A Summer Internship Project Report on Role of merchandiser At Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. Department of Fashion Management Studies National Institute of Fashion Technology, Jodhpur (Ministry of Textiles, Govt. Of India) Submitted by Rohit kumar MFM Batch (2013-15) DECLARATION I, ROHIT KUMAR hereby declare that the internship project entitled “Role of Merchandiser at Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. In Apparel Fashion” submitted towards, partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Fashion Management is my original work and no part of project has been copied from any other reports or any other work carried by someone else which has been submitted for any other degree. However, any material taken from any other published source has been suitably referred and acknowledged at various palaces. Name: Rohit Kumar Roll Number: 2013125 Batches: MFM (2013-2015) Center: NIFT Jodhpur 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Upon completion of this project, I would like to express my gratitude towards the supervisor of this project Ms. Shikha Gupta for the opportunity to do summer internship. I am very grateful to Mr. Rohit sir for providing me opportunity to work in and get training in Shahi Export. Further, I am also extremely indebted to my Mentor Ms. Shikha Gupta, who guided me,. I would also express my sincere gratitude to Shahi Export and staff members. I want to express my appreciation to all those with whom I worked. Interacted and whose thoughts and insists helped me in increasing my knowledge and understanding of working in an organization. I feel great pleasure in presenting my high obligation to Mr. Rohit Sharma (DMM) who gave me the opportunity to undergo training at Shahi Export Pvt. Ltd. I acknowledge them with great sense of gratitude to Ms. Chetna Chugh (Merchandiser) and Mr. Mohit Malhotra (Sample Co ordinator) (my training guides) for providing their esteemed guidance and knowledge to help me in training. Finally, I owe my thanks to faculty members and Training & Placement Department of FMS of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Jodhpur for helping me to get through the summer training at this esteemed Organization. Signature of student 3 ABSTRACT This project is aimed at to understand merchandising process & role of the merchandiser. It begins with the introduction of the company i.e. company profile. Including introduction of the company, its plant location, capacity, history, financial turn over giving idea of Exports at Shahi Exports The merchandiser’s role & merchandising process in Shahi Exports It provides the detail on the objective: A view of different departments working in synchronization in order to process an export order. Giving a brief idea on the merchandisers & what role they play and merchandising role in Shahi exports. In the final a brief summary of all the documents used at the Shahi for export order is given and stages of sample in merchandise department from sourcing to production of product comprising of quality process and costing of product. It has been a great learning outcome from doing the internship by knowing the working of the export house how the merchandiser makes the sample, how to do costing of the garment providing the schedule of the process till the shipment through time and action calendar and negotiate and fulfilling the requirement of the buyer. 4 TABLE OF CONTENT Sr. No. Content Page No. 1. Introduction 06 2. Company overview 09 3. Major clients 12 4. Various department of Shahi Exports 13 5. Role of merchandiser 14 6. Division of work in merchandise department 15 7. Stages of Sample in merchandise department 21 8. Sourcing of Raw Material 28 9. Cutting Department 34 10. Stitching Department 37 11. Finishing Department 38 12. Quality process 41 13. Costing and calculations 50 14. Documentation for shipment 58 15. Care labelling 59 16. Learning Outcomes 61 17. Conclusion 62 5 INTRODUCTION MERCHANDISING The process of planning, developing and presenting product lines for identified target markets is called merchandising with regard to pricing, assorting, styling and timing 3 main components of merchandising – Line planning – Line development – Line presentation Planning&Control Documentation& presentations Market Knowledge Merchandising Interface with Suppliers Sourcing & Material management – 6 Product Knowledge Costing and negotiation Interface with buyer Fashion merchandising is the promotion of apparel sales and involves all of the tasks necessary to deliver the clothing requests and meet the needs of potential customers and designers. Developing campaigns, displays and advertisements, directing manufacturing and marketing, and creating sales strategies are all part of the job. Export Merchandising Merchandising has been to a large extent a function which was never clearly defined not distinctly performed in the Indian Apparel export industry of old. On one hand the merchandiser had the job of getting orders and had to execute them; doing the role of production coordinator in the same breath, whilst for others the job was only follow up of the confirmed orders. The merchandisers had often been used as glorified clerks with the job focusing on passing the information received from one source to another without any ‘value addition ‘to it. In the burgeoning market of apparel exports 80`s, Merchandising function was often assigned to fresh graduated of any discipline who were capable of responding to the queries of the customers in the English language. No other qualification was largely sought from them as the work was primarily decentralized and the merchants needed little technical knowledge. But the dependency on the technicians was inevitable. 7 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT 1) To understand the working of various departments in Export House. 