APPAREL QUALITY STANDARDS

AND IMPLEMENTATION

UNIT I
QUALITY STANDARDS
 Standards
• It is a document that has been prepared,
approved, and published by a recognized
standards organization, and contains rules,
requirements, or procedures for an orderly
approach to a specific activity.
• It may include product design requirements,
test methods, classifications, recommended
practices, and other considerations.
Precise Vs Accurate
 Importance of Quality
• Tough competition
• Educated customer
• Right specifications, Right Time, Right Price
• Every Time, First Time
Traditional Method
• Manufacturing Cost + Profit = Selling Price
• What customer expects is minimum Selling price
Desired Method
• Selling Price ↓ = Manufacturing cost ↓ + Profit ↑
Base for the system
• Quality
• Customer
• Price
 Inspection Vs Quality Control
Inspection Quality Control

Starts after production Starts before & along

with production
Segregates good and bad Ensures that bad things
will not happen

Responsibility of the Every bodies

Inspection department responsibility
Introduction to quality standards
• Quality standard is a documented process
intended to control work resulting in a certain
level of excellence (quality).
• The standard’s degree of control is a basis for
its selection for achieving that level of quality.
Two basic types of standards:
• voluntary consensus standards and
• regulatory standards.
 Types Quality standards
• Company Standard
• Industry Standard
• Government Standard
• Full consensus Standard
 Benefits of Quality standards
• It defines safety requirements intended to reduce
the risk of accident.
• It sets a level of performance for products.
• They are a framework for quality processes.
• It reduces cost and saves money.
• Encapsulation of best practice - avoids repetition
of past mistakes.
• It facilitates communication and prevents
misunderstanding.
• They provide continuity.
 Effective standardization
Standards allow a company to:
• Attract and assure customers
• Demonstrate market leadership
• Create competitive advantage
• Develop and maintain best practice.
 Standards are a respected badge of
quality
• Customers look for the independent
verification that technical standards provide.
• Certification marks earned by businesses
whose products and practices consistently
stand up to rigorous examination are instantly
recognizable and act as respected badges of
quality, safety and performance.
 Standards within business
• In modern business, effective communication along
the supply chain and with legislative bodies, clients
and customers is imperative.
• Standardization can deliver measurable benefits
when applied within the infrastructure of a
company itself.
• Business costs and risks can be minimised, internal
processes streamlined and communication
improved.
• Standardization promotes interoperability,
providing a competitive edge necessary for the
effective worldwide trading of products and
services.
 Levels of Quality Standards
• Fitness for standard -inspection oriented -no
consciousness to customer/mkt
• Fitness for use -Must satisfy customer need
for use -Hotel shampoo & body oil
• Fitness for market -Must achieve low cost as
well as 1 & 2
• Fitness for latent requests -Listening to the
voice of the customer
 Sources of Quality Standards
• AATCC
• ASTM
• ANSI
• BSI
• ISO
• BIS
• JIN
• CSA
• DIN
• Others
 American Association for textile
Chemists and Colorists
• It began developing and establishing testing
procedures in 1921.
• It represent a broad spectrum of expertise in
textile research, manufacturing, design and
marketing.
• The Association is internationally recognized for
its standard methods of testing dyed and
chemically treated fibers and fabrics. Each ASTM
test methods has a numerical designations
 AATCC
For e.g.
• D5034-9 refers to standard test method for
Breaking strength and elongation of Textile
fabrics (Grab test)
• These methods are contained in volumes of
(ASTM book of Stds). Vol.7.01,7.02 Contains
textile testing standards
American National Standard Institute
• It adopted its present name in 1969.
• It steadily increasing its efforts to coordinate
and approve voluntary national standards
• Domestic programs were expanding and being
modified to meet the changing needs of
industry, government and other sectors.
 British Standard Institute
• The world's first management systems quality
standard, BS 5750, was published by BSI in
1979.
• It produces standards and information
products that promote and share best
practice.
• Over 30,000 BSI standards and publications
are created.
 Numbering British Standards

The British Standards are titled as,

BS XYZ:Year Title
Where,
XYZ is the number of the standard
For Example:
• BS EN ISO 9001:2000 Quality management
systems Requirements
• BS EN ISO 9004:2000 Quality management
systems. Guidelines for performance
improvements
 International Organisation for
Standardisation
• It is the world's largest developer of standards,
their principal activity is to develop technical and
economical standards.
• The work is normally carried out through IS0
technical committees.
• In addition may European and Domestic versions
be publishes as:
• EN ISO xyz:year = European version of the
International Standard
• BS EN ISO xyz:year = British version of the
International Standard
Structure of ISO
 Bureau of Indian Standards
• It is a statutory body set up, established in
1986.
