CHAPTER - 1

1
 1. COMPANY OVERVIEW

Figure 1: TCNS Ltd.

TCNS Limited is engaged in the manufacturing and export of readymade garments in the
international market. TCNS limited was established in the year 1998 along with an annual turnover
of 90 crore. TCNS limited also has bagged many distinctions like being one of the largest garment
exporters to NEXT from India.

TCNS limited, steered by the efforts of about 800 employees; has 4 production factories along with
the company owned dying units. They are formidable force to meet any goal and deadline.
Since its inception, the focus has always been on the production and export of high quality fashion
garments. The client list speaks volume for the commitment TCNS limited, has towards customer
satisfaction. The markets to which a chunk of exports go to are USA, UK. The clients have relied
on the company’s commitment and that is a testimonial to the always on the time delivery and
quality checks, finishing and shipment are all taken care by exceptionally motivated and
experienced staff.

2
 1.1 COMPANY PROFILE

Name: TCNS Limited

Year of Establishment: 1998

Annual Turnover: 90 Crore

Ownership: Arvinder Singh Prasad
Managing Director: Rakesh Singh
Address: TCNS Limited, Sector 59, C-28,
Noida.
No. of Employee 800

Table 1: Company Profile

1.2(a) COMPANY’S MISSION

 To meet and exceed their customer’s expectations through innovative products delivered to
agreed quality standards, on time every time.
 To achieve the above, they endeavor to meet the career aspirations of their employees and
make matrix a fun place to work in.

 And finally, they aim to fulfill the expectations of their shareholders, supply chain partners
and the communities they operate in.

1.2(b) COMPANY’S VISION

 To inspire and lead the Apparel Industry through Integrity, Innovation, Collaboration and
Operational Excellence

3
 1.2(c) COMPANY’S VALUES

 Ethical: They maintain integrity in their dealings with all their stakeholders.
 Employee Centric: They strive to be a Great Place to Work, where employees give their best
and have fun doing it.
 Innovative: They are never satisfied with the status quotient and always strive to find better
ways of doing things.
 Reliable: They don’t promise what they cannot deliver and will not compromise on quality.
 Environment Friendly: They are conscious of the environmental impact of their activities,
including doing their bit for the communities in which they operate.

1.2(d) PRODUCT PROFILE

TCNS has a wide range of products in garments for women and kids capable of manufacturing
quality garments over a wide range of styles.

For women: TCNS manufactures variety of casual wear garments for women like kurti, top, t-
shirts.

4
 Figure 2: Women’s Wear

Kids wear: Different varieties of garments are produced for girls and boys. Garments are produced
for different seasons with different colors and nice quality.

5
Figure 3: Kid’s Wear

6
1.2(e) MAJOR BUYERS

Figure 4: TCNS Brands

7
 HR
EXECUTIVE
IT ADMIN
1.3 COMPANY HIERARCHY

FRONT OFFICE
HR & IT
HEAD EXECUTIVE
SECURITY

HEALTH & SAFETY

OFFICER
PURCHASE
MANAGER

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE
O
P ACCOUNTS
E MANAGER ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT
R
D A LOGISTICS EXECUTIVE
I T
C R I
E E O MERCHAN
C N DISER OUTSOURCING
O
EXECUTIVE
T
O H SUPERVISOR
QA EXECUTIVE
R E EMBROIDER
A Y
QA CUTTING
D QA HEAD CAD
INSURANCE
QA SEWING
CUTTING
QA FINISHING ROOM
HEAD
LINE
SUPERVISO
PROD. TEAM
R
LINE
SUPERVISOR
PROD.
MANAGER
LINE
SUPERVISOR

STORE ASS.
STORE FABRIC
INCHARGE
STORE ASS. TRIMS

SENIOR
MECHANIC

ELECTRICIAN

MAINTENANCE
LINE
8
MECHANIC

HOUSEKEEPING
1.4 COMPANY WORK FLOW

The work flow of TCNS Ltd. is a Planned & Coordinated effort from all departments. Giving the
importance to quality & precisions, check are performed at every stage of manufacturer right
from pre-production to post- production. There are 10 different departments in TCNS. They are:

Sampling Department

Store

Cutting Department

Sewing Department

Finishing Department

Finishing Department

Industrial Engineering

Quality Department

TRPS

Chart 1: Company Work Flow

All these departments are related to the process of production. The working of departments and
involved process of production is explained further.

9
CHAPTER – 2

10
 2. MERCHANDISING
The term Merchandising is the process of dealing with any product from its sales confirmation
design analysis raw material sourcing, production and quality control and shipment arrangement
to the customer with in a specific time frame. This is the heart of the organization.

 Merchandising department is responsible for two stages of a product: development stage and
production stage.
 Development stage is the stage when the dimensions, costing, fabric, trims, looks and fittings
are decided.
 Production stage is the stage when final product is decided and it is then checked for bulk
production.
At all these stages samples are made for the particular style to be ordered.
In development stage, four types of samples are made. Each kind of sample is made for four
places, one they keep for themselves and last one for factory for bulk production.

Figure 5: Merchandising Department

Whenever any sample is dispatched it is dispatched with a dispatch challan. Three copies of it
are made; one kept by merchandising department, the other to buyer and third to factory. The
four samples in development stage being:

Proto Stage:
Proto sample is done to analyze the look of the garment. It is also called production development
pack pattern for dummy fit. In this the fabric used is of the similar quality
(count/construction/GSM) as the original. Color can be different from the original but for all
samples the color should be one. Trims can be supplementary. Measurements are not accurate.

11
Costing is done at this stage. NEXT sends all tech packs of its styles online and informs it through
an email. It is not confirmed at this stage that the buyer will order all the designs he sent with tech
packs. Then in buyer’s headquarters meeting is done and final color and trims are decided. They
give comments on the proto sample and see ways of cost saving.

LA Sample:
Line Adoption sample is made keeping all the changes done in proto sample. At this stage, if for
a particular style there are three colors then the samples will be made in all those three colors. The
costing will now be changed. Everything used in this sample is actual from fabric to trims.
Measurements may vary. For making of this sample fabric and trims are ordered to suppliers
with a deadline. For fabric it is 25-30 days and for trims it is 10-15 days. In case of late
deliveries reasons are to be mentioned and dates are rescheduled.

These were the sample approvals at development stage. Now samples at production stage:

Fit Sample:
After confirmation of the few styles out of all sent styles, fit sample is made. For each style one
sample is made. Different color and substitute trims can be used. Now samples are sent to the
buyer technicians with patterns of the garment. Buyer gives comments on the garment for further
improvement. Once it is approved; bulk is ordered.

Bulk Header Sample:

If any style requires embroidery then according to specification they send styles for confirmation.

TOP Sample:
TOP is pulled from the first 100 garments off the production line and must be made in
Manufacturers/Factory Production line (not sample room, pre- production samples, or trial runs).
Sample needs to be a representation of production fit, construction trims, labels, hangtags, price
tickets, packaging and any other embellishments. Sample must be in the correct sample size and
one of every bulk color unless otherwise specified. TOP samples to be sent as reference,
confirmation of receipt will equal acceptance for shipment.

12
 2.1 Role of the department

 To look for the appropriate market

 To get the samples made according to the buyer’s specification
 To estimate and quote the cost of the garment to the buyer and negotiate with them
 Getting orders
 Constant interaction with the buyer for the approval
 To get the fabric and trims in-house for bulk production
 Coordinating with the PPC and production.

2.2 Objectives of Merchandiser

 To create market
 Understanding buyers’ requirements
 Sourcing of materials, fabrics
 Select the range
 Creating the product
 Taking buyers approvals
 Negotiation with buyer
 Procuring the orders
 Materializing the order
 Execution of the order
 Coordination between production and production planning department
 Dispatching the shipment.

After shipment and dispatching merchandiser is also responsible for buyer claims, profit and
subsequent orders. If buyer has any problem in quality of the product, then it is the responsibility of
the merchandiser to resolve the problem with the buyer.

13
2.3 Activities of Merchandising Department

2.3(a) Order Confirmation and Follow Up:

 This department is the main link between the factory and the buyers. The buyers rely on the
merchandisers to provide them with the information regarding the capacity available, the style
feasibility and the setting up of delivery dates for the shipment.
 This process involves receiving the initial order details from the buyer’s representative and
communicating through E-mail and telephonic conversations.
 The merchandising team keeps the buyer updated about all the developments taking place
regarding the order.
 The order booking and the order confirmation details are received by the merchandising team
who further transfers this information to the other departments.

2.3(b) Preparation of Bill of Materials (BOM):

The merchandising team receives the details of all the style features in the particular order. This
also includes the following:
 Fabric quality details
 Thread Details
 Finish Details
 Accessories like beads, sequins, laces etc.
 Prints and Embroidery
 Trims like buttons, zippers
 Wash care labels
 Size labels
 Brand labels
 Packing Material details

Besides receiving this information from the buyer, the merchandisers also receive the fabric
consumption per garment for each size from the sampling section, thread consumption per
garment from the Planning Department and the accessories requirement per garment from the
sampling department.

