Finishing Quality Control SOP for the apparel industry

 The following Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are recommended for finishing quality control in the apparel industry:

®     Garment Reception:
All sewn garments should be sent to the finishing section after washing, if required by the buyer's specifications.

®     Acceptance of Shade: Washed garments must be checked for shade acceptance under a standard light box, according to the shade standards approved by the buyer. If a batch fails to meet the shade acceptance criteria based on AQL (Acceptable Quality Level), the garments will be sent back for re-washing.

®     Procedure for Quality Control: After passing the shade inspection and thread trimming, quality checks should proceed according to the style-wise process sequence, while maintaining the size-wise bundle.

®     Work-in-Process (WIP) Management:
It is not allowed to have too much WIP. Bundles should not be stacked more than one layer high during any finishing operation.

®     Wearable Defects: Any garment found to be defective cannot proceed through any operation without first being altered and passed by QC (Quality Control).

Finalizing Garment Quality Control Standards

 

1.       Pull Test: Perform pull tests as per customer requirements.
100% Inspection of the Garment: All garments should undergo a complete quality inspection and thread trimming.

2.       Key Point Measurements:
Every garment must be measured at key points to ensure it meets the specifications.

3.       Pressing Guidelines: Garments should be pressed according to the customer’s specific requirements.

4.       Pre-Packing Quality Audit:  A quality audit should be completed before garments are moved to the packing area.

5.       Written Instructions for Operations: Each operation must have specific written instructions, along with a garment mockup for visual guidance. This applies to ironing, attaching stickers, measurement, quality inspection, folding, and packing.

6.       Trim Card Approval: Ensure that trim cards for each style are approved, with all finishing trims and accessories listed.

7.       Metal Detection: 100% of garments should undergo metal detection to ensure they are free from needles, sharp tools, and any other metal objects.

8.       Packing Requirements: Garments should be packed according to the customer’s Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) and assortment requirements.

SOP in Garment Finishing: ironing (pressing)

 

1.       Garment Bundles: Garments should be brought to the ironing table in size-wise bundles. Only one size is allowed per bundle.

2.       Iron Table Marking: Mark the ironing table before starting each new style to ensure proper alignment and identification.

3.       Monitoring of Defects: At each ironing table, place a carton with arrow stickers to quickly and easily identify garments with defects.

4.       Measurement Tolerance: Garments that fall outside the accepted measurement tolerance should not pass through the measurement section. Every ironing station should be equipped with a measurement table to check garment dimensions.

5.       Quality Inspectors: Each gate-up quality inspector should have a measuring tape and a style-specific measurement sheet to ensure accuracy.

6.       Approved Samples and Instructions: Display the approved sample and written instructions in the ironing, quality inspection, and packing areas for reference.

7.       Garment Movement: Garments should move in bundles from the ironing station to the packing area, with each bundle containing garments of the same style and color.

Finishing Quality Audit

1.       Audit Process: Before moving the GMTS (Garments Made to Specification) to the packing area, finishing AQL auditors should inspect each bundle in accordance with AQL 2.5 standards.

2.       Errors in the Audit: If the audit fails, the garments must be returned to the quality checkpoint area for re-inspection. Once the recheck is completed, the auditor will conduct a second audit.

3.       Pre-Final Audit: For a PO (Purchase Order) that is 80% packed, the auditor will inspect the entire lot according to the buyer's final audit sampling policy. If the pre-final audit fails, the entire PO will undergo a recheck.

This SOP ensures consistent quality and compliance with customer requirements throughout the garment finishing process.