Belajar dari (sampai ke) CHINA

Apa yang tidak bisa dibuat oleh CHINA? Dari sekedar meniru berbagai produk Negara maju hingga mengkreasikan produknya sendiri. Berbagai jenis produk mereka bisa membuat dan memasarkannya! Dari sekedar tusuk gigi, mainan anak, makanan, sandang, asesoris, elektronik hingga permesinan dengan teknologi mutakhir. Sulit mencari produk yang tanpa label Made In China. Hebatnya lagi mereka mampu memasarkan berbagai produknya tersebut ke seluruh dunia sesuai dengan kualitas dan harga produk yang mereka ciptakan. Meski terkadang kualitasnya menengah ke bawah namun soal harga produk China sangat memenuhi selera konsumen terutama di Negara berkembang. Industri di China juga berkembang dari hulu ke hilir semua industry tersuport dari bahan baku, permesinan hingga tenaga kerjanya. Sebagai salah satu Negara berpenduduk terbesar di dunia China mampu mengoptimalkan potensi sumber daya alamnya dan sumber daya manusianya.

China tidak pernah merasa malu untuk mengembangkan industry yang berteknologi rendah. Hampir semua barang yang dibutuhkan manusia mereka mampu membuat sekaligus memasarkannya. Ketertinggalan teknologi dari Negara maju mereka siasati dengan meniru produk dari Negara maju. Meski kualitas produknya tidak sehebat aslinya namun dari sisi harga China mampu membuatnya jauh lebih murah. Cerdasnya lagi mereka mampu mencari tempat-tempat pemasaran yang sesuai dengan kualitas dan harga dari produknya. Mereka juga sangat percaya diri dan mampu mengembangkan brand Made in China meski produk tersebut meniru dari produk Negara lain yang lebih maju. Industri China juga memiliki value chain yang baik semua tersuport dari hulu ke hilir.

Mengapa kita tidak meniru China?………………………………………………………

The Apparel Production Process

From: “Fashion Forward Introduction to the Apparel Industry February 2002″  prepared Assessing the Future of Apparel Manufacturing in Los Angeles County by Los Angeles Regional Workforce Preparation and Economic Development Collaborative

Apparel manufacturing involves at least 14 different steps, beginning with the idea or design

concept and ending with a finished product.

Research and Development

Market research is the first step in the apparel production process. Market research can be

defined as “the systematic and objective approach to the development and provision of

information for the marketing management decision-making process.”7 Designers and

merchandisers may conduct market research in order to forecast fashion trends. Trade

associations also conduct market research to provide important information to apparel

manufacturers.

Market research can be divided into two main categories: consumer research and market

research. Consumer research generates information about consumer behavior and

characteristics. Consumer research is conducted formally and informally, using a variety of

methods. Information may be collected by polling consumers in target demographics, as well as

by observing what youth wear. Designers tap both formal and informal sources—trade

publications, popular media (such as consumer magazines and newspapers), television, movies,

sports figures, retailing reports, trends popular in Europe, and ethnic attire—for clothing

inspiration.8

Market research includes both short-range and long-range forecasting. Short-range forecasting

includes:

• Analyzing consumer spending patterns,

• Tracking sociological, psychological, political, and global trends,

• Researching business trends (such as new computer technologies), and

• Studying competitors’ products and tracking what is selling at retail.

In contrast, long-range forecasting includes:

• Determining the desired increased sales growth for a company,

• Predicting retailing changes, and

• Studying competitors’ products and tracking what is selling at retail.

In addition, companies and designers research color, fabric, and trimmings for each clothing line.

Designers often collect fabric swatches and garments for future inspiration. These may include

antique fabrics and trims as well as clothing or fabrics from other countries and cultures.

Product Design

Many apparel companies hire both merchandisers and designers as part of their design and

development team. Merchandisers often oversee and guide the design team to determine what,

when, and how much apparel to produce. At planning meetings, designers use concept boards to

present their ideas to the development and management teams. These concept boards are

typically collages of color and fabric swatches, fashion sketches, and magazines photos that

capture the theme or mood of the design ideas. Previous season’s sales figures, sales forecasts

for the new season, and the overall outlook of upcoming seasons will also be discussed in these

planning sessions.

Designers begin to materialize their ideas using hand sketches, off-the-rack garments, technical

drawings, three-dimensional draping on dress forms, or computer-aided design (CAD). CAD is

becoming increasingly popular, partially due to the ease with which images can be redrawn,

altered, and modified; and partially attributable to the active marketing efforts of apparel

computer system manufacturers such as Gerber Technology, Lectra Systems, Pad Systems, Inc.,

Snap Fashun and Tukatech, Inc.

After the design team reviews the line, designers transform those final designs destined for actual

production into sample garments. If the product is to be made offshore, the final designs are

translated into garment specification sheets. A garment specification sheet consists of all the

important information required to complete a pattern and prototype of the design. Increasingly,

garment specification software programs facilitate this process.