14
 Based on this information received, the merchandiser prepares a Bill of Materials (BOM). This
has the complete details of the requirement of all the parts going into the making of the garment.

2.3(c) Coordinating the Sample Development Process:

 The merchandising department plans and coordinates the activities of the sampling
department.
 The sampling section is given the Tech Pack which contains all the relevant details.
 The samples to be made are planned in the merchandising department and the plan is given
to the sampling section.
 The samples are sent to the merchandising department for initial approvals according to the
spec sheet provided by the buyer. The samples are sent to the buyer for approvals only when they
are approved by the merchandising department.
 The sampling department is also informed by the merchandising about the types of samples
required by the buyer.
 The merchandiser receives the buyer comments for all the samples and makes it sure it is
informed to the sampling and the necessary changes made in all the required areas.

2.3(d) Interpreting the Tech Pack provided by the Buyer:

The Technical Folder/ Tech pack is the reference for each department whenever it comes to any
information about the buyer requirements. The buyer states all his requirements in a very precise
manner which is contained in the document. The following are the common details which are
found in the Technical Folders all the buyers:

 Size and Color wise quantity

 Dispatch dates for all the lots and the quantity for the lots
 Total Order quantity
 Cutting Details
 Construction Sheet
 Finishing and Packing Details
 Specification Sheet
 Measurement Chart

15
2.3(e) Fabric, Trims and Accessories Details

 GSM of all the types of fabrics used in the garment

 Fabric construction
 Fiber types
 Fabric/garment finish type and hand feel description
 Buyer nominated supplier (in certain cases)
 Fabric Swatch

2.4 Documents used by Merchandising Department

Tech-Pack:
It contains all the technical details about the garment to be manufactured. It contains the
construction details, the type of fabric to be used, the trims and accessories that are required.

Time and Action Plan:

It contains the time period to be allotted for a particular action. By action it means the time the
samples need to be made, sent and approved, the time it takes to get the purchase order, the time
taken for getting the bulk fabric, accessories and trims, the total time required in the production
department i.e. from cutting to packaging and also the time for shipping and documentation. The
difference between the planned and actual dates should be less and it is usually made for a total
of 90 days from the order receive date till the shipment date.

16
CHAPTER - 3

17
3. SAMPLING DEPARTMENT

The sampling department directly co-ordinates with the merchandising and production department.
Merchandiser procures order from the buyer. The buyer sends the 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.

Sampling department is the most important department for any garment manufacturing company.
TCNS Limited has a centralized sampling unit. All the orders first come to sampling department.
Currently they are working on styles of NEXT. The samples are done according to priority. The
one with early delivery date is done first. The buyer sends a mail to the merchandiser. With it he
receives the tech pack with all needed specifications. If already a sample is sent, then the sample
head receives an email with necessary changes in the form of comments in the tech pack. Mostly
samples are made of one basic size. This department also receives shrinkage report of the
particular fabric. They are also responsible for fabric sourcing. There is no particular lead time for
any sample to get completed. This department takes all the necessary time needed to complete any
garment so that they give right results to the production department and buyer.

PROTO
SAMPLE
SALESM
FIT
AN
SAMPLE
SAMPLE

PRE-
SHIPMEN
PRODUC
T SAMPLES
TION
SAMPLE
SAMPLE

TOP SIZE SET

SAMPLE SAMPLE
PILOT
RUN
SAMPLE

Chart 2: Types of sample

18
Proto Sample:
Proto sample is the first sample in production development stage in apparel industry. It is prepared
according to the buyer's specification. This type of sample is designed by the designers. Fit and
fabric detailing is not considered in this sample.

Fit Sample:
Fit samples are samples produced by a manufacturer so that the company purchasing the product
can review the garments to make certain they fit properly to the human body. In other words, the
primary function of a fit sample is to evaluate fit.

Pre- production Sample:

Pre-production samples are essentially an example of what will be produced during
the manufacturing process. The pre-production samples are garments that are produced in the
facility that is planning to manufacture the bulk order.

Size Set Sample:

The main purpose of size set sample is to check the factory's capability to make the sample in
all sizes. The size set sample should be made in the actual fabric and trims. The samples can be
made in the sampling room or actual production floor, as required by the buyer.

Pilot Run Sample:

A pilot run is a precautionary manufacturing process of Garments manufacturing after PP meeting
and before starting bulk production.

TOP Sample:
TOP stands for “top of production” and is a set of sample that is taken off the line during your first
production run. Top of production is the final sample stage that happens during production where
we get to see what our line will look like before it reaches our customers.

Shipment Sample:
This is the sample which is required by the buyer after the final inspection is passed and the goods
are ready for shipment.

Salesman Sample:
Salesman sample is used by sales team of buyer to enhance the sales of any garment. Buyer sends
the sample by salesman in the market to receive market feedback from the customers.

19
3.1 Process Flow in Sampling

Merchandiser

Sampling Request

Pattern

Cutting

Sewing (one operator

stitches the whole garment)

Chart 3: Process Flow in Sampling

It took almost 3 days to stitch a single style. And 1 week with size sets.

Figure 6: Sampling Department

20
3.2 CAD Department
In CAD Department patterns were being developed by software.

CAD Software Details: Tuka CAD

The functions carried out in the CAD department are as follows:

 Material resource planning
 Cut Planning
 Marker Making
 Data Entry
 Lay Report Generation
 Pattern Plotting (if req.)

Marker Planning
Cutting department makes a marker plan after receiving following details:
 Pattern detail from CAD department
 Fabric width detail from fabric store department
 Fabric consumption from merchandising department

Procedures

 Buyer send soft pattern or sketch

 A pattern has to be developed as per sketch and digitize a soft pattern.
Note: Adding shrinkage percentage length and width wise & fabric usable width in a
pattern as per details received from fabric department for a particular purchase order.

 A pattern to be approved by Style Executive.

 A sample garment to be developed as per approved pattern.
 Sample to be approved by buyer; buyer sends comments & size ratio.
 CAD technician is to do grading as per size ratio & specification sheet.
 Sampling department is to develop size set & send to buyer for approval
 Buyer will place a purchase order.
 If buyer asked for pre-production sample, pre-production sample is to be developed and
buyer approval needs to be taken.
 Simultaneously, Purchase/merchandising department has to procure fabric, trims and
accessories.
 Bulk Production starts after taking approval of pre-production sample and buyer comments
taken into consideration.

21
  Cutting department is to prepare the cut plan for a required purchase order as per required
size, ratio and color.
 CAD operator is to develop a marker plan as per required size, ratio and usable fabric width
 As per departmental planning, lay report, cut summary, mini marker & plotter marker is to
be generated & given to laying section.
 For Bulk orders 8 way and 4 way markers were used instead of 2 way and 1 way.

Figure 7: CAD Printing Machine

Figure 8: Marker Plan on the Top of a Lay

22
Work Flow of CAD Department

Receive hard pattern

Digitize

Grading

Pattern approval by respective

pattern master

Marker making

Actual marker print out for Miniature marker for

Soft copy to CAM
manual cutting CAM cutting to identify
cut

Chart 4: Work Flow of CAD Department

23
CHAPTER-4

24
 4. STORE ROOM

FABRIC STORE

TRIM STORE

Chart 5: Type of Store Rooms

4.1 Fabric Store Room

The Fabric Store Department plays an important role from getting the fabric to sending the fabric
for cutting and then further in the production department. The merchandiser meets the fabric
sourcing department and gives the details of the fabric to be procured for the particular style.
Fabric stores will take care of received fabric lot as per the standard procedures. When the fabric is
received from the supplier, it is received along with an invoice which will contain the order
reference number and the buyer name. The fabric rolls are then checked whether the invoice
quantity and the actual quantity are same or not.
Swatches of fabrics are cut beforehand from the fabric rolls and they are used for shrinkage test.
Markings are done on that swatch before washing and after washing those marks are re-measured
for shrinkage. Codes on fabric are written which depict its color shade, length, width and style.
According to shrinkage, pattern is made. Each roll has its own shrinkage. Each style has a unique
“DO” number which is given by company.

4.1 (a) Types of Fabric Stored

 Double jersey
 Knitted
 Lace
 Mesh
 Chambray
 Corduroy
 Cotton
 Fur

4.1 (b) Fabric Issue to:

 Production for production pieces.
 Sampling Department for sampling pieces.

25
4.1(c) Process Flow Chart

Fabric received at Physical check the BOM is updated in

store & stacked quantity received the TRPS (ERP)
in the quarantine documents

1. Lot wise color continuity card making.

2. Fabric testing

3. Fabric checking as per 4 point system

4. Trims checking as per 2.5 AQL

Fabric Quality Report & lot card sent to

merchant for approval

Place the fabric in the

If approved
Place the fabric in designated approved
designated rack of If not rack
rejection approved

Inform sourcing Issue the fabric to

department production department

Fabric sent to supplier

for re-processing or re-
ordering of fabric Chart 6: Process Flow Chart 26
 Figure 9: Fabric Store Room

4.1(d) The Fabrics are Inspected for:

 GSM
 Width
 Shade
 Weaving defects
 Shrinkage (steam & fusing)
 Color fastness
 Hand feel
 Face side

Each roll before being sent for spreading is passed through relaxing process; in this the roll is kept
for 24 hours or as specified by the buyer, for relaxing so that cutting is accurate.