2) To understand the role of Merchandisers from acquiring orders till shipment in an Export House. METHODOLOGY During the internship the basic key knowledge is gain through practical training in Shahi Export in Faridabad. The report is made by collecting the information and document from Shahi Export. And by the personal experience gain in the Shahi Export’s sampling department. In first week got introduction to company and its various departments. In second week worked under the merchandiser following her and got knowledge about the sequence of work to be follow while producing sample and production of mock .Third and Forth week involved in production of size set sample of two different styles. Fifth week learned shipment of samples to buying house and production of preproduction sample with the instruction by RND. Learned about various departments and started performing like merchant. Sixth week involved in making production file and handling over sample for production to production department and started working on new style. Seventh and eighth week learned to develop proto sample , fit sample size set sample and communication with buyer and supplier and the costing and planning of work 8 COMPANY’S OVERVIEW HISTORY A Shahi export was born in 1974 in Delhi. Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. is engaged in the manufacture and export of readymade garments in the International market. It is one of the largest export houses in India. The company started its operations in the form of a small fabrication unit with the help of 25 machines. The Company has grown from leaps to bounds from a simple fabrication unit to present turnover of USD.500 million, around 66000 employees and spread over 38 locations. It has manufacturing units in six different states of India viz. Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The Group is into manufacturing of a wide range of Men’s and Ladies wear and also in Home products. SHAHI group has all the modern units equipped with state-of-the-art technology giving the best to its buyers. Its manufacturing facilities includes Assembly Line Machines, Prima Vision system for print / fabric development, Meyer Fusing Press, Barudan and Tajima Multi Head Computerized Embroidery Machine, GGT International Pattern Grading Machines, in House Washing Plant, Automatic cutting machines (F.K.Systems). Production Capacity : 8.5 million -9 million units. per month Production Lead Time : 60 / 75 / 90 / 120 days Turnover of shahi in yr 2012-13 : 2750 crore Estimated Turnover of shahi in yr 2014 Special Machines/Facalities : 3200 crore Embroidery unit - two Barudan machines, : Pigment garment dyeing washing capability offering special wash finishes on knitted 9 garments produced in fine auto-stripes, jacquards, interlock and jersey. Name of the Company : SHAHI EXPORTS PVT. LTD Address : Telephone No : 0129-2273980/4044444 Fax No : 0129-2273485 Email Website : Primary products Industrial Plot No1 Sector-28, Faridabad ,Haryana,India-121008 delhi@shahi.co.in http://www.shahi.co.in Blouses : ,denim, dresses, T-shirt, Jackets/Blazers, Outdoor jackets , scarves, jewellery, trousers sweat/jersey vests , knits, leather garment, handbags, belts Factory established in year 1999 Total no of employees in Faridabad 5845 Unit Manufacturers & Exporters of Woven & Knit Nature of Business : Chairman : Mrs. Sarala Ahuja Directors : Date of Establishment : 14th May 1986 Apparel. Mr.Harish Ahuja, Mr. Girish Subhash tiwari Mr. Rajesh Bhatt Email: rajesh.bhatt@shahi.co.in Contact Executives : Ms.Sheetal Khanna Email: sheetal.khanna@shahi.co.in 10 Ahuja,Mr Mission o Be the most preferred competitive global supplier of apparel. o Be the most preferred employer in the industry. o Be a learning organization to improve & excel. Vision “Be the global best in bringing delight to human life by weaving dreams of fashion & feelings of comfort”. Values o Customer delight o Integrity & ethics o Respect for human values o Nurturing human talent o Continuous improvement CORPORATE VALUES "Guiding principles illuminate the path that leads to our destination.” SHAHI emphasizes on some guiding principles, which are indicative of the values it believes in and would like to continue in the organization. These are the building blocks for our Organizational Culture: The company believes in o High level of honesty and sense of responsibility. 11 o Two-way communication channel for all purposes of communication. o In sharing the fruit of growth, prosperity with its partners i.e. the employees. o In giving each individual room to contribute and grow. The company firmly believes that Team Spirit is the Hallmark of success. MAJOR CLIETS 1. Target 2. Gap 3. H&M 4. Tommy Hilfigers 5. J.C Penny 6. Kohls 7. Impulse 8. Streetone 9. S.Oliver 10. DKNY 11. Next 12. Old navy 13. Ann Taylors 14. Walmart 15. Espirit 16. Federated 17. Debenhams 18. J. Crew 19. Abercrombrie & Fitch 20. UCB 21. Levi’s 22. Bonita 23. Calvin Klein 12 24. Guess VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF SHAHI EXPORTS Merchandising Department Sampling Department Quality control Department Production Planning and Control Department Fabric & trims Sourcing Department Fabric Store and Inspection Department Trims Store and inspection Department Purchase Department HR Department Accounts finance department Industrial Engineering Department Computer Aided Design Department Computerized Embroidery Department Cutting Department Sewing Department Washing Department Finishing Department Packing and Dispatch Department Shipping Department Each department in the company works together, that is it works hand in hand. 13 ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN ROLE OF MERCHANDISER IN SHAHI Role of Merchandisers in apparel export house o o o o Key link between the factory and customer. Communicating the customer demands To ensure and assure quality Optimally using capabilities of the export house by generating enough profitable business Role of merchandisers in ensuring Quality o o o o o o o o o o o Provide correct and clear information on time to relevant departments Ensure fabric quality On time sealer sample availability Timely preparation of budget for fabric and trims Make sure to get the sources of accessories and fabric at as early as sampling stage of the style Ensure timely trims arrival Ensure right time submission to buyer to save time and reputation Ensure timely approval from buyers Identify possible problem in style and the ways to avoid them Discuss the style, its target with production team Conduct / be present for in –line inspection to anticipate defects and avoidance of the same in the future Role of Merchandiser in customer Satisfaction o Track customer satisfaction level on regular basis through structured formats 14 o Identify the gaps in customer satisfaction by analysing the customer complaints or routine communication