Production FAQ
In this section, we explain the processes involved in bringing your fashion visions to life. Find answers to common questions about sourcing, manufacturing, and quality assurance. Let us guide you through this crucial stage, where innovation meets precision to create exceptional fashion pieces.
What are the stages of production?
Initial Sample and Comments:
After receiving and commenting on your Initial sample, you can place a bulk production order.
Sales Order:
We provide a Sales Order outlining products, quantities, sizes, unit costs, and Terms & Conditions. You need to check and sign this order.
Deposit and Order Commencement:
Once the order is signed and deposit invoices are paid, your bulk order begins.
Bulk Order Commitment:
This allows bulk fabrics to be ordered, dyed, and labels and trims developed. Pre-Production sampling starts, with no further sample charges.
Pre-Production Sampling:
Refines your products, seeking approvals to start physical production. Pre-Production samples will be closer to the final product, including every style, colour, and branded labels and trims.
Approvals:
We work with you to secure all necessary approvals. Multiple Pre-Production samples may be required.
Physical Bulk Production:
Begins once all approvals are obtained. Production planning determines the timeline, typically taking 3-6 weeks.
Quality Control and Shipment:
Finished products undergo quality control, packing, and boxing. A Shipment sample is sent for final approval.
Final Approval and Invoicing:
Once the Shipment sample is approved, final production invoices are raised. Upon payment, shipment of goods is arranged.
Are there any minimum order quantities (MOQs)?
MOQs: Depend on product type, fabric, and country of manufacture.
Economies of Scale: More production leads to lower unit prices.
Typical MOQs:
Factories often start at 300 pieces per style per colour for optimal pricing.
Producing fewer than 300 pieces per style per colour increases unit costs due to surcharges.
Producing more than 300 pieces per style per colour decreases unit costs due to discounts.
Lower Quantities:
Possible to produce 200 or even 100 pieces per style per colour, but unit costs will be higher.
Below 100 pieces, costs rise significantly as it's treated as a large sampling run rather than production.
Practical MOQ:
Most customers start at 100 pieces per style per colour to balance cost and quantity.
Within the total quantity, sizes can be mixed, but there are limitations. See “What size breakdown ratio should my order include” for details.
What does "per style, per colour-way" mean?
Production quantities are always referred to as "per style, per colour."
Different Colours: The same t-shirt in two colours is two separate styles.
Different Prints: The same t-shirt in the same colour with two prints is two separate styles.
Each variation is considered a different style due to MOQs for fabric ordering, dyeing, cutting, stitching, and printing. This is why products are quoted on a per-style, per-colour basis.
What sizes should my order include?
You can split your total order quantity per style per colour into different sizes, but there are limitations:
300+ pcs per style per colour: No limitations on size ratios, fabric, print, or embroidery techniques.
200 pcs per style per colour: Maximum of 5 sizes.
100 pcs per style per colour: Maximum of 4 sizes.
You can choose any sizes (e.g., XS, S, M, L, XL) and the quantities per size do not need to be equal. For example, you can produce S20:M40:L30
for a total of 100 pieces, which translates to a ratio of S2:M4:L3
Will the delivered qualities match the ordered quantities?
Not necessarily. Factories often over-produce by 5-10% to account for quality control, removing faulty products before shipment. This can result in a surplus or shortage against the original order quantity. The industry standard tolerance for over or under shipping is:
100-299 pcs per style per colour: ±15%
300-999 pcs per style per colour: ±10%
1000+ pcs per style per colour: ±5%
Your final shipment quantity may vary within these tolerances. If the quantity exceeds or falls short, we will ask if you accept the difference or prefer a re-make. You will be billed based on the final shipment quantities, not the original order quantities.
What are the likely costs of production?
Early Stages: We can provide an average unit cost based on the product type, not specific to your design.
Tech Packs Completed: A more accurate unit cost can be given based on your bespoke design before moving into sampling.
Post-Initial Sample: Final unit costs are determined after the first Initial sample, considering fabric usage, workmanship, and any changes from your comments.
Unit costs vary with production quantity due to economies of scale.
For detailed information on unit costs, please visit our 'rates' section.
What does an "FOB" unit cost mean and are there any additional costs to consider?
FOB (Freight on Board) Unit Cost:
Includes the cost of the product, all labels, trims, prints, embroideries, Pre-Production sampling, and production management.
Does not include freight, duties, and import taxes.
Additional Costs:
Freight, Duties, and Taxes: Vary by product type and country of origin (CoO).
China:
Sea Freight: ~8% of order value
Air Freight: ~15% of order value
Duties: 12%
Taxes: 20% VAT (0% for children's wear)
Turkey:
Land Freight: ~6% of order value
Air Freight: ~12% of order value
Duties: 0%
Taxes: 20% VAT (0% for children's wear)
India:
Sea Freight: ~6% of order value
Air Freight: ~12% of order value
Duties: 8%
Taxes: 20% VAT (0% for children's wear)
We provide estimates for these additional costs when costing your products.
Other Cost Abbreviations:
EXW (Ex-Works): Cost up to factory exit, excluding export port delivery.
FOB (Freight on Board): Cost up to export port, excluding shipping, duties, and import taxes.
CIF (Customs, Insurance & Freight): Cost including shipping, insurance, and freight to import port, excluding duties and taxes.