27
4.2 Trims Store

Trims are an essential part of the construction of the garment or which act as trimming or fastening
of some kind. The word trim tends to have decorative overtones, though many items are purely
functional. Even that can change with fashion. The trims department controls the trims sourcing
from various suppliers and then its supply to the various departments at specified time as per
requirement. The department does the function of buying of trims centrally. After the trims is
delivered by the supplier the trims department performs the function of inspection. And after due
inspection the trims are stored in the store and then are issued to the particular department on
requisition.
 The obvious duty of the Trims department is to keep the stock of different accessories and
trims, machine accessories, consumables and packing materials.
 Trims and accessories like – threads, labels, hand tags, buttons, etc.
 Machine accessories like – needles, presser foot etc.
 Consumables like – oil, grease, chalks, etc.
 Packing Materials like – poly bags, cartoons, hand bags, etc. spares of the machines.
 They also keep the stock of folders and attachments and stationery needed by the factory.
 Storage: The trims and the accessories store had different racks allotted buyer wise, for
the storage of incoming trims and accessories. The goods are stored in boxes or
cardboard or in plastic bins.

Figure 10: Trims Store Area

28
4.2(a) Activities under the Trims Store

 Maintaining trims in a clean environment

 Brand labels in safety
 Exact issuing of materials
 Keeping track of the stock
 Replenishing the stock
 Keeping Track of the leftovers

Figure 11: Weighing of Sequins

4.2(b) Various Types of Trims

1. Labels:
 Main Label
 Size Label
 Wash Care Label

2. Threads:
 Embroidery Threads
 Stitching Threads

3. Price Tag

29
4. Sticker
5. Polybags
6. Ribbions
7. Lace
8. Fusing
9. Hanger
10. Buttons
11. Fusing

Figure 12: Trims Available

30
4.2(c) Process Flow

Material

Physical checking

GRN (Good Receipt Note)

Testing of the material

Stock

Issue against style or production

Chart 7: Process Flow of Trim Store

31
4.3 Fabric Inspection

Fabric is received from the

store

Fabric inspection is carried

out using 4 poit system

GSM check, color

check,shade band preparation

Fabric relaxation

Issue for cutting

Chart 8: Process Flow for Fabric

After the fabric is received, it is inspected to determine its acceptability from a quality viewpoint;
otherwise, extra cost in garment manufacturing may be incurred due to either the loss of the
material or time, to say nothing of customer returns and dissatisfaction due to poor quality.
Fabric inspection prior to spreading will remove the burden of quality responsibility from those
performing the spreading and cutting functions.

The important point is fabric should be inspected before cutting, the defects marked and the
patterns cut around the defects so as not to include them in the finished garments.
The GSM is also calculated.

The fabric is cut from the middle to take out the GSM as the fabric on the ends or on the sides
will not be in a correct position as it undergoes a lot of stretch and stress. The fabric is cut into
two halves. One half is cut to take out the GSM. The other half of the fabric is folded and kept
with other fabrics to see if there is any shade variation among the rolls.

The company follows 4-point system of inspection.

32
The 4 Point System

The 4-point system is also called the American Apparel Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
point-grading system for determining fabric quality.
Fabric flaws and defects are assigned point values based on the following:

Length of defect Defect Points

3 inches 1
3-6 inches 2
6-9 inches 3
Over 9 inches 4

Table 2: 4 Point System Defect Point Table

Total defects points per 100 sq. yards are calculated, and normally those fabric rolls containing
more than 40 points per 100 sq. yard are considered “seconds”. However different buyers have
their different acceptance criteria.

Most prominent fabric faults to be looked upon are:

Knitted fabric defects Woven fabric defects

Slub Slub
Hole Hole
Miss Print Miss Print
Soil Stain Soil Stain
Yarn Pull Double Yarn
Hard Stain Hard Stain
Drop Needle Shade Variation
Fabric Joint Weaving/Mending
Contamination Contamination

Table 3: Fabric Faults

As the rolls are being inspected, the inspector has to fill in a form called the Fabric Inspection
Report. It contains the following details:
 Fabric: The type of fabric which is being inspected.
 Color: The color of the fabric

33
  Buyer: The Buyer’s name
 Style No.
 Lot No.
 Width
 GSM
 No. of rolls

Figure 13: Fabric Inspection

As the rolls are being inspected, the Roll Number is noted down. For every Roll Number the
following details have to be determined as well as calculated:
No. of Pieces: These are the number of fabric pieces in the whole roll. If the fabric has a defect
which is stretched over a particular length and width, then the fabric is cut from that portion, hence
two pieces are obtained within the same roll.

 Weight of the Fabric Roll

 GSM calculated
 Width
 Point’s calculation: This is to see how many defects lie under the category of 1 point, 2 point,
3 point or 4 point and their respective total.
 Total points

34
  Point allowed: The total points to be allowed are calculate via a standard formula:
Weight of all (kg) X 383/GSM

 Accept/Reject: Then the decision is made weather to accept or reject the particular lot. This
is determined again by a formula:
Total Points X 100 / Points Allowed

 This tells weather to grade the fabric as A, B, C or D grade.

0-25%: A=Accepted
25-50%: B=Under Decision
50-75%: C=Under Decision

75% and above: D=Rejected

Color Fastness

 The assessment is being done by visually comparing the difference in color or contrast
between the untreated and treated specimens with the differences represented.
 Color fastness is also checked by with wet rubbing in order to determine the resistance of the
color to rubbing.
 Color fastness is also checked with dry rubbing in order to determine the resistance of the color
to rubbing.

35
 Figure 14: Fastness Test Report

Shrinkage

Shrinkage is a dimensional change in the fabric resulting in the length or width of a specimen
subjected to specified conditions (usually through the process of laundry). Shrinkage is mainly
due to yarn swelling and the resulting crimp increase during washing in case of cotton fabrics.
Yarn swelling percentage is more in polyester cotton blending yarn.

Each fabric roll of a particular style has different shrinkages. As for fabrics with different
shrinkage, the markers are to be developed accordingly by grading (upgrading, downgrading) the
size of marker. Shrinkage is important as the fabric after wash will shrink or change its
dimensions differently for different fabric rolls and if in cutting the fabrics with different
shrinkage are cut together, then at later stage in the sewing section the different parts of the
garment will shrink differently after dyeing; giving the garment a deformed shape and hence
would be rejected.

36
Figure 15: Fabric Test Report Sheet Figure 16: AQL Acceptance Level

37
CHAPTER- 5

38
5. CUTTING DEPARTMENT

After the fabric is being issued from the Fabric Store, the fabric is unloaded in the Cutting room for
the purpose of Cutting.
Now, first of all the fabric is sent for washing to check the Lot Shrinkage. After the fabric is
received from washing, again the shrinkage check is done. If the shrinkage comes out be less than
or equal to 5%, then the shrinkage is added in the pattern. But, if the shrinkage comes out to be more
than 5%, then the fabric is again sent for washing for the shrinkage check of the residual shrinkage.
Now, again there are two possibilities here. If the fabric shrinkage comes out to be less than 3% then
the shrinkage is added to the pattern itself otherwise the fabric is sent for the wash again.

When no Lot Shrinkage check is done then the fabric is spread and lest for relaxation. The time
given for relaxation is usually 3-4 hrs, depending on the type of fabric and further requirements.
After this step, the marker is placed on the layers, for cutting. In cutting department the fabric was
cut using two methods:
 One was manually through scissors
 The other was through movable straight knife

Figure 17: Cutting Department

39
5.1 Cutting Department Process Flow

Fabric requistion Marker requistion

to store Marker Ratio Planning to card

Fabric received from store(lot

wise) with proper challan

Fabric Relaxation

Pattern tracing
Top, middle and Marker received for sold for checks
bottom inspection fabric from CAD

Layeing as per lay length

Sent for embroidery &
printing if required Re folding &
re-cutting for
checks
Cutting

Panels received
from embroidery
and printing are Ticketing
checked on AQL
2.5
Quality
Panel Fusing check

Bundling
Cut panels are checked on
AQL 2.5

Issue to line

Chart 9: Process Flow of Cutting Department

40
It had tables of size 4’×3’ approximately. There were total six tables. There was a warehouse for
fabric storage in the cutting department. Fabrics were kept in racks and on the floor. They were kept
according to the lot no. at one place. This can be properly rearranged through ABC analysis and
proper markings in order to avoid time wastage. Cut parts are properly marked for layers and
notches. The cutting is done by the operator and the cut parts are sent for Bundling.