• The Bureau is a body corporate and
responsible for formulating National
Standards.
• It interests the field of standardization, quality
control, quality management system,
environmental management system,
laboratory management, etc
 BIS
It has formulated a plan which emphasizes on :
• Development of complementary level of
standardization, namely, company standardization
and association level standardization - Effective
implementation of standards through sectoral
committees, such as, textiles, power, etc.
• State Level Committees on Standardization and
Quality Systems to ensure better
implementation of Indian Standards.
JIN (Japanese Industrial Standard )
• It specifies the standards used for industrial
activities in Japan.
• The standardization process is coordinated by
Japanese Industrial Standards Committee
(JISC)
• It mainly focuses on Textile Engineering.
 JIN - Focus
It Focuses on,
• General
• Test and Inspection
• Thread
• Woven Fabric, Braided Goods Braided Goods
• Textile Product
• Yarn Reeling Machine
• Textile Machine, Braiding Machine
• Dyeing Finishing Machine
 Canada Standard Association
These standards fall into the following
classifications:
• Dimensional: to secure uniformity,
interchangeability and simplification of the types
and sizes of one product.
• Qualitative: to assess fitness for purpose.
• Methods of test: to provide a uniform, efficient
and economic basis of comparison between
products.
• Methods of use (Codes of Practice): to define the
correct application of methods, materials and
appliances.
 DIN (German Standards Institute -
Deutsches Institute fuer Normung )
• It has been based in Berlin since 1917.
• Its primary task is to work closely with its
stakeholders to develop consensus-based
standards that meet market requirements.
 Some Other Standards
• EN ( European Standards )
• AS ( Australian Standards )
 Quality Control
• A set of activities or techniques whose
purpose is to ensure that all quality
requirements are being met by monitoring of
processes and solving performance problems
through Inspecting and Testing.
 ISO 9000 - series of standards
• International Organization for standardization
• This std was first released in March, 1987
• ISO 9000 gives guidelines for selection of
standards
Contractual standards are :
• ISO 9001-1994: This is applicable to the
organizations who design, develop, manufacture
and supply and service product.
• ISO 9002-1994: This is applicable to the
organizations who manufacture, supply and
service product or services as per specifications
given by the customer.
 Features of ISO standards
• These are standards of system of production
• These are generic standards
• These are practical standards
• These are not product standards
• These ensure consistency of product quality
• In this, mistakes are corrected in a systematic
way so chances of repetition reduced.
 Losses due to bad quality
Tangible
• Increased rejection/rework
• Less production/productivity
• Higher customer complaints.
Intangible
• Loss of goodwill
• Conflicts between different depts.
• Loss of morale
Quality and Productivity
• Go hand in hand
• Quality is key to higher productivity
 Types of Quality
• Quality of Design
• Quality of Product
• Quality of Process
• Quality of Systems
• Quality of Service
 Effects of Bad Quality
Tangible
• Higher Rejection
• Higher Rework
• Higher no. of customer complaints
• Less production/productivity
Intangible
• Credit down in the market
• Dept. to Dept. quarrels
• Less interest in work
Quality & Productivity
• Supplementary to each other
• Productivity increases with good Quality
Numerous benefits that will be derived
from working to ISO 9001 2000 & TS
16949
• Improved communication at all levels
• Decreasing trend in rejections, reworks, customer complaints
• Decreasing trend in inventories
– Raw materials
– W.I.P.
– Finished Goods
• Lead time reduction
• Customer relation improvement.
• Trust/confidence enhancement.
• Sub-contractor relation improvement.
• Long term association.
• Improved housekeeping
• Improved contacts with overseas buyers.
• People development
• Improved health of people.
 Some More Benefits of ISO
• It reduces rejection/rework
• It improves housekeeping
• It increases morale of the company
• It ensures Quality and after sales service to
customers
• It improves team work
ISO saves cost by :
• avoiding repetition of work
• avoiding unnecessary records
• monitoring processes and many other ways
– Opportunities for export market
– Due to increased confidence of customers in you,
you get more & more orders
– It improves discipline in the organization
– It increases credit in the market
 Steps to be followed for ISO
• Study the standard and select the right standard
• Define Quality policy & Quality objectives. Display at various
locations, explain meaning/intent to all
• Give training to each & every employee
• Write Work Procedures giving details of all activities
• Make changes in Work “practices”, wherever necessary
• Conduct “Internal Audit” to find out whether work is carried
out as per written procedures
• Implement suggestions/observations of Internal Audit
• Conduct an Audit by External (Friends) Auditors
• Implement suggestions received from them
• For certification audit call world famous, well known auditors
for audit
• Implement their suggestions
• Achieve certification
 What we can do for effective
implementation of ISO
• We must know the complete details of the work
we are doing
• We must know our Work Procedures in detail
• Our work place must be neat and clean
• Everything must be attached with a
label/tag/colour along with its status i.e. For
Inspection/Accepted/ Rejected /For rework etc.