o Customer feedback in the final inspection report by the customer o Acquire knowledge on problem solving techniques o Identify factors that will delight the customer. DIVISION OF WORK IN MERCHANDISE/ MARKETING DEPARTMENT Four main divisions is done in Shahi 1. Product Development (PD) 2. Merchandising 3. Production 4. Documentation PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Product development Through Designers Through Buyers Through Designers Designers create new design and showcase for buyer. After buyer review they select and advice to develop the liked design as it is or with some modification like change in fabric, lace, button, minor design change or even with reduce price, quality of fabric and trim 15 Through buyer Buyer provides their own techpak and accordingly asks for sample development. After receiving the sample some time they do change or if liked as it is they place order but very important is costing. Sometime costing meet an issue so Buyer reduce trims and fabric quality change Now after the design and cost is approved by Buyer the samples are produced for that design and these samples are called as Sales Man Sample (SMS). Sales Man Sample Merchandiser produces 10 to 50 Sales Man Sample in Base size as per Buyer requirement and send to buyer. Its goes to market as per customer like Buyer place order , sometime same design or may be with minor change. Than the merchandiser part start MERCHANDISING Merchandiser receive receipt of PO ( purchase order) , they check price ,quantity& colours 1. System entry is done by merchant Than CO(Customer Order) creation by merchant and send request to DMM for initial CO approval than DMM approve CO or can say for revise PO and again CO is made, than DMM do final CO entry and send for Approval and sended for documentation 2.Trim development , approval taken from buyer than order is placed to Supplier then the trim are done I/H (in house) then trims go in production 3. Fabric development: it’s a very curial and important step in production process as maximum cost of product or garment is of fabric. So first 16 Design sheet is made is computer for approval for check for example yarn dye plaid is made In this colours are mentioned intensity of colour is mentioned. Which colour yarn should be used in which place everything is clearly mention. This is sended for approval first to buyer for production of or development of fabric. 17 In the same way fabric prints are sended for approval Computerized Printout of Fabric Print If buyer approve the design than he may ask for sample for approved colour or all colours or may say to make change also, by making minor or major changes then after making change again the print approval is taken from buyer . After the print approval, supplier makes a desk loom for buyer or merchant Desk loom is small swatch piece which show the real concept of fabric and how the actual fabric will look like in actual colour made by actual printing machine or at actual loom 18 Digital fabric printing machine making desk loom Actual Deskloom Deskloom for yarn die plaid 19 After desk loom approval, buyer asks for Yardage. Yardage is 5 to 15 meters of fabric suppliers send to merchant for approval. Now here for solid colours is called as lab dip and for prints it is called strike off Merchandiser sends L/D or S/Offs to buyer for approval. They may ask for change in colour of print or they may or may not approve the L/D also. Buyer give comments also like colour is too yellowish correct it etc. Then again changes are made until signoff received. Signoff is the final approved fabric by buyer. Here buyer also asks for FPT as per their norms and standard. Buyer gives the list of tests he want to be done on fabric. After signoff the fabric is ordered and in housed my merchant Now according to the techpack given by buyer the sample are produced FPT and fabric tests are explained later in Quality process 20 STAGES OF SAMPLE IN MERCHANDISING DEPARTMENT This are the different samples made at different stages merchandising process and after the approval or getting comment and after correction next sample is produced. Mock stage: It is a rough layout of the sample which the company is going to produce. This is made by merchandiser to show the buyer 1. What type of workmanship the company is doing. 2. How the style will look like 3. What are the procedures which merchandiser is going to follow in production 4. To show certain parts for example collar mock, neck placket mock. Mock is produce by merchandiser to show the buyer for the approval of certain design, the changes which buyer want in certain design that look good or not etc. Proto stage: after the approval of the mock the merchandiser produce 3 to 4 proto sample which is a complete garment having all the characteristic and changes which buyer want ,this may or may not be made on approved final fabric , as this only made to show the final garment design which is follow-up by approved mock ,in this the seams and stitches are made according to buyer requirement ,merchandiser calculate the consumption of raw material and jot down the procedures which are carried out in the production of that garment so that he can do costing accordingly. At this stage the first costing is done by merchandiser. This costing is tentative as the sample is replica of the final garment and even at this stage nothing is finalised.one sample merchandiser make as his counter sample one is send to buying house and one to the buyer. 