BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT)

Course Title: Total Quality Control Management /

Lecture # 1
Introduction to Quality Control
Management

Prepared By:
Md. Rafiqul Islam Manik
Assistant Professor & Head
Dept. of AMM, BUFT
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
❑ Quality bears a great importance in the point of view from
buyers or sellers, users and manufacturers. Now-a-days,
its importance is increasing day by day.
❑ It is obvious that profit is related with product quality in
business. It is said that quality comes first and profit is its
logical sequence.
❑ It is important to maintain a level of quality for every
industry or business to get increased sales and better
name among consumers and fellow companies. Especially
for the business engaged in export business has to sustain
a high level of quality to ensure better business
performance globally. Companies who are into export
business hold the prestige of the country and due to this
generally quality control standards for export are set
strictly.
Introduction to Quality Control Management

❑ In garment industry, quality control is started right from

Definition of Quality
❑ In manufacturing, a measure of excellence or a state of
being free from defects, deficiencies and significant
variations is called quality. It is brought about by strict
and consistent commitment to certain standards that
achieve uniformity of a product in order to satisfy
specific customer or user requirements.
❑ According to ISO 9000, quality is degree to which a set
of inherent characteristics fulfills requirement. In
others words, quality is the totality of features and
characteristics of a product or service that bear on its
ability to satisfy a given need.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
Definition of Quality
❑ Quality can also be defined as a combination of the
characteristics or properties of a product which make that
product usable. The extent to which a product successfully
serves the purpose of the user during usage is called its
“fitness for use”. For a garment to be fit for use, the
following things need to have in it-
▪ It must be free from defects such as stains, material
defects, open seams, loose hanging (untrimmed) threads,
misaligned buttons and buttonholes, defective zippers etc.
▪ Must fit properly for the labeled size.
▪ It must perform satisfactorily in normal use, meaning that a
garment must be able to withstand normal laundering,
seams must not come apart, fabric must not tear and so
on.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
Definition of Quality
In short, we can define quality from different perspective;
❑ Quality is a customer satisfaction
❑ Quality means for use
❑ Quality is conformance to specified requirements
❑ Quality means zero defects
❑ Quality means value for money
❑ Quality means guarantee of confidence
❑ Quality means efficiency and productivity
❑ Quality means on time delivery
❑ Quality is a never ending cycle of improvement
Introduction to Quality Control Management
Why Quality is Needed to Maintain
❑ For customers satisfaction
❑ For employees satisfaction
❑ To reduce cost and earn higher revenue
❑ Improving time management
❑ Improving productivity whereby contributing towards
national growth
❑ To build up better relationship with customer on long
term basis
❑ To eliminate conflicts with the buyer
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
Factors that Influence Consumers Perception of Quality
Quality is a reflection of customers’ opinion on the value they
see in your product compared to that of your competitor.
There are some factors that influence consumers’ perception
of quality. These factors are:
❑ Price: Consumers tend to associate quality with higher
price.
❑ Technology: This indicates factors such as fabric and seam
strength, colorfastness, shrinkage and other properties are
affected by the state of technology in the industry.
❑ Psychology: A garment can be reasonably priced and the
best technology can offer, but if it is not attractive in
appearance, if it is not fashionable, if it does not meet the
aesthetic requirements of the customers, then it is not a
quality garment.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
Factors that Influence Consumers Perception of Quality
❑ Time orientation: This includes durability of a garment. If
a garment is more durable, then it is a quality product.
❑ Ethical: This refers to honesty of advertising, courtesy of
sales personnel and so on.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
This concept was developed by David A. Garvin, Professor of
Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
(i) Performance
▪ Performance refers to a product's primary operating
characteristics.
▪ Performance of a product often influences the profitability
or reputation of a company.
▪ For a garment product, performance would include good
colorfastness, good dimensional stability, durability, ease
of operation etc.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