DDP (Delivery, Duties Paid): Cost including shipping, insurance, freight, and duties to import port, excluding taxes.
LND (Landed): Cost including shipping, insurance, freight, duties, and taxes to import port.
We quote FOB prices, but ensure you know the terms if comparing with other suppliers.
How long will production take?
Production lead times depend on product type, fabrics, complexities, and sample approvals.
Sampling Process:
Pre-Production sampling is required for approvals before bulk production. See “Sampling FAQ – How long does the sampling process take?” for details.
Average sampling lead time: 3 sample rounds (1 Initial + 2 Pre-Production), each round ~4 weeks + 1 week for shipping and comments.
Total sampling time: 15 weeks (3 rounds x 5 weeks).
Bulk Production:
Starts after securing all approvals.
Production lead time: ~3-6 weeks.
Total Lead Time:
Average total lead time from initial sampling to bulk production: ~19 weeks (4-5 months).
Note: Lead time ensures correct and quality products, not just speed. Our goal is to ship correctly rather than to a specific date, ensuring all approvals and quality standards are met.
What quality control procedures are there?
We have multiple quality control procedures to ensure your products are produced correctly and to the highest quality.
Factory Quality Control:
Factories have internal QC procedures to avoid shipping poor quality goods.
Our Quality Control:
In-Line Checks: Continuous checks during production to catch errors early. QC checks fabrics, cutting, stitching, and printing.
End-of-Line Checks: Random checks on 5-10% of the total production after packing. If the random check fails, a larger percentage (up to 100%) is inspected. Faulty goods are re-processed or removed.
Customer Independent QC:
Customers can perform independent quality checks through internationally renowned QC companies, ensuring an extra layer of assurance. We can provide contacts for these companies.
What ethical policies do you have?
No Sweatshops: We do not work with sweatshops.
Audited and Accredited: All factories are independently audited and ISO accredited.
Fair Wages: Factories comply with local wage and fair pay laws.
No Child Labour: No children under 16 are employed.
Safety for Minors: No hazardous materials are handled by anyone under 18.
Proper Waste Disposal: Factories dispose of hazardous waste properly.
Health and Safety Compliance: Factories comply with health, safety, and fire safety measures.
Modern Facilities:
Clean and sophisticated environments.
X-ray machines and metal detectors for quality control.
Large canteen areas for staff.
Sophisticated shift schedules.
Employee incentives and bonus schemes.
Independent Audits:
Factories are independently audited.
Accreditations available upon request.
Do you source sustainably?
Yes, we work with specialist factories focused on sustainable production. Common sustainable materials include organic cotton, bamboo, recycled polyester, rPET fabrics, and faux/vegan leathers and furs.
Sustainability Requests:
6 out of 10 requests involve some element of sustainability, showing a growing industry trend.
Types of Sustainable Fashion:
Sustainable Fabrics: Ensuring fabrics are eco-friendly.
Low Carbon: Producing everything locally.
Fair Trade: Tracing the entire supply chain, ensuring fair pay.
Limitations:
Currently, no combination of all three types exists. You must choose the most important aspect:
Sustainable Fabrics: Typically sourced from Asia, not low carbon.
Low Carbon: Local production, but fabrics may be imported from Asia.
Fair Trade: Often linked to Indian production, not the same as ethical trading.
Conclusion:
Choose the sustainability aspect that matters most to you as combining all three is not yet feasible.
Do you produce in the United Kingdom?
Unfortunately, no. The necessary skill sets for garment production largely disappeared in the UK in the 1980s.
Limited Production: Some small pockets remain in places like Leicester, but they often do not meet our cleanliness and ethical standards.
High Costs: Local labour costs make UK production generally unfeasible.
Offshore Production:
All clothing and footwear manufacturing is done offshore.
Our factories are located in Turkey, Portugal, Italy, India, Pakistan, and China.
Why choose Rag Sourcing over direct factory sourcing?
We are a management company bridging customers and factories, helping design collections and source production. Here’s why you should choose us:
Experience: Years of expertise in the fashion supply chain with an established factory network.
Better Terms: We command better unit costs and lead times due to our high business volume with factories.
Avoid Uncertainty: Direct factory sourcing can be risky, with challenges in finding reliable factories.
Leverage: Individual brands with low order quantities often struggle to negotiate costs and lead times.
Industry Knowledge: We understand processes, stages, and industry terms, reducing the learning curve for you.
Simplified Management: We manage multiple product types across various factories and countries.
Focus on Core Business: Concentrate on marketing and sales, while we handle the supply chain.
Time Zone and Language Barriers: We navigate these complexities for you.
Quality Control: We ensure robust quality control procedures.
Our service often doesn't cost more than direct sourcing, thanks to our economies of scale, and you benefit from our team's expertise and experience. We are your one-stop shop for sourcing any product type, quantity, or fabric.
What are your sourcing terms and conditions?
Each bulk production order is subject to our Sales of Goods Terms & Conditions, included with every Sales Order.
To read these Terms & Conditions in advance, please find the links in our website footer.
Contact us for a free, no obligation, consultation.
We can discuss your project in more detail and answer some of the initial questions you may have.
General enquiries: info@rag-sourcing.com
Customer chat: Whatsapp
(Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00GMT)