21 Sales man sample stage: 10 to 50 sample are made according to buyer requirement. The buyer asked for this sample because he sells this style in his store & records the selling of the new style. & if this style is good moving then he gives bulk order, decides quantity, by size & colour wise break up for the style. In SMS original fabric & trims are used. In SMS sample its not just that garment is stitched and sended to the buyer. In SMS also all the procedure which the production follower are done accordingly. Sample is not only cut stitched and finished and costing is done, here also the testing and quality checking is done. As the sample is not experiment it is also sold to final consumer. Approval for SMS is really crucial to any company. At this stage again costing is done this costing is base for getting order from buyer as uptil now the buyer did not place final order so costing and all procedure followed at this stage is very crucial. Fit sample stage: Twice or thrice merchandiser make counter or fit sample until buyer is fully satisfied with the fit of the sample. This sample is made exactly with the same fabric or trims. The dummy may be provided by the buyer or made by the export house is very important at this stage. As this sample is tested for dummy fit. The size of dummy is also according to the buyer standards and not all dummy can be used for all buyers, as every country and even every buyer has its own set standards which are provided before to merchandiser as Buyer manual. Size set sample stage: In production merchandiser make jump sizes to check pattern is correct for bulk cutting. The purpose of the size set is to check fit of the garment in different sizes.in this stage company develops samples in multiple sizes like 36, 38 and 42 . The buyer check size set sample and give feedback to company if anything need to be corrected. Sealer sample stage: the base size sample is made after doing the changes as per buyer requirement and sended to buyer. After the buyer 22 give approval. The sample is sealed for production on this merchant right comment which is to be taken care while production and this sample must be perfect or correct. This is the sample which represents the final requirement of the buyer and no changes are made after that .this sample along with production file sended to the production unit. As uptil now all the raw material likes fabric trims packaging etc. things are already in house for production. Sealer Sample Pre-production sample stage : All the above samples are made in sampling department. Buyer wants pre-production sample (PP sample) to be made in actual production line, so that operators know what are they going to make. This sample is made with actual fabric, trims and accessories and made by sewing line tailors. PP sample must be 23 approved by buyer or buying house merchants (technical persons) prior to proceeding actual production. TOP sample stage: Once production is online, few pieces is taken out in the middle of the production. Production pieces are sent to buyer as TOP sample. All buyers do not ask for TOP sample. Purpose is to cross-check whether factory is following PP sample specification or not. Production File is made for giving in production in which everything is clearly mentioned o PSD sheet(Project Style Details) o Fabric count/ construction, FBC Lots o Threads(shade no, ticket no, tex no) for all operations o EMB thread o Trim card (labels and buttons) o Final mini marker Shell Lining /Pocketing Fusing o Operation Bulletin o Final teck pack o Buyer PO Sheet o 2-Sealed Sample o EMB placement /Approved mock or Swatch o Approved FBC swatch o Approved Fusing Swatch with detail o Base pattern o Final Grading Sheet o Thread consumption report o FPT all Clear o GPT all Clear o Washing Details + wash STD 24 o Ironing Detail o Packing Instruction o TNA o FAB for R&D In time action plan merchandiser gives time to production to make bulk. As delivery is very important .Production need to plan shipment as per delivery date. Documentation Merchant have to inform documentation department 10 to 15 days before shipment of style. They talk to forwarders for shipment date and plan domestic transport than through Ship or Air Shipment. Other Documents used in merchandising process The following are the documents used in course of the process. Marker request Pattern request Sample request TRS (Trims Requisition) FRS (Fabric Requisition) Work order Purchase order o Fabric PO o Trims PO Purchase Invoice FPT (Fabric packaging test report) GPT (Garment packaging test report) The document or form is filled in the CRM to which is also called PO which comprise of Marker Request, Pattern request and Sample Request. Sample request comprise of all the process required for producing the sample that is from washing the fabric to pressing to cutting stitching finishing and packing. 25 Trim Requisition and fabric requisition is a form which merchant fill and request the store operator to issue as per requirement. This is hand written and signed by merchant. Work order or operation bulletin is made by IT department for calculation of SAM and also for the number of operator required for the fulfilment of producing the garment. Example of one of the operation bulletin is attached in Annexure. PO means purchase order it is a sheet given by buyer which depict the total quantity required with specification of style no and colour or any addition requirements .Fabric PO ensure the quality and quantity with specification of colour and print required by merchant for production. Purchase Invoice is actually a bill in which quantity and price with design code is written. FPT &GPT is the most important document for any export house, these are the test report which is attached to the document for shipment, given to the buyer, and even needed by export house to ensure its quality, this is very important as the export has to ensure the government that the product they are shipping to the other country is as per the rules of that country and requirement of the buyer. 26 Sample production by merchant Sample production Sourced fabric, trim for sample Tech pack given to CAD for pattern making FPT Pattern given for plotting RFD /cotton fabric etc dip washed for shrinkage PO is made Tech pack given for SAM calculation PO given for in work Pattern and fabric given for cutting Cutting ,trims given for stitching Garment send to finishing /wash if requied GPT Garment given to QA for final check and dummy check Buyer approval 27 Costing is done by merchandiser SOURCING OF RAW MATERIAL Two most important things before production are Sourcing of trim and Sourcing of fabric The raw materials used in sewing room other than fabric are called Trims. On the other hand we can say that which materials are directly attached with the fabric to make a garment are called trims. Like: Threads, buttons, lining, Interlining, zippers, labels, care labels, etc. (Interlining is used as shape forming / preserving materials.)Trims are sourced before production trims are order according to the requirement. Every trim has its own unique way to buy and prices and Quality inspection techniques for example thread are bought on scale of tex or tickets. Button are bought in Goss and weight, zippers and