(ii) Features
▪ Features are additional characteristics that enhance the
appeal of the product or service to the user. It is a second
dimension of quality that is often a secondary aspect of
performance.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
(iii) Reliability
▪ Reliability is the third dimension of quality which reflects
the probability of a product malfunctioning or failing
within specific period of time.
▪ It is closely related to performance.
▪ It is also a major contributor to brand or company image
and is considered a fundamental dimension of quality by
most end-users.
▪ Customers want to know whether the product will perform
well over its expected lifetime and perform consistently.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
(iii) Reliability
▪ Many brands have developed trust with customers because
of their reputation for reliability.
▪ In the case of clothing, reliability is equally important for
short and long term use. This dimension of quality would
mean how well an item would withstand effects of daily
wear and refurbishing.
Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
(iv) Conformance
▪ A related dimension of quality is conformance which
means the degree to which a product’s design and
operating characteristics meet established standards.
▪ It is commonly measured by the incidence of defects
that fail to meet specifications and so require rework or
repair.
▪ For clothing items, conformance can mean how well an
item meets design specifications such as sizing and
construction features etc.
Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
(v) Durability
▪ Durability is very similar to reliability but is not quite
the same. Durability is a measure of product life.
▪ Technically, durability can be defined as the amount of
use one gets from a product before it deteriorates.
▪ But the estimation of durability is very complicated.
This happens when the repair rate and the associated
costs increase significantly. Durability becomes the
amount of use one gets from a product before it breaks
down and replacement is regarded preferable then
continue repairing.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
(vi) Serviceability
▪ Serviceability involves the consumer's ease of obtaining
repair service (access to service centers or ease of self-
service), the responsiveness of service personnel (ease of
getting an appointment, willingness of repair personnel to
listen to the customer), and the reliability of service
(whether the service is performed right the first time).
▪ Clothing is often made of delicate materials, service
demands special attention. There should be a special
attention placed to clothes care labels (like; wash
separately, dry wash, ironing instruction etc.)
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
(vii) Aesthetics
▪ Aesthetics refers to how the product looks, feels, sounds,
tastes or smells. It is clearly a matter of personal judgment
and a reflection of individual preference.
▪ The aesthetic properties of a product contribute to a
company's or brand's identity.
▪ Faults or defects in a product diminish its aesthetic
properties.
▪ For clothing items, aesthetics means how well a clothing
item looks or how attractive it appears, which would be
influenced how well it fits the wearer.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
8 Dimensions of Quality
(viii) Perceived Quality
▪ Perception is not always reality. Consumers do not always
have complete information about a product's or service's
attributes; indirect measures may be their only basis for
comparing brands.
▪ A product's durability can seldom be measured directly; it
usually must be inferred from various tangible (faults that
can be seen clearly) and intangible (colorfastness,
shrinkage etc.) aspects of the product.
▪ Reputation is the primary and powerful stuff of perceived
quality. The customers believe that the quality of products
today is similar to the quality of products yesterday.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
Six Benefits of Quality
Various reports show that there are six benefits of quality.
Those are:
1. Greater market share
2. Higher earnings
3. Loyal customers
4. Higher growth rate
5. Premium price
6. Highly motivated employees
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
Quality Control (QC)
QC is a set of activities for ensuring quality in products. The
activities focus on identifying defects in the actual products
produced.
Quality Assurance (QA)
QA is a set of activities for ensuring quality in the processes
by which products are developed.
Introduction to Quality Control Management
Quality Assurance (QA) Quality Control (QC)
QA is a set of activities for ensuring QC is a set of activities for ensuring
quality in the processes by which quality in products. The activities
products are developed. focus on identifying defects in the
actual products produced.
QA is process oriented QC is product oriented
