Apparel Industry Management

Apparel Industry Management 3(3+0)

Lesson 14 :Major Departments in an Apparel Industry

Quality Control Department

1. Quality Audit
2. Quality Monitor
3. Quality Circles

Quality control is the process of maintaining the given standards in the product, from the design phase to the consumer’s use of the product for the given life with the given conditions. Quality control by the name is basically a systematic regulatory process which:

• Establishes standards appropriate to the quality objectives of the company,
• Has techniques for measuring the degree of conformity to these standards,
• Uses statistical methods for analyzing the significance of deviations from these standards,
• Reports on the findings of the analyses and when necessary, recommends and follow-up on corrective procedures.

The word ‘Quality’ itself is a concept and implies a degree of excellence the nature of which is dependent on the reasons for the garment being purchased. A term very often used to describe the quality characteristics of a garment which together provide the reason for purchasing it is ‘fitness for purpose’ and A-J Chuter has defined this as being:

1. Quality of design,
2. Quality of conformance,
3. Quality of delivery and service.

This definition contains all that is to be followed in a clothing factory.

Most of the routine decisions will be made by the quality manager who will have an in – depth understanding of the company’s products and will be highly conversant with customer’s attitudes and requirements regarding garment quality.
The inspectors employed by the department work in various sections of the factory, each being responsible for a specific pre-production or production activity. They all report to the quality manager and not to the managers or supervisors of the various sections or departments, because inspectors do not have direct control over production workers but act in a strictly advisory capacity. Responsibility for the quality of operations coming off a section belongs to the production supervisor or departmental manager, but they work closely with the inspection team to maintain standards.

1. Quality Audit:
   The work passed by inspectors is also subject to audit by means of a random sample drawn at specified intervals from the work passed by each inspector. The objectives of the audit are two folds;
1. to ensure that a minimum of faulty work is being let through,
2. to verify whether the specified standards are being interpreted correctly by the inspector.
2. Quality Monitor:
   This can be considered as high-level audit performed at management level, and takes place at regular intervals of say once a week. A random sample of latest production is taken from the finished goods warehouse and collectively appraised, with discussion on overall quality. Alternatively, discussions made can lead to an agreement on the use of a new or different process technology, which could improve existing quality without an increase in cost. Quality monitors provide managers and technologists with regular and up-to-date feedback regarding the overall effectiveness of their own sphere of operations.
3. Quality Circles:
   These are similar to monitoring sessions but with the participation of the section or line supervisor, the operators and quality control personnel. They are responsible to meet the quality achievements of the unit over a particular period.
   Quality is everybody’s business in a clothing factory starting from design and follows the garment through, until it is hung finally or stored in the retailers shop. This is called “Quality Chain”.