• All the inspection, measuring & test equipment
must be calibrated
• We must maintain records, wherever written in
the work procedures
• We must be ready for change
 Importance of ISO 9000
• Many companies offer products and services,
but it is those companies who put out the best
products and services efficiently that succeed.
• With ISO 9000, an organization can identify
the root of the problem, and therefore find a
solution.
• By improving efficiency, profit can be
maximized.
• As a broad range of companies implement the
ISO 9000 standards, a supply chain with
integrity is created.
• Each company that participates in the process
of developing, manufacturing, and marketing a
product knows that it is part of internationally
known, reliable system.
• Not only do businesses recognize the
importance of the ISO 9000, but also the
customer realizes the importance of quality.
• And because the consumer is most important to
a company, ISO 9000 makes the customer its
focus.
 ISO 9000 Principles
1. A Customer Focus
• As stated before, the customer is the primary focus
of a business.
• By understanding and responding to the needs of
customers, an organization can correctly targeting
key demographics and therefore increase revenue
by delivering the products and services that the
customer is looking for.
• With knowledge of customer needs, resources can
be allocated appropriately and efficiently.
• Most importantly, a business’s dedication will be
recognized by the customer, creating customer
loyalty. And customer loyalty is return business.
 2. Good Leadership
• A team of good leaders will establish unity and
direction quickly in a business environment.
• Their goal is to motivate everyone working on
the project, and successful leaders will
minimize miscommunication within and
between departments.
• Their role is intimately intertwined with the
next ISO 9000 principle.
 3. Involvement of people
• The inclusion of everyone on a business team is
critical to its success.
• Involvement of substance will lead to a personal
investment in a project and in turn create
motivated, committed workers.
• These people will tend towards innovation and
creativity, and utilize their full abilities to complete
a project.
• If people have a vested interest in performance,
they will be eager to participate in the continual
improvement that ISO 900 facilitates.
 4. Process approach to quality
management
• The best results are achieved when activities
and resources are managed together.
• This process approach to quality management
can lower costs through the effective use of
resources, personnel, and time.
• If a process is controlled as a whole,
management can focus on goals that are
important to the big picture, and prioritize
objectives to maximize effectiveness.
 5. Management system approach
• Combining management groups may seem like a
dangerous clash of titans, but if done correctly can result
in an efficient and effective management system.
• If leaders are dedicated to the goals of an organization,
they will aid each other to achieve improved productivity.
• Some results include integration and alignment of key
processes.
• Additionally, interested parties will recognize the
consistency, effectiveness, and efficiency that come with a
management system.
• Both suppliers and customers will gain confidence in a
business’s abilities.
 6. Continual Improvement
• The importance of this principle is paramount, and
should a permanent objective of every
organization.
• Through increased performance, a company can
increase profits and gain an advantage over
competitors.
• If a whole business is dedicated to continual
improvement, improvement activities will be
aligned, leading to faster and more efficient
development.
• Ready for improvement and change, businesses
will have the flexibility to react quickly to new
opportunities.
7. Factual approach to decision making
• Effective decisions are based on the analysis
and interpretation of information and data.
• By making informed decisions, an organization
will be more likely to make the right decision.
• As companies make this a habit, they will be
able to demonstrate the effectiveness of past
decisions.
• This will put confidence in current and future
decisions.
 8. Supplier relationships
• It is important to establish a mutually beneficial
supplier relationship; such a relationship
creates value for both parties.
• A supplier that recognizes a mutually beneficial
relationship will be quick to react when a
business needs to respond to customer needs
or market changes.
• Through close contact and interaction with a
supplier, both organizations will be able to
optimize resources and costs.
 ISO 14000 - Environmental
management
• ISO 14000 is a series of international standards
on environmental management.
• It provides a framework for the development of
an environmental management system and the
supporting audit programme.
• The ISO 14000 family addresses various aspects
of environmental management.
• It provides practical tools for companies and
organizations looking to identify and control their
environmental impact and constantly improve
their environmental performance.
• ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14004:2004 focus on
environmental management systems.
• The other standards in the family focus on
specific environmental aspects such as life
cycle analysis, communication and auditing.
• The main thrust for its development came as a
result of the Rio Summit on the Environment
held in 1992.