Fabric Selection and Inspection

Designers specify the fabric as part of their design concept. Designers may develop new styles

for fabrics that have been successful. In other cases, untested fabrics may inspire new designs.

Once the final fabric has been determined, the manufacturer contacts a textile supplier and places

a tentative order for that fabric (also called “taking an early position”), based on estimates of the

line’s sales.

Apparel manufacturers inspect the fabric stock upon arrival, so that any fabric irregularities are

caught early in the production process. Textile producers also generally inspect fabrics before

sending them to manufacturers. These inspections are an important part of quality control, which

takes place at nearly every stage of apparel production.

New fabric printing technologies have dramatically decreased the amount of time between

ordering a fabric sample and receiving it, if the yarn and base fabric are available. For short-run,

limited volume apparel, man-made fabric sample prints can be designed and printed in less than

48 hours. For larger volume orders, fabric printing can take up to 10 weeks.

Patternmaking

Once a designer has completed a drawing of a garment, it is transformed into a sample pattern.

“Patternmaking” is the process of creating all the correctly sized pieces needed to make a

complete garment.

For many smaller manufacturers, pattern making is still done on paper because the cost of

computerized systems remains prohibitive. The patternmaker may use one of the following

techniques to develop a sample pattern. S/he may “manipulate” a new pattern by using

geometric rules to modify or alter existing pattern pieces. S/he may translate a design that has

been “draped” and pinned on a dress form by converting the shapes of the draped garment

sections into paper pattern pieces. Alternatively, s/he may pin pieces of muslin to a garment

being copied and rub tailor’s chalk over the seams and darts, making a “muslin rub.” The chalk

markings are then used to create a flat paper pattern.

From this initial pattern, a sample garment is developed. The sample process allows a designer

to correct any problems inherent in translating a one-dimensional sketch into a two-dimensional

garment; it ensures that the designer’s fabric yardage specifications are accurate; and it provides

an opportunity to spot potential production problems inherent in a design. Once the sample is

made, the manufacturer makes a small batch of duplicates for its sales force to test market. If

they sell well, the garment goes into larger volume production.

Although many firms still make patterns by hand, larger manufacturers make production patterns

on a computer using CAD software. Other systems have been developed that allow

patternmakers to create patterns manually by using a life-sized, sensitized table and a stylus

attached to a computer. As the patternmaker indicates points with the stylus, the pattern pieces

are automatically entered into the CAD system where they can immediately be accessed for

grading and marking. Although pattern making is becoming increasingly computerized,

patternmakers still must learn the manual method because making patterns manually develops an

advanced understanding of garment construction, knowledge that cannot yet be replaced by a

computer.

Grading

Patterns initially are made in only one size. In order to produce clothing that fits various body

types and sizes, the pattern pieces must be increased or decreased geometrically to create a

complete range of sizes. The process of resizing the initial pattern is called “grading.” Each

company determines its own grade specifications for each size, and size specifications vary

slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Although many small firms still use traditional grading methods, grading, like patternmaking, is

becoming increasingly computerized. Using a CAD system, the pattern can be resized according

to a predetermined table of sizing increments (or “grade rules”). The computerized plotter can

then print out the pattern in each size. Because the productivity gains are so great, small- to

medium-sized manufacturers are beginning to acquire their own CAD systems for grading.

Alternatively, they may use an outside grading service to perform this function.

Marking

Once the pattern is graded, the fabric must be prepared for cutting. In order to spread the fabric

properly, the spreader must know how the pattern pieces will be placed on the fabric. “Marking”

refers to the process of placing pattern pieces to maximize the number of patterns that can be cut

out of a given piece of fabric. Firms strive for “tight” markers largely because fabric is one of a

manufacturer’s most significant business costs, often exceeding the cost of labor. Although

markers can be made by hand or using CAD software, the computerized method is up to eight

times faster. Once a marker is completed, a CAD system can use a plotter to print a full size

layout on a long sheet of paper. This layout becomes the guide for the cutter.

Spreading

“Spreading” is the process of unwinding large rolls of fabric onto long, wide tables in

preparation for cutting each piece of a garment. The number of layers of fabric is dictated by

the number of garments desired and the fabric thickness. Spreading can be done by hand or

machine. Depending upon the fabric and cutting technology, up to 200 layers of fabric may be

cut at one time. Fabrics that are more difficult to handle are generally cut in thinner stacks.

Cutting

Once the marker is made, pattern pieces must be cut out of the specified fabric, a process called

“cutting.” Currently, several cutting techniques exist, ranging from low- to high-tech.

Although scissors are used very rarely—only when working with very small batches or sensitive

fabrics—cutting continues to be done by hand, particularly in many lower volume

establishments. Here, cutters guide electric cutting machines around the perimeter of pattern

pieces, cutting through the fabric stack. An electric drill may be used to make pattern notches.

The accuracy and efficiency of this system is considerably less than in computerized cutting

systems.

