Why Your Fashion Brand Needs a Quality Assurance Plan to Pass the Accepted Quality Level

Most fashion brands do not realize how important it is to have a quality assurance plan that establishes the blueprint of an accepted quality level in the very beginning. If growing brands do not incorporate this process into the production system from the start, they can face significant issues in the future. Therefore, you should not only create a quality control document and checklist but also outline your manufacturing and inspection processes. Once defective items are returned, it becomes very costly to fix them. Consequently, chalking out a quality assurance plan well in advance and incorporating it into the production process is important.

What Does Having an Accepted Quality Level Mean?

Having an accepted quality level means that one needs to outline what is acceptable and what is not for one’s fashion goods. It essentially means making a checklist of all the components that a particular kind of garment should have and anticipating faults in the process of production. This process refers to commercial thinking and decision-making. Most factories have an accepted quality level and assurance plans of their own as well as an in-line quality control system. For example, while cutting cloth or leather, a factory typically checks for any marks or deformities within the material. This becomes a part of the in-line quality control. Even when the product is finished, it goes on to a check for quality control through criteria provided by the brand owner. The product is packed and shipped only if it passes this final scrutiny for quality control.

While this does half the job, as a brand owner, it is one’s responsibility to provide the manufacturer with the correct details: a checklist and an adequate and lucid quality assurance plan that communicates their requirements clearly.

The second step is to routinely visit the factory in person to check the finished products and to avoid transportation costs later. This is especially important when working with a new factory because it takes time before camaraderie between manufacturers and designers sets in. However, if the factory is located far away, then a brand owner can ask the factory to send in ten percent of the goods initially for checking. It is the responsibility of the designer or the brand owner to then identify whether any changes are to be made during production. These corrections help speed up the rest of the production process and assert proper quality control. If the production is done without these initial quality checks, raising flags later costs both money and resources. 

What Is a Quality Management System? How Does it Help in Achieving the Accepted Quality Level?

A quality management system or QMS plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of production of fashion samples. A quality management system typically involves examining all the procedures that contribute to improving the overall quality of the products manufactured. The most crucial stage of quality control for brand owners and designers is the quality check that they carry out in person, either during or after production. A plan for the accepted quality level becomes an integral part of the Quality Management System that helps solve quality issues in the logistical stages of production. It is, therefore, very important to understand the elements of a quality assurance plan and apply them to one’s clothing brand.

The Elements of Having a Plan for the Accepted Quality Level that Designers Must Consider:

It is important to note that these elements are entirely subjective to one’s clothing brand and vary from designer to designer. However, these are some basic guidelines that could be followed to broadly sketch out a quality assurance plan:

• Quality policy and objectives: This includes guiding the manufacturer on the quality control checklist to understand what is considered good-quality clothing and what is unacceptable.
• Procedures and instructions: Chalking out a protocol for what to do and what not to do for the present as well as future employees helps in asserting quality control.
• Records: This step typically includes going through records such as quality assurance lists, quality control checklists, and consumer feedback. Looking through records helps in remodeling the manufacturing process to avoid past mistakes and assert quality control.
• Data management: A good data management system helps the production process become better and faster. Such a system must be organized cohesively and legibly.
• Customer satisfaction: It is absolutely important to get in touch with clients to receive feedback because they are likely to recommend the clothing brand to their peer groups. It is also important to reach out to clients to know what mistakes to avoid in the future. This becomes a very important step in managing quality control. 
• Inspection: This point involves checking products in person.
• Tech packs: A tech pack is the most effective tool to communicate one’s quality criteria to one’s respective production units. The tech pack should be organized, concise, and lucid.

Conclusion

Customers are drawn to well-managed fashion brands that have a reliable quality assurance plan. A designer or a clothing brand needs to have an accepted quality level because it helps in improving product quality, reduces costs and increases productivity, and simultaneously increases customer satisfaction. For any assistance with your quality assurance plan, be sure to reach out to Fashinza! We’re happy to help.