Textile & Apparel Testing

Textile & Apparel Testing
Fabric Quality Tests :	Color Fastness :	Specialized testing for apparel such as :	Functional Tests :
Count & construction	Washing	Appearance after washing/dry cleaning	Abrasion/Pilling
Weight	Water	Crease resistance	Seam Properties
Fibre Content	Rubbing/crocking	Seam Performance	Wrinkle Free/Smoothness
Strength properties	Perspiration	Oil/Water Repellency	Oil/Water Repellency
Dimensional Stability	Light	Flammability	Stretch & recovery
Flammability	Saliva	Print Durability
	Chlorine Bleach / Non Chlorine Bleach	Wash Care Labelling
	Ozone
	Wet Scrubbing
	Chlorinated Water

What is CVC fabric?

CVC fabric refers to “Chief Value Cotton” fabrics that are made from combining cotton with polyester.  Cotton is a naturally derived fabric, and when it is combined with synthetic fibers like polyester, the fabric is called CVC.  Usually, the cotton content is more than 50 percent of the total combination with polyester.  A CVC fabric may be made of 55 percent or 80 percent cotton with the remaining percentage indicating the amount of polyester used.

Although cotton is generally preferred in terms of comfort, textile making companies frequently combine polyester with cotton for a variety of reasons.  One such reason is to make clothes more durable.  Cotton by itself is considered very soft, and it easily deforms and shrinks.  Cotton shirts that are 100 percent cotton, for example, may be very cool to the skin and provide great comfort, but over several uses and washes, the shirts are easily deformed, and they are also more prone to shrinking. By combining polyester to the cotton fabric, garments will become more durable with less chance of deforming and shrinkage.  This is also the reason many work clothes and school uniforms, for example, are best made using CVC fabric.  Everyday usage and washing puts too much stress on the fabrics, and with the presence of polyester, uniforms and clothes will become more durable and will rip less easily.  With the demands of everyday activities, people will welcome clothes that can be worn for a long time.

Other textile manufacturers also prefer CVC fabrics because they are less expensive to produce.  Cotton is a naturally derived fabric and is more expensive to produce when compared with polyester that is synthetic or man-made.  By combining cotton with polyester, fabric sheets are created with less expense for the textile manufacturer.  And since CVC fabric is less expensive due to its polyester content, many people also refer to CVC fabrics as “the poor man’s cotton.”

Introduction of Merchandiser/Merchandising | Objects, Qualities & Function of Merchandisers

Merchandise means goods bought and sold; and trading of goods. Merchandising is an activity of selling and promoting the goods.

Merchandiser is a person who interacts with the buyer and seller, and also puts efforts into proper relation between buying offices/ buying agents/ agency and seller/ exporter in terms of executing an order.

A garment export unit generally has many departments like stores, cutting, production, packing, checking etc. Merchandising department is the star of the department among all the working departments in the Export concern, because Merchandising is the only department having maximum control over the departments and total responsible for Profit and loss of the company.

The job of a merchandiser is to co ordinate with the entire department in the office as well as the customers. Merchandiser meets the buyers and collects the details of their requirements etc., to develop the relationship with the customer.

Objects of Merchandising 
Merchandising denotes all the planned activities to execute and dispatch the merchandise on time, taking into consideration of the 4 Rs to replenish the customer.

Right Quantity: To dispatch right quantity of product what buyer ordered.
Right Quality: It should be with right quality as accepted both parties.
Right Cost: Everybody wants more from what they are paid.
Right Time: No one wants to wait idle even in a Restaurant. Keeping delivery schedule is mandatory.

Qualities of Merchandiser

Planning Capability: Merchandiser should be capable of planning, based on the planning the order is to be followed. If the planning is not done properly it will directly affect the delivery time of the order.

Decision making: For a Merchandiser, decision making power is most important. He should think about the decision to be taken and to act in a right way.