5.2 Cutting Procedures

5.2(a) Spreading
After the marking is done, the CAD marker is spread over the fabric. The CAD marker has all
the information regarding the pattern such as the size of the pattern, style number, notches and
the length of the marker, width of the marker, efficiency, number of patterns in the marker is also
mentioned on the CAD marker. Spreading is the process of superimposing lengths of fabric on a
spreading table, cutting table, or specially designed surface in preparation for the cutting process.
The actual process of spreading involves laying out fabric in the desired number of layers. Block
cutting is done for those panels which are to be sent for embroidery and printing. A spread may
be laid up by one person or two, depending on the width and type of fabric, equipment, and size
of spread.
Normally there are two to three people involved in the process of spreading. One person stands
on the end of the table and pulls the fabric and releases it for spreading. The other two persons
carry the fabric from one end to the other.
For Spreading, the normal relaxation time given was 4 hrs, but depending on the time and
emergency of the styles, the time was even reduced to 1 hr.

Figure 18: Spreading

41
 Type of Fabric Layer Height
Interlock PIMA 7-8cms = 2.5-3”
Mercerized Single Jersey 7-8cms = 2.5-3”
Jersey Auto- Stripe 7.5-9cms = 3-3.5”
Auto Striper 7.5-9cms = 3-3.5”
Single Jersey Jacquard 7-8cms = 2.5-3”
Wrapper Mercerized 7-8cms = 2.5-3”
Fleece 10-12cms = 4-4.5”
Flat Back Rib 10-12cms = 4-4.5”
Pique Solid 7.5-9cms = 3-3.5”
Single Jersey Solid 7.5-9cms = 3-3.5”

Table 4: Fabric Layer Height

After spreading, the lays go for cutting. Cutting is done in three ways:

 Scissors

 Band Knife Machine: There is one such machine in TCNS. This is stationary cutting
machines and used for small parts.

Figure 19: Operator using Band Knife Machine for Cutting

42
  Straight Knife Cutting Machine: This machine is movable and is used with hand
precautions. There are seven such machines.

Figure 20: Band Knife Machine

5.2(b) Ticketing

The pieces cut out from the lay are now sorted out size wise. All the components of one garment
size are brought together. It is very important to take care that pieces cut from two different
bundles of fabric are not mixed up. This is because within a lot there are bundle-to-bundle
variations in the shade. The sorted pieces are now ticketed.
Ticketing is the process of marking the cut components for shade matching precision, and
sequence identification. The worker secures one end of the stack and puts on the ticket using
ticket gun as he flips over the cut parts. The ticket serves as important means to track the parts of
the garment in the assembly line from start to end.

43
 Figure 21: Ticketing Machine

5.2(c) Panel Checking

Quality checking is an essential process for checking for visual defects. This is essential a quality
department process in which cut panel in random is checked for the dimensional accuracy by
placing the top, middle, and bottom ply of any bulk parts on graded patterns. This process is usually
performed to make sure that after cutting process and fusing, the part dimensions are intact. Any
defect found here is sent for re-cutting, where parts are cut manually.
Operator has to do inspection on 2.5 Acceptance Quality Level (AQL) bases. If lot gets rejected on
2.5 AQL bases, then go for 100 % inspection.
100 per cent checking is done on Size sheet which contains pattern of different sizes. Panel
checking is not done for small parts like bone, flap, pocket lining, etc.
Cut panel pattern inspection: Operator is to inspect panel against respective pattern for
 Size
 Shape of panel
 Notch
Fabric defect inspection: Operator has to do 100 % panel inspection i.e. individual panel is to
get inspected for following defects: -
 Yarn defects,
 Weaving defects,
 Finishing defects,
 Cutting defects, and
 Spreading defects.

44
5.2(d) Bundling
Bundling is done to prevent mixing and distortion of pieces. A Bundle is tied and a bundle ticket is
attached to it, this ticket contains:

 Bundle Number
 Order Number
 No of Pieces
 Lay Number
 Size
 Pattern
 Style

The Pieces are sorted out size wise, quantity wise. The details are stored in a sorting register to
check whether correct amount has been cut or not.

The bundling label contains the following:

 Serial number of bundle

 Ticket numbers of the garment contained in the bundle
 Size number of garment
 Number of pieces in the bundle
 Name of parts contained in the garment
 Number of lots contained in the bundle

Figure 22 : Layer Report

45
5.2(e) Re-cutting
Re-cutting is the process of cutting a panel from the fabric to replace the defective panel. Re-
cutting is done when the panel or part of a garment is found with some weaving or dyeing defect
which cannot be fixed by any means.
In Re-cutting, the panel is brought to the cutting table. The panel has some marked details such as
the fabric lot number, pattern number, shrinkage, name of the panel and the ticketing number.

At re-cutting, cut bits of fabric left out after spreading are brought to the table having the same
pattern number and shrinkage as that of the defective panel. The labor then takes out the hardcopy
pattern for the panel, traces it on the cut bit fabric and then cuts it accordingly. The newly cut panel
is sent to the bundling QC area where it is again inspected and if it passes the test, it is included in
the bundle and then later dispatched for batch production.

5.2(f) Embroidery/Printing
The cutting department is responsible for sending the cut components of a style for embroidery or
printing as stated in the production package. They check for any embroidery/ printing and follow
up these departments accordingly. Blocks of panels are sent for embroidery/ printing, which are re-
cut after receiving back.

Figure 23: Embroidery

5.2(g) Fusing
Fusing is also carried out in the cutting room itself. The parts to be fused are separated from the
bundle. The fusing material (like interlining) is cut according to the size of the components to be
fused or the whole block is fused and then the panels are cut either on band knife or straight knife

46
The components along with the fusing material is passed through the fusing machine. By means of
the temperature and the pressure fusing takes place at a particular speed and for a particular time.
The pack comes out at the other end on the conveyors and the pieces are removed and re-bundled.

Figure 24: Fusing Machine

 TCNS has three fusing machines.

1. Hashima HP 1000 LS
2. Fiblon
3. Hashima HIP-1000 A

Parameters for Fusing

 Temperature: 143 °C
 Pressure: 3.0 Kg
 Time: 14 sec

Types of Tests:

 Bond Strength
 Temperature Test

47
Bond Strength

 Bond strength testing is done in order to test the strength of fusing material to the fabric.
It shows that how much force the fusing material can withstand.
 The bond strength should be maintained in the machine at the front, back and middle
position.
 The bond strength reading is taken four times a day.
 It is done with the help of a bond strength testing tool.
 One end of the tester is fixed to the sample fabric while the other end of the tool is held by
fingers and pulled till the reading in the tool reaches the desired strength.

Temperature Test

In this process of testing, a special type of temperature strip is used. The strip contains marked boxes
along with temperature written in °C beside each box. The boxes are sensitive to heat and the box
gets a black color or darkest shade of black if the temperature is at 143°C. The other lower
temperature value boxes to get blackened but with a lighter shade of black. The strip is kept over
the sample and is fed into the fusing machine. When the sample comes out of the fusing machine,
the strip fuses with the sample due to heat. If the box adjacent to the temperature stated by the buyer
matches, then the sample has passed the test, else the machine is again set to the temperature and
samples are again tested.

Figure 25: Bond Tester Figure 26: Temperature Tester

48
 Number of Machines:

 Band Knife: 01
 Straight Knives: 05
 Ticketing Machines: 05
 Fusing Machines: 02

Figure 27: Heat Transfer Machine

5.2(h) Fabric Scrap Area

In a cutting room there’s a scrap area. Cleaning worker collects all the scrap from the cutting table
within a period of time and stored in a fabric scrap area room.

Figure 28 : Scrap Area

49
CHAPTER-6

50
6. SEWING DEPARTMENT
Sewing department’s function is the crucial and most vital job in a garment industry. This is the
place where actual production takes place. After the fabric is released from cutting, it is loaded to
the sewing department for the sewing.
Sewing is the process of fastening or attaching two parts of fabric using stitches made with a needle
and thread. It is one of the basic steps of apparel manufacturing process. Sewing section is the most
important department of a garment manufacturing industry. After receive the garments components
from cutting section, all the garments parts are joined and sewn as sequentially. All the components
are sewn according to buyer requirement. Sewing machines of different types are arranged as a
vertical line to assemble the garments. Sequence of types of sewing machine arrangement depends
on sequence of assembling operations.

Figure 29: Sewing Room

Sewing department receives the cut parts and it follows modular production where there is a group
of operators who make a garment and all operators exchange their work for more efficiency. Here
there is group of 5-6 skilled operators. Every operator is highly skilled. They work together as a
team to complete one garment. They divide the operations among them. One group has the capacity
of making two to three garments a day depending on their complexity.

