Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
In-process quality control is the quality control that takes place throughout the process of fabric production or garment production, rather than only after production is complete. It is also referenced as inline inspections or inline audits. A final audit alone can control outgoing quality, but relying on it is not recommended: without an effective in-process program, the cost of excessive seconds and repairs may be high. It is far more effective to correct a problem at the operator level than after the garment is completely assembled, pressed, packaged and prepared for shipping — and good in-process controls help assure that the final audit runs smoothly and merchandise is delivered on time.
In-Process Quality Control by Apparel Search - Terms of Interest to the Fashion Industry
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If you could not guess from the name,
"in-process quality control" is actually
quality control steps that take place
thought the process of fabric production or
garment production. This is also often
referenced as "inline" inspections or inline
audits. As opposed to simply doing audits
after the completion of production.
One of the keys to producing good quality merchandise is an in-process quality control program. Although it is possible to control your outgoing quality with only a good final audit, it is NOT recommended to simply rely on that approach. Unless you install an effective in-process quality control program, your cost of excessive seconds and repairs may be high. It is far more effective to correct the problem at the operator level, then after the garment is completely assembled, pressed, packages and prepared for shipping. Being able to deliver your merchandise on time is important to your customers. Good in-process controls help assure that the final audit runs smoothly and allows for timely delivery. You certainly do not want to learn in your final audit about problems that could have easily been fixed if detected earlier.
The primary purpose of the in-process auditing is to identify problems as early as possible. A problem may be caused by the operator, the machine, or other factors. The inline audits will help you find specific problems in production. The only way to fix a problem is to find the problem. It is important to find errors as quickly as possible so that they can be corrected as fast as possible.
Some companies will do their own inline inspections and others will utilize inspection services.
If you are
looking to utilize 3rd party inspection
services, you can check the
apparel
inspection services section.
Learn about
top of production and
work in progress from our apparel
industry glossary.
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An inline audit is diagnostic as well as protective. When the same defect appears across garments coming off one line, the audit points to a specific cause — a particular operator’s technique, a machine setting, or a material issue — and production can be corrected at that point instead of repeating the defect through an entire order. Companies run these inspections in different ways: some do their own inline inspections with their own quality staff, while others bring in outside inspection services, but the structure is the same — checkpoints during cutting, sewing and finishing, each one cheaper to pass than a failed final audit.
Quality control is also a delivery tool. Merchandise that reaches the final audit with its problems already found and fixed passes smoothly and ships on time; merchandise whose problems surface only at the end faces rework, repair and delay at exactly the moment the customer is expecting shipment. That is why experienced manufacturers treat in-process quality control as part of production planning, not as an optional inspection layer added on top of it.
Quality control steps that take place throughout fabric or garment production — inline inspections and inline audits carried out while work is in progress, instead of audits performed only after production is complete.
Because problems found at the final audit are expensive: the garment is already assembled, pressed and packaged, so corrections mean repairs and seconds. In-process checks find a problem at the operator, machine or process level while it can still be corrected quickly and cheaply.
To identify problems as early as possible. A problem may be caused by the operator, the machine or other factors; the only way to fix a problem is to find it, and the earlier it is found, the faster it can be corrected.