laces are bought length wise and labels are bought numerically according to the need or requirement SL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Trims Label (S) Button Zipper Padding Interlining Down Elastic Thread Twill Tape Stopper String/ Draw Cord Piping Cord Emblem Logo print D-Ring Swivel Hook Eyelet/ Grommet Collar Stay Cord Bell SL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 28 Accessories Poly bag Elastic bag Mini Poly bag Master Carton Inner carton Size clip P. P. band Tag pin Brass pin Collar stand Safety pin Gum tape Arrow sticker Scotch tape Barcode Sticker Defect indicator Tissue paper Back board Neck board 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Buckle Rivet Weaving belt Hook & Eye Velcro tape Seam sealing tape Shoulder pad Cable (Steel ware) Adjuster Recco Elastic Threads Shoulder Tape 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Butterfly Numbering stickers Hanger Size sticker Carton pad Both side tape Plastic staple Iron seal Clip Ball Chain Size Tag Carton Sticker Safety Sticker Plastic clip The most important and crucial part of garment production is sourcing of fabric. As fabric supply decides and disturbs the time and action plan, cost of the garment and all the process of production. According to the style and purchase order quantity the fabric is order to the supplier or vendor. In Shahi they have their own fabric production company that is Sarla fabric and there are other vendors who suuply fabric to Shahi export like Karma process RMP BVM Shivam Poorani Fab Devansh SVT City TEX Dhuhil Jagdamba Aayushi Fabric fabric R.S Expo Shahi dyeing G.G Fashion International SRS Fabric Fabric is supplied by the vendors, proper charts are maintained for the vendor supplies the time of order and delivery dates. 29 The order quantity and time of delivery is noted in the software when the fabric is IN/Housed and and at what place it is placed. Before storing the fabric in the store the fabric is tested for its quality different production houses use different technique and scales the SHAHI EXPORT follow 4 point system. Fabric if come in small quantity than the lots is checked manually. 30 And if the lots are large then they have a checking machine. Here the fabric is checked for different defects mark it with stickers and also not it down in files. According to the vendors Shahi has some acceptable standards also. Defects which mainly come in fabrics are Weaving defect Contamination Missing pick Stitch mark Reed mark Needle mark Missing end Wrong yarn Slub Loops Yarn slippage Stop mark Finishing defect Smash Miss pleating Handling stain Yarn pulling Pin hole Distortion 31 As the fabric is physically checked some swatches is given to laboratory for FPT. There different test are performed on fabric according to shahi and buyer requirements and if the fabric pass all the test then only it is in housed and use for our requirements. 32 FABRIC STORE PROCESS FOR POWER LOOM FABRIC *10% Inspection *100% shade lot FOR SARLA FABRIC *100% Inspection by Shahi QA team 8 Passed fabric is moved to passed location 33 CUTTING DEPARTMENT Fabric is issued from fabric store and given to cutting department her before spreading fabric is washed for shrinkage if required than it is steam pressed if required than is spread to spreading table according to the marker made. Spreading of fabric is done both mechanically and by machine according to the requirement. Spreading of solid cotton is mainly done by machine as not much complication are there in solid fabric and the spreading time reduce to 1/10 by mechanics by spreading machine so its cost and time effective Spreading requirement Shade Sorting Ply alignment Correct ply direction and Correct ply tension adequate lay stability Elimination of fabric faults Than marker is passed which is already design by CAD in a most cost effective manner and according to the features of fabrics including fabric defects 34 Then the marker is attached to fabric my pins and tape. After that the fabric is cut my portable knife or by stationary knife by the experience worker Mainly small pieces are cut by stationary cutter for better result. Another method in Shahi is automized cutting machine which reduces the time and is most effective as the error is less in automized cutting machine. 35 After cutting each pattern or bundle are ticketed, in each ticket style no. ,chalan no and lot no and size no is mentioned clearly so that no confusion occurs in production. After ticketing the bundles are made according to the style number size number and lot number which is then send to the stitching department or embroidery or printing department as per requirement. 36 STITCHING DEPARTMENT Bundles of cutting came to stitching room with trims and samples.QA came and tell the requirement and give adequate instructions to the stitching line supervisors. In Shahi each line have 16 to 20 stitching master over to them there are 1 to 2 supervisors. Sheetal madam merchandise and production unit have 2 lines allotted. Line division is very necessary and is done according to the order quantity. The biggest the order quantity the more is the no of lines u get. All these arrangements are planned by the merchandiser. In sampling unit each stitching master on an average stitch two garment in a day and on an average 25 to 30 unit of garment in one line depending upon difficulty level of the garment. Shahi has all needed and specialised machine to make quality garments. Shahi has following sewing machine Single needle lock/chain stitch Smocking machine Double needle lock/chain stitch Pintek machine 3 thread overlock / pearl hem Fagotting machine Four thread overlock Peko machine Five thread overlock Blind hem Six thread overlock Computerized zig zag machine Flat lock machine Feed of farm ( for side stitch) Shahi has 1000 operator and 1500 stitching machine Other machines which the stitching department have are as follows Collar turning machine Belt making machine Profile cutter 37 FINISHING DEPARTMENT Garment after stitching send to finishing as per operation bulletin. Then in finishing garment is send for checking first where the checker see the sizes and if any major defect exist in garment then garment is rejected and send to QA for inspecting the cause of defect .if minor defect is diagnosed or detected than the garment is send for alteration . All garments are not checked