 History of ISO 14000
• As a number of national standards emerged
(BS 7750 being the first), the International
Organization for Standardisation (ISO) created
a group to investigate how such standards
might benefit business and industry.
• As a result this group recommended that an
ISO committee be created to create an
international standard.
 ISO 14001
• ISO 14001 is the corner stone standard of the
ISO 14000 series.
• It specifies a framework of control for an
Environmental Management System against
which an organization can be certified by a
third party.
Other ISO14000 Series Standards
Other standards in the series are actually guidelines,
many to help to achieve registration to ISO 14001.
These include the following:
• ISO 14004 provides guidance on the development and
implementation of environmental management
systems
• ISO 14010 provides general principles of
environmental auditing (now superseded by ISO
19011)
• ISO 14011 provides specific guidance on audit an
environmental management system (now superseded
by ISO 19011)
• ISO 14012 provides guidance on qualification
criteria for environmental auditors and lead
auditors (now superseded by ISO 19011)
• ISO 14013/5 provides audit program review and
assessment material.
• ISO 14020+ labeling issues
• ISO 14030+ provides guidance on performance
targets and monitoring within an Environmental
Management System
• ISO 14040+ covers life cycle issues, of all these,
ISO14001 is not only the most well known, but is
the only ISO 14000 standard against which it is
currently possible to be certified by an external
certification authority.
 ISO and the environment (ISO
14001:2004)
• ISO 14001:2004 sets out the criteria for an
environmental management system and can be
certified to.
• It does not state requirements for environmental
performance, but maps out a framework that a
company or organization can follow to set up an
effective environmental management system.
• It can be used by any organization regardless of its
activity or sector.
• Using ISO 14001:2004 can provide assurance to
company management and employees as well as
external stakeholders that environmental impact is
being measured and improved.
 Benefits of using ISO 14001:2004
• Reduced cost of waste management
• Savings in consumption of energy and
materials
• Lower distribution costs
• Improved corporate image among customer
and the public
 BS EN ISO 14001
• ISO 14001 was first published in 1996 and specifies the
actual requirements for an environmental management
system.
• It applies to those environmental aspects which the
organization has control and over which it can be
expected to have an influence.
• ISO 14001 is often seen as the corner stone standard of
the ISO 14000 series. However, it is not only the most
well known, but is the only ISO 14000 standard against
which it is currently possible to be certified by an
external certification authority.
• Having stated this, it does not itself state specific
environmental performance criteria.
This BS EN ISO 14001 standard is applicable to any
organization that wishes to:
• implement, maintain and improve an
environmental management system
• assure itself of its conformance with its own stated
environmental policy (those policy commitments
of course must be made)
• demonstrate conformance
• ensure compliance with environmental laws and
regulations
• seek certification of its environmental
management system by an external third party
organization
• make a self-determination of conformance
 Total Quality Management systems
• Total quality management is a management
system for a customer focused organization
that involves all employee in continual
improvement of all aspects of the
organization.
• TQM uses strategy, data, and effective
communication to integrate the quality
principles into the culture and activities of the
organization.
Evolution of Quality Management
• Inspection: Selvage, sorting, grading, blending,
corrective actions, identify sources of non-conformance
• Quality Control: Develop quality manual, process
performance data, self-inspection, product testing, basic
quality planning, use of basic statistics, paperwork
control.
• Quality Assurance: Quality systems development,
advanced quality planning, comprehensive quality
manuals, use of quality costs, involvement of non-
production operations, failure mode and effects
analysis, SPC.
• TQM: Policy deployment, involve supplier & customers,
involve all operations, process management,
performance measurement, teamwork, employee
involvement.
Deming’s view of a production as a
system
 Principles of TQM
• Is Customer focused: Whatever you do for quality
improvement, remember that ONLY customers
determine the level of quality. Whatever you do to
foster quality improvement, training employees,
integrating quality into processes management, ONLY
customers determine whether your efforts were
worthwhile.
• Insure Total Employee Involvement: You must
remove fear from work place, then empower
employee. you provide the
proper environment.
• Process Centered: Fundamental part of TQM is
to focus on process thinking.
• Integrated system: All employee must know
the business mission and vision.
• Strategic and systematic approach: Strategic
plan must integrate quality as core component.
• Continual Improvement: Using analytical,
quality tools, and creative thinking to become
more efficient and effective.
• Fact Based Decision Making: Decision making
must is ONLY on data, not personal or
situational thinking.
• Communication: Communication strategy,
method and timeliness must be well defined.
 Strategies to develop TQM
• TQM elements approach: Take key business process
and use TQM Tools to foster improvement. Use quality
circles, statistical process control, Taguchi method, and
quality function deployment.