 Sewing department has following machines:

 Single Needle Lockstitch Machine
 Double Needle Lock Stitch Machine
 Over Lock Machine

51
  Feed Of the Arm
 Pressing Table
 Double Needle Bias Bounding Machine
 Single Needle Bias Bounding Machine
 Fusing Machine
 Spool Winding Machine

Figure 30: Sewing Machines in a Line

In TCNS, there are three floors of sewing department. There were total of 12 sewing lines
arranged in a vertical order. From cutting department cut parts are loaded into sewing lines. With
every one batch of cut parts dispatch challan is issued. Further issuing of cut parts is done only
when the sewing line is completed with the previous one.
When a style is introduced in a sewing line, firstly the supervisor trains the operators according to
the style. If the garment introduced is similar as the previous style, then no changes are made in
the sewing line but if the garment style and type is different than they take one-day time to
rearrange the line. Every line has two supervisors and a floor in charge. For every two line there is

52
one mechanic. If any machine breaks down, then the mechanic has to repair it or replace it if
repairing will take time. This decision has to be made within two minutes. Sewing floor also has an
IE (industrial engineer) who keeps the record of no. of workers working, firefighting, bottlenecks,
minimum workstations and least non value adding activities.
Inspection tables are also there at the end table inspection as well. During PPC meeting the IE decides
operation bulletin for a garment. It tells that how many sections will be there in a garment
construction.

Figure 31: Inspection Table

53
Figure 32: Machine Details

54
6.1 Structure of a Sewing Line

Production
Executive

I.E

Technical
Manager

Quality
Executive

Line Incharge

Team Leader Team Leader Team Leader

Operators

Chart 10: Structure of a Sewing Line

55
 STYLE STUDY

NEXT BABY- Dungaree

TRIMS
1. Thread (Yellow)- Vardhaman (2 ply)
2. Next Baby – Brand label
3. Elastic – 6mm, 25mm
4. Mockwood Button
5. Snap Button (YKK)
6. Price tag

LAYING/SPREADING

1. Nap one way, face up

2. Total no. of lays – 85
1 ply – 8 garment
85 plies – 85x8= 680

FABRIC
Corduroy

TESTING
1. Color fastness to rubbing
2. Color fastness to washing.
3. Shrinkage

56
 OPERATION SMV (min)

Marking on the stripes 0.64

Stitching 3sides of stripes 0.18

Attaching of the U leg placket 0.88

Stitching the stripes 0.18

Topstitch on the stripes 1.05
Gathering 1.02
Armhole binding 0.79

Attaching yolk to the front panel 1.33

Armhole stitch 0.58

Doing top stitch on front yoke 0.80

Tucking stripes on back panel 1.33

Patti attachment on the back over stripes 0.66

Elastic attachment on the back 0.52

Top stitch on the same 0.51

Attaching panels of yoke together 0.62
Side seam attachment 2.22
Overlock on the side seam 1.29

Top stitch finish at the bottom 1.41

Attaching elastic at the bottom 1.08
U placket attachment 2.19
Diamond construction on stripes 0.63
Final tucking 1.56

Table 5: Operation Breakdown with SMV

57
 NEXT BABY- SHIRT

TRIMS
1. White, blue and red – KTL core max spun ( 2 ply, 60 tkt)
2. Next baby – main label
3. Size label
4. Button
5. Date pip
6. Price tag

LAYING/SPREADING

1. Nap one way, face up

2. Total no. of lays-105
1 ply- 8 garments
85 plies- 105x8- 840

FABRIC
Plaid

TESTING
1. Color fastness to washing
2. Shrinkage
3. Color fastness to rubbing
4. Bowing and skewing
5. Pilling resistance test

58
 OPERATION SMV (min)

Collar pattern making 0.28

Collar sewing 0.66

Collar topstitch and thread pulling 1

Placket sewing 0.83

Placket finish 3.91
Front placket 0.46
Back pleat and back yoke 0.616

Front and back attach 1

Shoulder topstitch and sleeve pin tuck 1

Sleeve attach at armhole 1.1

Double needle topstitch at armhole 1.75

Sleeve inseam 1
Sleeve inseam finish 0.71

Cuff sewing 0.16

Cuff attach 1.5
Cuff finish 1.5
Collar attach to body and label attach 1

Collar finish 1
Bottom hem 0.75
Buttonhole 0.33
Button attach 0.36
Ironing 0.83

Table 6: Operation Breakdown with SMV

59
 NEXT BABY- T-shirt

TRIMS

1. Thread (Yellow)- Vardhaman (2 ply)

2. Next Baby – Brand label
3. Elastic – 6mm, 25mm
4. Snap Button (YKK)
5. Care label
6. Date pip
7. Price tag

LAYING/SPREADING

1. Nap one way, face one way

2. Total no. of lays-90
1 ply- 10 garments
90x10- 900 garments

FABRIC

Single jersey

TESTING

1. Color fastness to washing

2. Shrinkage
3. Color fastness to rubbing
4. Bowing and skewing
5. Pilling resistance test

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 OPERATION SMV (min)

Placket marking (bodice and placket) 0.28

Over locking one part of placket and frills 0.17

Attaching placket 1.69
Finishing placket 1.69
Attaching placket and finishing 1.69
Top stitch on the placket 0.58
Marking on the placket 0.22

Attaching lace to the frill cut part 0.38

Over locking both edges 0.52
Folding and stitching the same 0.28
Gathering 0.37

Shoulder attachment 0.47

Attachment of lace part to the bodice 1.47

Neck binding 0.43

Loop attachment 0.78
Sleeve attachment (over lock) 0.84
Tucking the sleeve 0.43
Side seam attachment 0.95
Final tucking 0.60
Wash care label attachment 0.33
Main label attachment 0.37
Bottom hemming 0.21
Sleeve hemming 0.06

Table 7: Operation Breakdown with SMV

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CHAPTER-7

62
7. FINISHING DEPARTMENT

Finishing operations include final pressing, trimming, inspecting, labeling, ticketing and bagging.
Pressed garments are tagged and bagged for shipping. The labels and tickets used depends on the
buyers needs.

7.1 Objectives

 Improve the appearance of the garments

 Improve the drape by pressing
 Improve the durability of the garments
 Packing for dispatch

Figure 33: Finishing Area

63
7.2 Process Flow

Trimming of the threads

Removal of stickers

Inspection

Spotting

Pressing

Measurements

Final Inspection

Tagging

Folding

Packaging

Chart 11: Process Flow in Finishing

64
7.2(a) Trimming of Threads

Trimming removes thread ends and loose threads and contribute to a neat appearance in the final
garment. Trimming is another indication of quality and attention to detail in the production process.
There are two workers who trim the unwanted threads left during stitching. They also take care of
the thread which clots during the stitching process. This is done with the help of trimmer.

7.2(b) Removal of Stickers

This process removes the unwanted threads stickers stuck with the garments. The operator can use
a rod wrapped by cello tape to remove the threads or can do manually by hands.

7.2(c) Spotting

This is done to remove the stains from the garments. The stains are generally pen, pencil or chalk
marks, oil spots etc. the operator use acetone or vinyl for removing spots. They have air jet spray
also attached to their table. They also a dry air pipe which dries the wet spots.

7.2(d) Pressing

Pressing is the most prevalent molding process used in the apparel industries. Pressing is any
molding process which varies the fabric’s geometric structure or characteristics by applying
mechanical pressure (solid or air) to the fabric.
Heat and or moisture, are used often in mechanical pressing processes either to dimes the processing
time or to improve the molding stability and /or characteristics, but the mechanical pressure is the
basic ingredient in the molding process.

 Iron Pressing: It is the molding process in which pressure is applied with the flat contact
surface of a flat iron.

The pressing table is attached with steam which provides steam to the press and a vacuum table
which helps in easily laying of the garments.
 Measurements: The garments are now checked for the required measurements.

 Final pressing: Final pressing adds the final shape to seams and garments. It softens fibers,
stabiles and sets the desired shape.

 Tagging: Ticketing and tagging prepare the garment for retail presentation.

65
  Tickets include:

 UPC codes
 Style number
 Price
 Size
 Color

 Folding: The garments are either folded or hanged on hangers according to buyer’s
requirements.

Figure 34: Hanged Folded Packaging

66
  Packaging: Garments are folded and packaged or placed on hangers and covered with
plastic bags.

Figure 35: Ready to Dispatch Goods

67
CHAPTER- 8

68
8. INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

IE responsibility is to minimize non value added activities. He keeps track of target production. He
is provided with the job card which is very important for them. He balances line. If bottlenecks are
more, then the operation is divided among the neighboring operators.
Skill matrix: operators are classified into three types:

Class Description
A Operator who knows 3-4 critical operations
with SNLS
B For SNLS operators
C For helpers

Table 8: Operators Classification

The salary of workers is decided on the basis of the class they belong to. Workers of A category are
given Rs.360/- per day. For B category it is Rs.340/- per day and for C category it is Rs.280/- per day.
For workers training, a whole floor is made where they are trained for 21 days with wage payment.
This floor is a mini version of whole manufacturing unit where they are trained for different
operations. Sometimes when the order is very high, this area is also used for production.

IE also thinks of continuous process improvement. Initiation of new projects and implementation of
the project that has been undertaken is his responsibility. He shows the improvement opportunity
within the factory to management team.
In sewing department, IE plays a very important role. Most IE tasks are aimed to make better work
flow, improve utilization of resources, increasing factory performance, and reducing production
cost. IE uses tools to help production team to increase the factory performance.