fully it up to checker .QA randomly select the garment and check it. Than the garment is marked for kajh and given for kajh making or as per processes planed . Than buttons is tucked than thread cutting first where all extra thread are cut .After that garment is send to spotting table or washing where spots are removed. In addition to finishing processes on textile garments would undergo washing processes that give them different handle or special color effects. The washing technique has developed and expanded considerably to become a finishing process of its own. The most common equipment is the rotary drum type garment washer. The most popular item by far in garment washing is indigo denim jeans but there is an increasing trend for other casual wear items to be finished using this process. There are a number of different washing techniques commonly used and the basic procedures where the garments are washed are described in the following Traditional garment wash This elevated temperature to yield a soft hand. In case of jeans made from indigo or sulphur slasher-dyed denims, it is necessary to remove the sizes (e.g., starch) by an enzyme (amylase) desizing treatment. Colour fading will be occurred and the degree will depend on the treatment conditions, such as time, temperature and liquor ratio of washing bath. Stone wash To accelerate the washing effect, pumice or volcanic stones can be added for abrasion purposes. There are available today man-made stones of various sizes and shapes. When compared with the traditional garment wash, colour 38 fading is more pronounced but less uniform. In addition to the treatment conditions as described for traditional garment wash, the degree of colour fading and change of garment hand feel depends very much on the stone ratio to fabric weight which can vary from 0.5 to 3: 1. 'White' washes This category of washing technique is a variation of basic stone wash procedure and is normally applied to indigo-dyed jeans but can also be applied to other vat-, sulphur-or reactive-dyed garments. It can further be divided into two major groups according to its application methods. The first involves the use of strong oxidizing agents such as sodium hypochlorite or potassium permanganate for bleaching the garments. The use of these agents is to obtain a much lighter shade than the previous two methods. Excess oxidizing agents must be removed after washing to prevent yellowing and tendering of the washed jeans. In the second group of methods, the pumice stones are first pre-soaked in a solution of strong oxidizing agent (either sodium hypochlorite or potassium permanganate) and are applied to the garments by dry-tumbling. This will result in a localized washing effect with clear blue/white contrast. This is also termed as 'acid wash', 'snow wash' or 'ice wash'. Enzyme washes Cellulose enzymes are commonly used in this washing method. These enzymes differ from that of amylase, used for removal of starches, in that they are only selective to cotton of other cellulosic materials. Hydrolysis of the cellulose causes the fiber to become weaker and depending on the degree of treatment, some surface fibers will be removed when subjected to fabric-tofabric or fabric-to-stone abrasive action. This washing method tends to produce a more level treatment especially when no stones are added during treatment and the general appearance and hand feel are superior to those of the other methods. 39 Then again garments are send to spotting where spots are removed. Than garment is send for ironing .different type of iron is done according to the garment and fabric type like Hard iron Soft iron with steam Steam iron After iron garment is send to final checking where thread ,finishing and all features are finally checked than garment is packed as per buyer requirement and some garment sample are send to the lab for GPT. 40 QUALITY PROCESS Quality Lab Equipment necessary to ensure basic parameters of fabrics is available in the in-house laboratory. There technically-qualified and competent quality control personnel make sure that international quality standards and norms are rigorously adhered to. List of Machines in Lab PHYSICAL TESTING Tensile Strength Tester POSSIBILITY OF TESTS : Strip & Grab Strength Single Yarn Strength Tear Test Button/Snap Pull Test Seam Slippage Zipper Strength Peel Bond Strength Stretch & Recover 41 Fabric Thickness Gauge Specialized equipment to determine the thickness of fabrics. Latest model with modern aesthetics. Maximum capacity 10mm & accuracy 0. 01mm. Portable & handy to carry anywhere. Smooth precision-engineered components for accurate results. Analog dial for measuring thickness in millimetres. Supplied with two pressure feet of different size for different type of fabrics. A standard Dead weight is provided with the instruments for accurate result. Crease Recovery Angle Tester Crease Recovery Tester determines the property of textiles to recover from creases by measurement of the recovery angle. Crease Recovery Tester at BTex Engineering is calibrated and of fine quality. 42 The specimen is first creased under specified load for fixed time and is then transferred to the measurement device, where one end of the specimen is held in a spring loaded clamp and other is allowed to fall free under its own weight. Now one need to read the scale fixed to moving clamp to know the deflection of the clamped end from the horizontal. This angle gives the measure of the Crease Recovery Angle. Beasley Balance Beasley Balance is used to measure direct yarn count Pilling tester Pilling Tester is designed to test the pilling (hair ball) characteristic of fabric and knit fabric cloths. Simulating the condition of when weaving materials are worn, it will have the appearance of lint. After rolling the specimen around a rubber tube and turning in a winding box for a period of time, it is then compared to a standard picture to determine its grade. Test results are usually determined after comparing with standard pictures, the average of four tests per specimen. 