Communication Skill: The communication is very much important to promote the business activity. The merchandiser should remember that communication must be lurid and should having face to face conversation with the buyer.

Loyalty: Loyalty is an essential character of human beings. Especially for the business people like merchandiser it is a must.

Knowledge about the field: Merchandiser should have adequate knowledge about the garments, Computer knowledge, and technical knowledge to communicate with different people in the business is a must.

Co-ordinate & Co-operate: Merchandiser is the person who is actually co-ordinate with the number of departments. To Co-ordinate with different people in the industry he should be co- operative.

Monitoring ability: Merchandiser should monitor to expedite the orders.

Other qualities: Education, Experience, Situational Management, Ability to Evaluate, Dedication, Knowledge of expediting procedures.

Function of Merchandisers 

1. Developing new samples, execute sample orders
2. Costing
3. Programming
4. Raw materials / Accessories arrangement
5. Production scheduling (or) route card drafting
6. Approval of various Process, Pattern and size set
7. Pre production follow up
8. Meet Inspection Agencies
9. Production controlling
10. Identifying shortages and make arrangement for the shortages
11. Following quality assurance procedures, quality control procedures
12. Monitoring the in-house, sub-contractors and junior activities
13. Buyer communication
14. Communication with sub-contractors, processing units & other 3rd parties
15. Proper reporting
16. Highlighting to the management
17. Record maintenance
18. Developing samples
19. Placement of orders to suppliers
20. Taking measures for consistent production
21. Taking preventive action to maintain the targeted performance in all areas of activities
22. Attending meeting with superiors and furnishing the required details about merchandising

Purchase order (PO) is received from the buyer which includes:
• PO no/date
• Buyer/Consignee
• Garment no
• measurement
• the description of the garment
• L/C date
• Last date within which shipment to be reach the destination.
• Sign and seal
• Order validity date

After receiving PO from the buyer merchandiser issues PO for the fabric unit, buttons, thread, dyeing unit, printing, embroidery and other raw materials. These raw materials’ are checked and color, quality and size approved by the merchandiser. 

Merchandising | Merchandiser | Garments Merchandising | Structure and Functioning of Merchandising

Merchandising

Merchandising is the department which mediates marketing and production departments.It is the methods, practices, and operations used to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity.It includes directing and overseeing the development of product line from start to finish. Marketing and merchandising department: A team of merchandisers and marketers work together under a profit controls head.Merchandisers handle the foreign buyers. The teams are made according to the buyers being handled.

Merchandiser
The person who is related in merchandising is called merchandiser. The merchandiser coordinates with the design team to effectively present the product or product line. He or she develops colors and specifications, and performs market research to determine the most effective ways to sell and promote the product. This person needs strong communication and negotiation skills and visual and analytically abilities. He or she also needs to be a creative and innovative thinker.

Types of Merchandising:

Two type of merchandising done in garment exports

1. Marketing merchandising.
2. Product merchandising.

Marketing Merchandising:
Main function of marketing merchandising is

1. Product Development
2. Costing

Ordering Marketing merchandising is to bring orders costly products development and it has direct contact with the buyer. 

Product Merchandising:
Product merchandising is done in the unit. This includes all the responsibilities from sourcing to finishing i.e. first sample on wards, the products merchandising work start and ends till shipment.

A Merchandisers key responsibility is as follows:

• Product Development
• Market and product Analysis
• Selling the concept
• Booking orders
• Confirming Deliveries
• Designing and Sampling
• Costing
• Raw Material
• Flow Monitoring
• Production Follow Ups
• Payments Follows
• Internal & external communication,
• Sampling
• Lab dips
• Accessories & trims
• Preparing internal order sheets
• Preparing purchase orders
• Advising and assisting production,
• Advising quality department about quality level
• Mediating production and quality departments
• Giving shipping instructions and following shipping,
• Helping documentation department
• Taking responsibility for inspections and
• Following up the shipment. 

Structure and Functioning of Merchandising