 Tasks of an IE are presented in an order in the following.

 Style analysis
 Make operation Breakdown
 Thread consumption calculation
 Making line layout on paper
 Select machine and equipment
 Arrange guides and attachments
 Planning for production data
69
  Setting line when new style is loaded
 Do line balancing
 Record production data
 Make production reports

 Industrial Engineers in garment manufacturing fulfill the following purposes:

 Monitoring production floor and having better control over the production floor.
 Improving processes and improving method of working to increase factory's overall
performance and standardized garment manufacturing processes.
 Work measurement of sewing operations, cutting room jobs and finishing jobs.
 Setting standard time for sewing operations and manual operations.
 Style analysis and conducting research and development (R&D) of the styles.
 Improving method of work and design workstation.
 Production planning and factory capacity determination.
 Work aids development
 Work station designing and machine layout planning.
 Labor cost estimation.
 Performance measuring of workers.
 Training of workers (sewing operators)
 Designing incentive scheme and calculating incentive for sewing operators.
 Setting line production target of the sewing lines and chasing production from line supervisors
and operators.

 The information collected helps IE in following ways:

 Assist line supervisors by preparing resource requirement plan (machines and equipment and
manpower), line setting and line balancing etc.
 Assist production managers in target planning and production planning,
 help merchandiser and marketing personnel by providing labor cost and production lead
time,
 Help HR department by providing operator performance level, and help in operator
recruitment
 Prepare MIS reports and show management team product status on daily basis and alert
management team if their attention is needed
 Set up standards operating procedures for new tasks, new process required for ever changing
fashion products.

70
Figure 36: Machine Checking Report

71
CHAPTER-9

72
9. QUALITY DEPARTMENT

Quality is an important commodity to both consumers and producers. Matrix has defined a level of
quality for any output, which ensures that all efforts are directed towards achieving these specified
goals. They test and inspect materials during production, so that a higher percentage of acceptable
products are manufactured. Quality is necessary in all the work that is being carried out. The
quality department in the industry ensures that quality is maintained at each and every level. The
quality is determined at fabric, cutting, production, finishing as well as the packaging level.

9.1 Structure of Quality Department

General Manager

Assistant Quality
Manager

End of Line Mid-Line

In Quality Final Inspection
Quality Inspection

Chart 12: Structure of Quality Department

The Quality Assurance Manager in each department is responsible for ensuring that the Quality
Assurance procedures are being followed in their respective departments or not. Each person is
responsible for the outgoing quality for his department. It is also the duty of the manager to ensure
the smooth and efficient working of the entire quality assurance department. Monitoring Quality
control procedures on a daily basis and taking corrective action whenever required in case of any
deviations.
The job of a quality manager is not restricted only to his daily duties. He is responsible for bringing
about any changes required in the quality systems present in the factory.

73
It is his duty as well to see that daily quality reports are generated, regular audits are done and the
daily findings are discussed in detail so that for any deviations, a quick decision can be taken.

The manager sees to it that the quality procedures are being adhered to by all departments be it
cutting, stitching or finishing. It is his job as well to see that the team members are working with
him in doing the task which is designated to them. Any deviations from standard expected
performance has to be corrected and looked into by the Quality Assurance Manager.

9.2 Flow Chart of Inspection Procedures

FABRIC INSPECTION

FABRIC INSPECTION IN CUTTING ROOM

CUTTING ROOM INSPECTION

* Spreading and marking inspection
*Cutting inspection
*Bundling inspection

SEWING
*Inline Inspection
*Mid line inspection
*End line inspection

FINAL INSPECTION

PACKAGNG INSPECTION

Chart 13: Flow Chart of Inspection Procedures

74
9.3 Cutting Room Inspection

9.3(a) Standard Operating Procedure for Checking Spreading

 Before spreading, care should be taken to ensure that the fabric has been relaxed. The
minimum relaxation time should be at least 10-12 hours.

 Before spreading, brown paper should be kept at the bottom. Preferably, the brown paper
should be attached to the cutting table with some adhesive so that it does not shift during
cutting.
 Care should be taken to ensure that the layer height is not more than 3" to 3 in the case of
plain/solid fabric. In the case of stripes, the layer height should not exceed 2 l/2".

 Care should be taken to ensure that the grain line of the spread is straight and not at an
angle. This is called Bowing in the fabric. The bowing which can be adjusted in cutting
should be allowed to be cut but attention has to be given to the cutting so that the grain line
in the cut part is straight. If there is bowing in the cutting as well, then the garment when
made will look twisted, which is an unacceptable level of quality for a garment.

 In the case of stripes special care has to be taken to ensure that there is no bowing in the
fabric.

 Spreading should always be done keeping the nape of the fabric in mind. The nape of the
fabric is a critical factor in spreading.

9.3(b) Standard Operating Procedure for Checking Marking

 Both the sides of the marker should be measured by a measuring tape to determine whether
the pattern is tilted or not.
 The marker can also be checked by placing the pattern on the marker. The marker should
be accurate.
 Before cutting, pins and clamps can be used to ensure that there is no shifting of the layer
during cutting.
 The chalk used for making the marker should be fine and not thick. All the notches
required in cutting should be marked at this stage.

9.3(c) Standard Operating Procedure for Checking Bundling

 Bundling Inspection is to be carried out for at least 25% of the bundles generated in a layer.
Thus, the checker has to do a physical count of all the different parts of a bundle and check
whether all the parts are present in the bundle or not. While doing bundling inspection the
checker also has to ensure that parts of the correct size are in the bundle. There should not
be any mixing of different sizes in a bundle.
 In addition, the checker has to verify that the information on the bundle card is correct and
75
 that there is no mixing of wrong size or wrong parts in the bundling the bulk production of
garments, timely inspections are carried out by the Quality checkers to ensure that the
product confirms to the required specifications

9.4 Production Floor Inspection

 Inline Checker: Inline checker is the one who keeps inspecting the whole line while in
process. It is his duty to check all the operations at least once in the entire day. It is a
random inspection of any full bundle which is being worked upon at that particular point. It
is his duty to see to it that all the standard specifications are adhered to at all operation
points and if any deviation is observed he is supposed to communicate the same to the
Quality Assurance Manager and bringing it to the notice of the line supervisor as well.

 Mid-Line Checker: The mid line checker is the one who is placed between the middle of
the line. This inspection takes place after the preparatory operations have taken place. He
sees to it that all the operations are adhered to their respective specifications as well as the
look of the garment is maintained. The stitches and the general appearance is usually
looked upon in the Midline inspection.

 End of Line Checker: The end of line checker is placed at the end of the line where all the
assembly operations have taken place. This inspection starts after the trimming operation.
He sees to it that the overall appearance of the garment is met to its standard specifications.

 Final Inspection: The final inspection takes place after the stain removing process. The
garments are first ironed then sent for the final inspection. In the final inspection it is to be
seen that the measurements are met to their respective standards as well as the aesthetic
look of the garment is up to the desirable level. If there is some mistake which can be
rectified by ironing the piece again, then the piece is sent for repressing.

 TOPs/Shipment Samples: TOP stands for Top of Production pcs. or production pulls or
shipment samples. These are taken out of the production at the time of Inline and are sent
to the buyer. These represent the actual bulk production and give the buyer an idea of the
quality of the merchandise.

 Packaging Inspection: This inspection is carried out when the pieces are packed. This
inspection is carried out randomly. In this the pieces are also checked for the packaging. It
has to be noted that the way the garments are packed i.e. the positioning of hand tags
should be right, the packaging should be appropriate; the bar codes should be put at the
exact position on the packed piece etc.

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 All the four Inspection Officers are responsible for filling in their respective tally sheets.
These tally sheets help in making

1. By Hourly Report
2. Mid line Inspection Report
3. End of Line Inspection Report
4. Inline Inspection Record
5. Daily Status Record

In all the cases, DHU is calculated.

DHU = (No. of Defects/No. of pieces inspected)* 100

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CHAPTER-10

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10. TRPS (TCNS RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM)
TRPS is personal ERP software of TCNS Company. TRPS software typically integrates all facets
of an operation including product planning, development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing
in a single database, application and user interface.
TRPS software is considered to be a type of enterprise application, that is software designed to be
used by larger businesses TCNS and often requires dedicated teams to customize and analyze the
data and to handle upgrades and deployment.

There are 6 members who is handling the 7 location of different areas or sectors in single platform
of this software. 3 persons are handling in infrastructures the company & 3 persons are handling that
software. The whole software is control from the TCNS Ltd. Sector C-28.