43 Thread count for reed/pick Projection microscope The projection microscope is the standard method for measuring wool fibre diameter, and all other methods have to be checked for accuracy against it. The method is also applicable to any other fibres with a circular cross-section Martindale abrasion tester To determine the abrasion and pilling resistance of all kinds of textile structures. Samples are rubbed against known abradents at low pressures and in 44 continuously changing directions and the amount of abrasion or pilling is compared against standard parameters. Crock-o- meter Crock –o-meter is also known as Rubbing fastness tester and is used to measure color fastness of fabric on rubbing. This test is designed for determining the degree of colour which may be transferred from the surface of coloured materials to other surfaces by rubbing. The machine takes its name from the term ‘crocking’ meaning the transfer of colouring matter or other substances from the test sample to a wet or dry cloth rubbed against it MBTL Light fastness tester MBTL fading lamp is used in order to determine colour fastness of textiles against sunlight 45 Tear strength tester Perspiro meter Sublimation fastness tester Digital incubator Twist tester Wrap reel IFB front –loaded washing machine for shrinkage Testing’s Carried out in Laboratory The following tests are performed at various stages to ensure that the finished product conforms to specifications. Physical Section Fiber Yarn Fiber Identification Yarn twist Blend Percentage Yarn count Maturity of Cotton Fabric Fabric construction Strength Color fastness Fabric serviceability Dimensional stability Fabric Construction A) Reed/pick B) Yarn count C) Yarn twist D) Fabric width E) Gsm F) Fabric gauge Strength A) Tear strength – ASTM method B) Tensile strength – ASTM method Color Fastness A) Washing fastness – AATCC B) Fastness to crocking – AATCC method method C) Sublimation fastness – AATCC D) Perspiration fastness – AATCC 46 method method E) Light fastness – AATCC method F) Chlorine fastness – AATCC method G) Sea water fastness – AATCC H) Fastness to solvent – AATCC method method Fabric serviceability A) Fabric drape – ASTM method B) Crease recovery angle – ASTM C) Pilling property – ASTM method method E) Abrasion resistance – ASTM D) Fabric shrinkage – ASTM method method F) Seam strength & seam slippage – ASTM method Dimensional stability A) Shrinkage B) Skew rotation C) Skew percentage Chemical and auxiliaries Dyes and pigments Percentage purity Performance test Moisture content Stability Solid content pH of the solution Viscosity Ionic nature Ph Compatibility Chemical oxygen demand Stability (ph, temperature, time) Nature of impurities Hardness Performance test Chloride content Density of the solution Sulfate ion content Calorific value Total dissolve solid (T.D.S.) Total suspended solids (T.S.S.) Water (c.o.d.) 47 Process control checks Computer color matching section Pick-up of each padder Caustic pick-up of mercerizes Dye and chemical ratio of cold pad batch machine Quality of silicate solution Efficiency of IR dryer In process trouble shooting In coming dyes, pigment and related auxiliaries testing. Recipe prediction Shade comparison Color solution dispensing 48 49 COSTING & CALCULATION Garment Costing Calculating the total cost of the garment is important, to determine its selling price as well as to determine whether the garment is worth manufacturing.... Freight Both air transport and sea transport are commonly used in delivering goods from one country to another. However, the calculation for the charges of air freight and sea freight are different, as follows: Conversion Table Yard to meter, Inch to Centimetre, Yard square to meter square..... Garments Calculating the total cost of the garment is important, to determine its selling price as well as to determine whether the garment is worth manufacturing. The costing will be determined by a few relevant criteria, as the cost breakdown will vary according to: The business nature of the company. (e.g., trading office, manufacturer) The payment conditions applied (e.g., F.O.B, C.I.F) The manufacturing conditions applied (e.g., CMT, CM) & The types of garments the company produces (e.g., woven , cut & sewn knits, sweater)Since in the industry there are no two organizations or factories that function in exactly the same way, methods of garment costing vary from company to company, tailored to the individual's requirement. However, the same data is necessary no matter dissimilarities exist or not. 50 Basic Shirt / Jacket [ A – Length, B – 1/2Chest, C - Sleeve Length, D – Arm hole, E - Hood ] Fabric consumption for shirt – Z Z=X+Y X = (A+3”) x (B+3”) x 2 Y = (C+2”) x (2D+2”) x (E+2”) x 2 Exam: Highest Length of the shirt = 30” Chest length (1/2 of Total length) = 20” Sleeve length = 25” Arm hole (1/2) = 9.5” X = (31”+3”) x (20+3”) x 2 = 1564” Y = (25+2”) x (2x9.5+2”) x 2 = 1134” Z = X+Y = 1564 + 1134 = 2698” Now divided by fabric width Say fabric width – 45” So, Z = 2698 / 45” = 59.955” Now merchandiser convert it inch to yds So, 59.955/36” = 1.66 yds / Pc 51 Basic Pant / Trouser [H – Length or height of the pant, J – Width through cross line] Pant = P P = (H+4”) x (J+2”) x 4 Say, H – 42” , J – 13.5” (42+4”) x (13.5 + 2”) x 4 P = 2852” = 2852”/56 (Fabric width) = 50.93”/36 ( yds) = 1.41 yds / Pc Sweater Yarn weight + wastage % = consumption FABRIC COST Purchase of finished fabric Fabric cost per unit garment = Finished fabric cost per yard x (1 + finance charge %) x fabric consumption per unit garment in yard Or = Finished fabric cost per meter x (1 + finance charge %) x fabric consumption per unit garment in meter 52 For example, The production of a piece of blouse needs 2 meter of 100% cotton sheeting fabric @ Rs 10.0 per meter. The finance charge is at 5% per meter. Then, Fabric cost per blouse = Rs 10.0/meter x (1 + 5%) x 2 meter = Rs 21.0 Purchase of greige fabric which needs to be further processed The calculation is similar to that for finished fabric but processing charges (such as printing, dyeing and finishing) need to be added. In Shahi merchandiser calculate the fabric cost by taking the average fabric consumption provided by CAD in marker planning and adding wastage in it, multiply by cost of fabric YARN COST Normally, yarn cost per unit garment is calculated by multiplying the yam consumption per unit garment In Shahi merchandiser give style techpack to IE and they calculate the total consumption of yarn, which is then feeded in software CRM for costing. PRODUCTION COST As for different types of garment, the production cost will be charged differently according to the different manufacturing procedures and the level of