• The guru approach: Use the guides of one of the leading
quality thinker.
• Organization model approach: The organization use
benchmarking or as model for excellence.
• Japanese total quality approach: Companies pursue
the Deming prize use Deming Principles
• In other words, TQM requires the involvement of
management, workforce, suppliers, and customers, in
order to meet or exceed customer expectations.
 TQM practices
• Considering the practices of TQM as discussed in six
empirical studies; Cua, McKone, and Schroeder (2001)
identified,
the nine common TQM practices as:
• cross-functional product design
• process management
• supplier quality management
• customer involvement
• information and feedback
• committed leadership
• strategic planning
• cross-functional training
• employee involvement
 Eco-labeling
• Ecolabels and Green Stickers are labelling systems for
food and consumer products.
• Ecolabels are often voluntary, but green stickers are
mandated by law in North America for major appliances
and automobiles.
• They are a form of sustainability measurement directed
at consumers, intended to make it easy to take
environmental concerns into account when shopping.
• Some labels quantify pollution or energy consumption
by way of index scores or units of measurement;
• others simply assert compliance with a set of practices
or minimum requirements for sustainability or reduction
of harm to the environment.
• Ecolabelling systems exist for both food and
consumer products.
• Both systems were started by NGOs but nowadays
the European Union have legislation for the rules
of ecolabelling and also have their own ecolabels,
one for food and one for consumer products.
• At least for food, the ecolabel is nearly identical
with the common NGO definition of the rules for
ecolabelling.
• Trust in the label is an issue for consumers, as
manufacturers or manufacturing associations
could set up "rubber stamp" labels to greenwash
their products.
 Information at green label
Green Labelling might include information on,
• Embodied carbon
• Sustainability of raw materials
• Embodied (virtual) water
• Ethical farming methods
• Ethical labour schemes
• Use of natural ingredients
 Oeko-Tex Standard 100
• Responsibility for the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is
shared between the 17 test institutes which
make up the International Oeko-Tex Association,
which has branch offices in more than 40
countries worldwide.
• The criteria catalogue which forms the basis for
the tests for harmful substances is based on the
latest scientific findings and is continually
updated; the human ecological safety of the
textiles tested are more far-reaching every year.
• The test criteria and the related test methods
are standardized on an international level and
are widely included as guidance in terms and
conditions of purchase and delivery right
through to the retail sector.
• With a total of over 51,000 certificates issued
for millions of different individual products,
and over 6,500 companies involved worldwide,
the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 has become the
best known and most successful label for
textiles tested for harmful substances.
• The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is an independent testing
and certification system for textile raw materials,
intermediate and end products at all stages of
production.
Examples for items eligible for certification:
• Raw and dyed/finished yarns,
• raw and dyed/finished fabrics and knits,
• ready-made articles (all types of clothing, domestic and
household textiles, bed linen, terry cloth items, textile
toys and more).
• OEKO-TEX® testing for harmful substances always focus
on the actual use of the textile.
• The more intensive the skin contact of a product, the
stricter the human ecological requirements to be met.
Testing for harmful substances includes:
• illegal substances
• legally regulated substances
• known harmful (but not legally regulated)
chemicals
• as well as parameters for health care
 International Association for Research
and Testing in the Field of Textile
Ecology
• The following institutes currently belong to the International
Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile
Ecology (Oeko-Tex®):
• AITEX, ASQUAL,
• CENTEXBEL
• CENTROCOT,
• CITEVE
• CLOTEFI S.A / ETAKEI
• CSIR
• INNOVATEXT
• NISSENKEN,
• Oko-Tex® Association,
• Oeko-tex®
 Product classes
The test costs depend on which of the four Oeko-Tex
product classes the product falls under
• I = baby products (up to age three - 36 months)
• II = products having skin contact (blouses, shirts,
underwear)
• III = products having no skin contact (coats, lined
cloths)
• IV = furnishings (table wear, funiture coverings,
curtains, textile flooring, mattresses)
The greater the contact with the skin, the more
stringent the requirements.
 Certification
• If all components of a textile comply with the
requirements of the Oeko-Tex criteria catalogue
without exception, the textile manufacturer
receives certification and is entitled to use the
Oeko-Tex label to mark the products in the shops.
• The Oeko-Tex certificate is issued for a period of
one year and can be extended subject to further
successful testing.
• In order to ensure ongoing compliance with the
test criteria, the authorised Oeko-Tex Institutes
carry out control tests every year on a minimum
of 15% of all certificates issued on Oeko-Tex
products available in the shops.
THE END