 A business will typically use a combination of different modules to manage back-office

activities and tasks including the following:

 Distribution process management

 Supply chain management
 Services knowledge base
 Configure prices
 Improve accuracy of financial data
 Facilitate better project planning
 Automate the employee life-cycle
 Standardize critical business procedures
 Reduce redundant tasks
 Assess business needs
 Accounting and financial applications
 Lower purchasing costs
 Manage human resources and payroll

10.1 TRPS Provides

 Desktop supports
 Server Management
 Network Management
 Security Management
 Application Management

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 Services & Repairs
 Backup & Storage Management
 Software licensing
 Asset Management
 CCTV Camera & Surveillances
 IT Purchases

10.2 Process flow of TRPS Software

Get purchase order from IT

Department

Enter style information

Enter sizes with rate and

currency of the style

Enter level 1 of costing

Enter deliveries of a style

Make T&A(Time & Action

Calender) for the style.

Enter the fabric/color/combo

for the style

Enter contracts for the

associate deliveries with color
& size wise offering

Enter trim ID &trim entry for

the style

Chart 14: Process Flow of TRPS Software

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 PROJECT – 1

IMPLEMENTATION OF BARCODE IN
WAREHOUSE

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INITIAL FLOWCHART OF INHOUSING THE FINISHED GOODS INTO
WAREHOUSE

Receive BOM file from

the buyer

Scanning of incoming
garments

Physical counting of
incoming garments

If ok

Stacking of the scanned

garments

Generation of
packing list

Preperation of
OCR report

Goh/box packing

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 Internal audit

If ok

Repacking of
audited goods

Offer external audit

If ok

Repacking of
audited goods

Preparation of checklist

Issue loading clip to security

and personnel

Take photo of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%

fulled container Email packing list to the merchants

Take photo of empty and fully filled container issue garment delivery challan
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Problem Statement
Chart 15: Flow Chart of In Housing Goods
According to the existing process flow of warehouse the accountability and segregation of
incoming goods was manual, which consumed a lot of time and resulted in great confusion.

Thought Process
Weplannedtoautomatetheaccountabilityprocessinwarehousesothatallocation of the finished goods
will be more sorted and sclearer.

Cost Analysis

The cost of omni directional barcode scanner costed Rs.8000

Working Procedure

Receive the garments from finishing

department

Trims checking before entering into ware

house

Scan the barcode of each garment

Keep thespecific rack barcode on

Chart 16: Work Procedure in Finishing Department

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Barcode

A barcode is an optical, machine-readable, representation of data; the data usually describes

something about the object that carries the barcode. Traditional barcode systematically
representdatabyvaryingthewidthsandspacingsofparallellines,andmaybereferredtoaslinear or one-
dimensional (1D). Later, two-dimensional (2D) variants were developed, using rectangles, dots,
hexagons and other geometric patterns, called matrix codes or 2D barcodes, although they do not
use bars as such. Initially, barcodes were only scanned by special optical scanners called barcode
readers. Later application software became available for devices that could read images, such as
smartphones with cameras.
Barcode was invented by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver and patented in US in
1952 . The invention was based on Morse code that was extended to thin and thick bars.
However, it took over twenty years before this invention became commercially successful. An
early use of one type of barcode in an industrial context was sponsored by the Association of
American Railroads in the late 1960s. Developed by General Telephone and Electronics (GTE)
and called KarTrak ACI (Automatic Car Identification), this scheme involved
placingcolouredstripesinvariouscombinationsonsteelplateswhichwereaffixedtothesidesof
railroadrollingstock.Twoplateswereusedpercar,oneoneachside,withthearrangementofthe coloured
stripes encoding information such as ownership, type of equipment, and identification number.
The plates were read by a trackside scanner, located for instance, at the entrance to a
classification yard, while the car was moving past. The project was abandoned after about ten
years because the system proved unreliable after long-term use.
Barcodes became commercially successful when they were used to automate supermarket
checkout systems, a task for which they have become almost universal. Their use has spread to
many other tasks that are generically referred to as automatic identification and data capture
(AIDC).The very first scanning of the now-ubiquitous Universal Product Code(UPC) barcode
was on a pack of Wrigley Company chewing gum in June 1974.] QR codes, a specific type of 2D
barcode, have recently become popular.

Barcoding Process
It would be no good having barcodes if we didn't have the technology to read them. Barcode
scanners must be able to read the black-and-white zebra lines on products extremely quickly and
feed that information to a computer or checkout terminal, which can identify them immediately
using a product database. Here's how they do it.
For the sake of this simple example, let's assume that barcodes are simple on-off, binary patterns
with each black line corresponding to a one and each white line a zero. (We've already seen that
real barcodes are more sophisticated than this, but let's keep things simple.)

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 Figure 37: Barcode Reading

1. Scanning head shines LED or laser light onto barcode.

2. Light reflects back off barcode into a light-detecting electronic component called a
Photoelectric Cell. White areas of the barcode reflect most light; black areas reflect least.
3. As the scanner moves past the barcode, the cell generates a pattern of on-off pulses that
correspond to the black and white stripes. So, for the code shown here ("black black black
white black white black black"), the cell would be "off off off on off on off off."
4. An electronic circuit attached to the scanner converts these on-off pulses into binary digits
(zeros and ones).
5. The binary digits are sent to a computer attached to the scanner, which detects the code as
11101011.
6. In some scanners, there's a single photoelectric cell and, as you move the scanner head past
the product(ortheproductpastthescannerhead),thecelldetectseachpartoftheblack-
whitebarcode in turn. In more sophisticated scanners, there's a whole line of photoelectric
cells and the entire code is detected in one go.
7. In reality, scanners don't detect zeros and ones and produce binary numbers as their
output: they detect sequences of black and white stripes, as we've shown here, but
convert them directly into decimal numbers, giving a decimal number as their output.

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Working on Excel Sheets

We created a dump sheet for the reference that contained details about a particular merchandise.
We added details like Barcode number, size, style, buyer, PO number, product description and
order quantity.
We need to manually enter the above details of particular merchandise at regular intervals to
maintain the data which would be retrieved on another sheet.

Reference picture of sample dump sheet in fig below.

Figure 38: Dump Sheet

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Then we created a sample scan sheet which would retrieve data from the dump sheet. The
barcodes are scanned and the barcode nos. are displayed on the scan sheet wherever the cursor is
placed.

Reference picture of scan sheet in fig below.

Figure 39: Scan sheet

VLOOKUP is the basic command that creates a relation between dump and scan sheet.

VLOOKUP basically extracts the relatable value in that particular defined area. We must define
a particular on which this command works.

VLOOKUP function.

In its simplest form, the VLOOKUP function says: = VLOOKUP (Value

you want to look up, range where you want to look up the value, the column number in the range
containing the return value, Exact Match or Approximate Match – indicated as 0/FALSE or
1/TRUE).

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Now the data from the scan sheet was retrieved on a pivot table which counted the number of
pieces scanned for a particular buyer and of a particular style and it worked on the basic
command of pivot table.

Reference image of pivot table is in fig below.

Figure 40: Pivot Table

Challenges Faced:

1. All the buyers in the industry had the same barcode number for a particular style and a
particular size, except for the buyer NEXT. So this created a problem in maintaining and
retrieving data on the excel sheets since we cannot individually enter the number of each
and barcode in the dump sheet.

2. The pivot table was not being refreshed simultaneously as the pieces were scanned. This
created an issue in retrieving data in real time.

Challenges Overcame:

1. The buyer NEXT had different barcode numbers for every different merchandise. And
also it was the only buyer that had 15 digits of barcode else the other buyers had 12 or 13
digits.
So we put a column in the dump sheet that calculated the length of the barcode number
and if the length was 15, then the length of the barcode was reduced by 6 digits from the
left. Or else the barcode number was displayed as it is.
 Formulas used:

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  Len(cell value)

Figure 41: Formula Used

 If (cell value of length=15, LEFT(cell value, LEN (cell value)-6), cell value)

Figure 42: Formula Used

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For auto refreshing the pivot table we did coding on visual basics and also connected the excel
workbooks of both scan and pivot table.

Figure 43: Visual Basics Coding for Auto Refresh

Functions Used:

VLOOKUP- VLOOKUP is an Excel function to lookup and retrieve data from a specific column
intable.VLOOKUPsupportsapproximateandexactmatchingandwildcardsforpartialmatches. The
"V" stands for "vertical". Lookup values must appear in the first column of the table, with lookup
columns to the right.

PIVOT TABLE-Pivot Tables are one of the most powerful and useful tools in Excel. They will
save you a lot of time by allowing you to quickly summarize large amounts of data into a
meaningfulreport.Understandingexactlyhowapivottableworkswillreallyhelpyouunleashthe full
potential of this amazing tool.
In pivot table in values we used count of scan for counting the total of the scanned garments.

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 PROJECT -2

KPI DASHBOARD FOR

MERCHANDISERS IN SAMPLING
DEPARTMENT

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Abstract
In information technology, a dashboard is a user interface that organizes and presents
information in a way that is easy to read. However, a computer dashboard is more likely to be
interactive dashboard (unless it is also computer-based). To some extent, most graphical user
interfaces (GUIs) resemble a dashboard.

A business dashboard is an information management tool that is used to track KPIs, metrics, and
other key data points relevant to a business, department, or specific process. Through the use
of data visualizations, dashboards simplify complex data sets to provide users with at a glance
awareness of current performance.