technology employed (such as computerized system vs. manual system) in the operation. However, in most cases, the manufacturer only quotes the total CMT cost to the buyer without disclosing the breakdown of costs involved in each operation. In Shahi, SAM is calculated by IE department, as merchandiser provide teckpack and style to IE department they do operation breakdown and allocate operator for each operation and give the average time for each operation. SAM is standard allocated minutes which is calculated by experience d person in this 53 field . They know and they have down research and recorded the average time in doing each operation and they also manipulate the operation accordingly and make calculation for that. Generally in Shahi they have slabs for efficiency and they calculate SAM in two way Software o General sewing data o Prosuit Manual Minutes x rating like 80% (efficiency slab) + Allowance FORMULA FOR SAM COST IN SHAHI SAM/efficiency % x 100 x 1.52 +20 OTHER COSTS Besides fabric cost and production cost, to determine the actual garment cost in FOB prices several costs have to be included as follows: Local transportation Duty Documents Miscellaneous Quota Profit margin In Shahi its little different as some more cost are also included in it like fuel electricity, salaries& incentives etc are also included 54 The equation to calculate the cost of a garment is : Fabric cost + Trims & Acc cost + Production cost +packaging cost + Local transportation cost + Document + overhead +finance charge +govt incentives = Per unit garment FOB Price 55 GLOBAL LOGISTIC CBM – Cubic Meter NOVCC – Non Vessel Operated Cargo Carrier FCL – Full Container Load LCL – Less Container Load ETA – Expected Time of Arrival ETD – Expected Time of Departure Sea CBM = Length X Width X Height (CM) / 1000000 X total No. of ctn = Length X Width X Height (Inch) / (1728*35.32) Air a. 7000 Cubic CM = 1 Kilo b. 6000 Cubic CM = 10 Kilo ( for Bangladesh) 1. Length X Width X Height (CM) / 6000 = Kilo 2. Length X Width X Height (Inch) / 366 = Kilo ** Volume weight per carton (Kg) X Number of carton X Cost of Air freight per Kg = Caring cost / Air 56 CARTON Type of carton DEPEND ON PAPER Khaki Carton Or Brown Carton Duplex Carton Box Carton DEPEND ON STITCHING Stitching Carton Now stitching /Gum Pasting Carton Or Metal Free Carton 3. DEPEND ON PLY 3 Ply Carton 5 Ply Carton 7 Ply Carton DEPEND ON LINER Both Side Liner Carton Out Side Liner Carton DEPEND ON SIZE Master Carton Inner Carton CARTON CONSUMPTION & COSTING CALCULATION Formula = ( Length x Width ) X ( Width x High ) x 2 + Wastage 57 DOCUMENTATION FOR SHIPMENT When merchandiser refers to documentation in the process of export, merchandiser usually refers to the preparation of documents which the shipper uses to collect money for the goods shipped. Therefore, this is the final of the transaction and an important step. Depending on how the payment term is set up between you and your buyer, merchandiser should prepare the documents accordingly. However, no matter it is L /C payment or DP, DA or open account, you must prepare your documents to satisfy the following parties. 1) The buyer’s bank who has open the L /C to you if it is L /C payment, otherwise you will have delay in receiving the proceeds of the goods you have shipped. 2) The customs, otherwise you will have delay in clearing the goods through customs. 3) Giving buyer the correct information in all respect, particularly all the packing details in order to enable him to distribute the merchandise correctly to the retail stores 58 INTERNATIONAL CARE LABELING The International Association for Textile Care Labelling (GINETEX) has developed a language-independent care labelling system in 1975. With an aim to promote voluntary care labelling on international basis, the GINETEX care labelling system (or international care labelling system) mainly uses symbols to provide care instructions. ISO 3758 1991 provides a code of reference for the use of these symbols. The system consists of five basic symbols and their full descriptions are shown in the following Washing 59 60 LEARNING OUTCOMES The purpose of industrial training is to acclimatize the students with the organization & the industry in which this organization exits. Summer training is a very important for each and every student .trainee are trained in such a way that after they come out, they manage the matter of organization in a planned and systematic manner. project is aimed at understanding the basics of export house. It include how an export order is processed and what all procedure we need to follow in the export of the garment. Training was a valuable experience in terms of understanding & learning & in future believe it will get fruitful result Key Learning Experience 1. Role of merchant in producing samples 2. Planning and control 3. Product knowledge including Fabric and trims 4. Interface with buyer 5. Costing 6. Filing the documentation 7. Arranging of material/trim fabric chemical etc in producing garment 8. Interface with supplier 9. Quality checks points 10. New techniques and products use for reducing the non-value adding activities 61 CONCLUSION During internship built upon the understanding, Merchandiser main role is follow up of his/her own time action plan, understanding the requirements of different departments and organising solution for it. Merchandiser should have enough knowledge about Fabric, Trims, Costing and calculation, Inquiry Sheet, Purchase Order Sheet, requisition forms, and other test methods and also operation which are non-value adding. Merchandiser must know the sequence of the operation by working in different department of export house. Merchandiser acts as a link between the buyer and the manufacturer. It is his/her responsibility of ensuring that the product is developed as per the requirements of the buyer. Merchandiser must have good communication skill as it is his responsibility to source raw material and services, producing sample, getting approval on samples and communicating with the buyer. Merchandiser is also the like between the production and the buying agent or buying house. Merchandiser work on number of styles at a same time ensuring that the production been done as per schedule and inculcate the solution of all the problems and expectation of buyer by arranging things required by the buyer as convenient as possible. 62