Computerized cutting systems are achieving more widespread use as technology costs decrease

and labor costs rise. These computer-driven automated cutters utilize vacuum technology to hold

stacks of fabric in place while cutting. Cutting blades are sharpened automatically based upon

the type of fabric being cut. Gerber Garment Technology manufactures one of the most

commonly used cutting systems. This technology has the advantage of being highly accurate

and fast, but does cost considerably more than other cutting techniques.

Bundling

“Bundling” is the process of disassembling the stacked and cut pieces and reassembling them in

production lots grouped by garment unit, color dye lot, and number of garments. Manufacturers

use a variety of bundling methods depending upon their needs, with four basic systems being the

most common among local manufacturers10:

1. Item bundling – all pieces that comprise a garment are bundled together.

2. Group bundling – several (10-20) garments are put together in a bundle and given to a

single operator or team to sew.

3. Progressive bundling – pieces corresponding to specific sections of the garment (such

as sleeves or a collar) are bundled together and given to one operator. Other

operators sew other parts of the garment, which are then assembled into the finished

garment in the final phase.

4. Unit production system (UPS) – individual garment pieces are delivered to sewers

using a computerized, fully mechanized “assembly line” that runs throughout the

manufacturing facility. Using a UPS computer monitoring system, a manufacturer

can fully track the production of a garment, identify where sewing slowdowns are

occurring, and reroute garment pieces to other sewers who work more quickly.

Gerber Garment Technology Inc. manufactures a UPS system, which eliminates the need for

passing apparel piece bundles from worker to worker. This lowers labor costs because

employees spend less time handling bundles and more time sewing. It also facilitates short-cycle

manufacturing.

Modular or “team based” manufacturing is another type of bundling that combines some of the

above characteristics. Developed in Japan, it is the grouping of sewing operators into teams of

eight to ten. Rather than each sewer performing a single task, they work together on a garment

from start to finish. One-third of the U.S. apparel industry has switched to either unit production

or modular manufacturing. In Los Angeles, however, only a few major manufacturers engage in

computerized unit production (constituting about ten percent of total production) while the

majority of contractors still use progressive bundling.11

Bundling workers also carry out important quality control functions. They inspect the garment

pieces for cutting problems, fabric irregularities, or any other problems that may have occurred

in production thus far.

Sewing

This is the main assembly stage of the production process, where sewers stitch fabric pieces

together, and a garment is assembled. Computerized sewing machines, costing upwards of

$100,000, can be programmed to sew a specific number of stitches to perform a standard

operation, such as setting a zipper or sewing a collar. However, even though new machines

mechanize and hasten the sewing process, sewing remains largely labor-intensive.

There are four general types of sewing machines: single-needle machines, overlock machines,

blind-stitch machines, and specialized machines. Single needle machines are most common, as

are their operators. Because operating more complicated machines requires additional training,

there is frequently an oversupply of single-needle operators and a shortage of sewers who can

use other machines.

Sewers need to be familiar with many different types of fabric and how to stitch each, but they

usually specialize in a particular fabric or a particular machine. Working with cotton knit fabrics

is very different from working with denim, silk, or linen. Learning how to work with each fabric

type is part of the training—usually informal—that sewers undergo. Sewers may also specialize

in zipper-setting, embroidery, and other hand stitching techniques.

Sewers may also affix labels. Certain labels identify the garment as belonging to a particular line

and designer. Other labels inform the consumer of fabric content, care instructions, country of

origin, size, or production by a union shop.

Pressing or Folding

Some pressing, termed “underpressing,” may be done in the course of assembling a garment, for

example, pressing seams open or ironing a collar. Most pressing is done after assembly to

improve the appearance of a garment. In other cases, especially with knits, garments are simply

folded instead of pressed. Although pressing remains largely a manual task, new automated

processes exist that apply force and steam to garments placed over a body form.

Finishing and Detailing

“Finishing” is the addition of special detailing such as pleats, embroidery and screen printing to a

garment. This includes hand stitching (unseen handwork done inside collars and lapels to give

them shape) and its automated substitutes. This may also include adding buttons, hooks, eyes, or

trims, as well as clipping loose threads. All finishing of moderate- and lower-priced garments is

done by machine.

Dyeing and Washing

For some garments, dyeing is done after final assembly in order to ensure a perfect color match

for items intended to be worn together. In jeans manufacturing, washing is often a final stage in

finishing in which various washing techniques are used to give denim a ‘stonewashed’ look, or

faded, bleached, and aged appearances.

Quality Control

Quality control helps to ensure that all products meet production standards and match the

original sample. Quality control occurs throughout the production process, but once a garment is

constructed, quality controllers perform a final check. Quality controllers inspect garments for

sewing irregularities, uncut threads, measurement errors, fabric imperfections, and other similar

flaws.

Ticketing and Bar-coding

Increasingly, retailers request that manufacturers supply them with “hanger ready” garments; in

other words, the garments must be pre-ticketed with bar-coded price tags attached and hung on

the hangers the retailers will use. Previously, retailers were responsible for ticketing, but

retailers have shifted this burden to manufacturers. A contractor or a distribution warehouse

routinely handles the ticketing.