An Excel dashboard is one pager (mostly, but not always necessary) that helps managers and
business leaders in tracking key KPIs or metrics and take a decision based on it. It contains
charts/tables/views that are backed by data.

Introduction
We very well know that in industries and offices majorly use Microsoft excel for data record
maintaining and for future reference but using these worksheets over a long time when it is
saturated with data it becomes a tedious task to track this data and find relative information
hence we prefer to use dashboards for a one glance information . it is clearly an investment free
change that is simple and easy to use and implement . it was made using the past and present
department data and simple Microsoft excel but would definitely be very effective in time
reduction that was initially invested in data maintenance . Anyone who is versed with Microsoft
excel can make it and use it .

Dashboard for Merchandisers and their Work in Sampling Department

Need for the Dashboard

 Too long and complicated data is difficult to analyze and review .

 Maintaining and updating multiple entries is a tedious task.
 Instant comparison of department performance and masters is not possible through data
sheets .
 Reviewing the data instantly on a single screen for the desired fields as per the need is not
possible on datasheets but is possible through dashboards.

Benefits of the Dashboard

 Data comparison is easy

 Data compilation and reviewing is easy
 Data filtration as per the need is easy

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  Efficiency of the master can be reviewed in an instant
 Flexible dashboards w change the data indicators as per our need that is we can display
only what we want
 Simultaneous updating old data can be done without affecting the frontend of the
dashboard.
 Years of data with multiple entries can be simplified or segregated on the basis we want
to .
 Free of cost : no investment needed

The Project
We were provided with the data of January to June of the sampling department. The data entailed
the following details :

 Name of the buyer

 Order date of receiving and completion
 No of days taken to complete the samples
 Sample master who made the sample
 Merchandiser for that particular style
 Description of the style
 Date of receiving and date of completion
 M no. and KO no.
 Type of sample (new/correction)
 No of sample parts

Now with the help of this provided data we were to make a fully dynamic dashboard that would
give the required information without hassle and also be a comparative display .To do this we
used the simple tools of Microsoft excel:

 Data filter tool

 Pivot table
 Slicers
 Pivot table charts and graphs

Investment Free and Cost Effective Change

 It is free of cost in making
 Old data can be used to make and find out the company trend line
 Installation / implementation is free of cost
 No additional labor or operator is needed to use it
 Anyone can access it as and when needed .
 Can be made separately for all departments and used by them

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  No additional resources used to make it
 Time saving for all.

Basic Process Flow for Data Compilation and Procedure

Collection of old and new data from Data analysis (bringing out inferences
the respective department through brainstroming)

Selecting the most relevant data

Create a dymanic dashboard using
inferences that we want in our
tables and charts and slicers
dashboard

Use this dashboard for bring out the

required information

Chart 17: Basic Process Flow for Data Completion and Procedure

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Process

 The excel sheet was provided to us by the sampling department .

 The excel sheet was then analyzed by us to bring out the inferences
 Out of the list of inferences analyzed the most important ones were selected around
which the dashboard was to be made.
 After that the data was arranged in the ascending order based on the date of receiving .
 After this the entire data is selected to give the pivot table its range.
 After the range is selected we make the table connections, the connection can be of the
same sheet or another sheet or another workbook.
 The connection selection can be made with the worksheet or with the existing table in the
worksheet.
 For our project we made the connection of the pivot table with already existing table
named as the sampling data .
 Now after the connection is made and the file destination is confirmed the pivot table is
finally made .
 Now after the pivot table is created the table field is selected. The field can be anything
we want our display to have
 After the field is selected and table displays data we add slicers (dynamic buttons ) we
can add as many slicers of different field as needed .
 Now corresponding to the slicers we add pivot table charts and graphs as per the need .
 After adding the charts we get a dynamic functional dashboard which we can use to
display the required data .

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Figure 44: Data Sheet for Dashboard

Figure 45: Data Sheet for Dashboard

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Figure 46: Data Range Selection for Pivot Table

Figure 47: Pivot Table Connection

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 Figure 48: Pivot Table Connection

Figure 49: Field Selection for Pivot Table

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Figure 50: Field Selection for Pivot Table

Figure 51: Slicer Insertion

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 Figure 52: View of Dashboard

Before Dashboard and after the Use of Dashboard

Figure 53: Complex Data Sheet before Making Dashboard

Before the departments had dashboards for their data files every data had to be manually ready

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and after using filter collective data only could be accessed , comparison was difficult.
After the data dashboard was made the information is available at a glance and can be read
without much efforts .

Figure 54: Data Interface after Creating Dashboard

Challenges Faced While Making Dashboard
 Data collection from different departments was difficult as the company finds it as its
sensitive and confidential data .
 After the data was received it was difficult to set parameter on which the performance is
to be measured .
 Bringing out inferences of the most important points that we want to display needed a lot
of brainstorming and also we had to reconfirm it from the respective departments
 Initially the new entries that we added were not getting displayed as the range of the pivot
table was already entered and it did not read data beyond that range .
 Data for performance indicating scales were not enough to set standards

Challenges We Overcame
 We assured the department of the safety and privacy terms of the company and not
violating it .
 The data was made standard free , we made it into a real time data that would show the
overall work done by the people (merchandisers and pattern mas

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 MARKET RESEARCH
Need for Market Research

The company TCNS is planning to launch a new product line of kids wear in market focusing
majorly on girls wear. To do the needful they got a market survey and research conducted by us
which would enable them to analyze the gaps in the market that would eventually result in
launching a more target based product line.

The research was simple and was conducted keeping the following points in mind :

 The most trending product in the market

 The price segment which is the most popular among the mass
 The brand players in the market
 The MBO’s and stand-alone outlet options available for shopping
 Popular brands among the people.
 Gap analysis based on the age groups, product line, price range.

Research Methodology Used

To conduct the research we followed the basic idea of data collection and compilation of the
existing market availability of products.

Data Data Data

collection segreagation compilation

Data Inferences
analysis

Chart 18: Research Methodology Used

To do the above each one of us selected at least 6-7 MBO’s and 3-4 stand-alone stores of the
brand if specifically any, where we visited in person and carefully studied about the various

103
designs , fabric ,price range of the garment and the age group and the most popular brands .
Collected the data of each of the retail store and brand outlets. The data collected were based on
the above pre-requisite points.

Collected the data of each of the retail store and brand outlets. The data collected were based on
the above pre-requisite points.

The points that we focused on in the field work were:

 Price of the garments available

 Age groups and different age groups segment by different brand
 Design genre of the brand in particular if any
 Finding out gaps in the available option in the market through analysis.
After the data was collected we segregated that data into different groups like under price range,
gender, design description, brand etc.

Now after this data was segregated we changed it into excel sheet which we used to bring out the
conclusion. We conducted a SWOT Analysis to figure out the opportunities that the company
was most likely to have post the launch of its new product line.

After the segregation of data under different fields, we analyzed the data to find out gap in a
particular field or range in the market.

The Steps We Used to Figure Out the Market Gaps Were:

Identifying the
Describing the
current and Bridging the gap
gap
future states

Chart 19: Steps Used to Find Out Market Gaps

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 Identifying the current and future states
Current state: listed the processes and characteristics the organization was seeking to improve,
using factual and specific terms. Areas of focus were targeting the entire business. The analysis
of these focus areas were quantitative such as examining the state of brand and product diversity
in the marketplace.
Future state: outlining the target condition the company wants to achieve within a specific time
period with a specific goal.

 Describing the gap

Gap description: defining the areas where the market is lagging in the required field and listing
out the points that we are thriving to fulfill.

 Bridging the gap

Next steps and proposals: listed all the possible design and range proposals for the target
market that can be implemented to fill the gap between the current and future states. These
objectives were specific, directly speaking to the factors listed in the gap description above, and
be put in active and compelling terms.
The method for finding out the gaps was simple it was through simple observation and the
recorded data statistics from the market that we collected. After the gaps were found we could be
more specific about the market need at the hour and launch more customer targeted products.

Benefits:

 Needs one time investment of time but gives very effective results that would last for
long
 Inexpensive process to find out the trend analysis
 More target based products can be made which would be more customer specific
 Launching the product line within the gap area has better chances of success as it is target
based.
 It can also be used to make trend analysis report.

Inferences:
 We found out that there’s a prominent gap in the girls wear range for age group 3-10.
 The products available for this age group are either a bit expensive for all customers to
afford or it is not up to the fashion trends going in the market.
 Also the retail stores do not have much to offer for this price range.
 Designs are limited for selection.

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106
Figure 55: Research Report

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PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

The Apparel Internship at TCNS Ltd. was a very interactive experience with the people working
there. We saw how the management works for TCNS and how much the employees there are
dedicated towards their work. TCNS Ltd. is the only industry in India which produces large no.
of designer kids wear for the international buyers and also own W & Aurelia brand for ethnic
wear.

This internship gave us an educational and enlightening experience where we used our
theoretical knowledge to understand the working of Apparel Industry.

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