QA aims to prevent defects with a QC aims to identify and correct
focus on the process used to make defects in the finished product.
the product. It is a proactive quality Quality control, therefore, is a
process. reactive process.
The goal of QA is to improve The goal of QC is to identify defects
development and test processes so after a product is developed and
that defects do not arise when the before it's released.
product is being developed.
Everyone on the team involved in Quality control is usually
developing the product is responsible the responsibility of a specific team
for quality assurance. that tests the product for defects.
QA is a managerial tool QC is a corrective tool
Introduction to Quality Control Management
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
General Quality Control Activities in RMG Industry
▪ Inspect the all incoming, in-process & final goods to
ensure quality of goods.
▪ Make sure that all patterns & pattern grading are okay.
▪ Check the markers, marker making methods, marker
efficiency if it is okay and within consumption.
▪ Ensure the relaxation time that was given to fabric.
▪ Inspect spreading, cutting & numbering process in
detail.
▪ Engage in-line inspector in the sewing lines.
▪ Installing different inspection system in sewing line to
monitor quality
▪ Inspect 100% goods delivered from sewing lines.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
General Quality Control Activities in RMG Industry
▪ Inspect the table quality inspection for in line passed
garments with statistical technique.
▪ Control the reject garment so that they do not mix up
with quality passed garment.
▪ Have to control repairable goods, washable goods so that
they can be double checked to ensure quality.
▪ Check garment with right machine, tools and equipment’s
and in right conditions.
▪ Inspect ironing or pressing, folding techniques.
▪ Make repeat inspection of garments prior to poly-bagging.
▪ Inspect poly-bagging & assortment.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
General Quality Control Activities in RMG Industry
▪ Conducts final inspection in prior to shipment of
garment.
▪ Impart training to the concerned personnel so that they
can easily identify defects & understand the causes of
defects.
▪ Also arrange training to the concerned personnel on
statistical methods.
▪ Make continuous improvement plans & implement them.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
Activities/Job Responsibilities of Quality Controller (QC)
It is very important that as a quality controller you should
know what exactly QC's do in RMG industry. Responsibility may
vary from organization to organization but main job functions
are almost same.
Pre-production Activities:
❑ Auditing inward fabric and trims and ensuring only quality
goods are accepted.
❑ Involvement in product development and sampling stage
and take care of quality aspects of samples.
❑ Ensure that no faulty fabric is sent for cutting. If minor
fault are present in the fabric, defects should be marked
on the fabric and same thing must be communicated to
cutting department.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
Activities/Job Responsibilities of Quality Controller's (QC)
❑ Preparing audit report of the fabric and trims quality.
❑ Conducting pre-production meeting before production
start.
Activities During Production:
❑ Perform in line inspection and end line inspection in sewing
floor.
❑ Perform pre-final inspection and final inspection in
finishing department.
❑ Audit of the packed goods prior to offer shipment to buyer
❑ Responsible for analysis quality reports and prepare
improvement plan.
❑ Ensuring the right quality of the outward garment by
conducting quality audits in manufacturing process.
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
QC File
Usually quality controller carries a file which consist paper
document and all the approval related to a certain style to
ensure that quality parameters are following in the
production floor smoothly. The followings are the elements of
a QC file:
❑ PO Sheet (Style#, PO#, Fabric details, Shipment/delivery
date, price details etc.)
❑ Tech pack/Technical sheet ( Style details, Print &
Embroidery position, Label Placement, Stitch details)
❑ Spec Sheet /Measurement Chart
❑ How to measure guide
❑ Trim card with approval
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
QC File
❑ Fabric Swatch signed by Merchandiser
❑ Approved PP sample
❑ All sample comments up to PP sample
❑ FPT and GPT report
❑ Approved Test report of all trims and accessories
❑ Approved lab dip
❑ Approved fabric swatches of all color ways. If there is
contrast color combination it is mentioned in the file.
❑ Approved Print strike off and embroidery strike off
❑ Wash care instruction sheet
❑ Wash panel
 Introduction to Quality Control Management
QC File
❑ A copy of Time and Action calendar
❑ Packing list (size & color wise)
❑ Packing details (garments folding, poly size, carton size,
carton quantity, net Weight, gross weight etc.)