold seal), wash sample, ending up at the final shipment sample. With most of the export and buying houses choosing their own steps of sampling, the product development department helps the merchandising department to calculate fabric consumption per unit garment and thereby also helps in the costing of garment. Itis important to understand the need of each of the samples mentioned, as each sample has a specific aim and the buyer expects the samples to aid those requirements.

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