Usually in the RMG sector, the buyer wants to know the institutional self-capacity of its suppliers through technical audits and conforms itself to its product quality and process engineering or quality requirements to get an idea of what future product quality might be like.
Different types of buyers do this technical audit under different names such as QS audit by H&M and FCCA audit by Walmart and product safety audit by ZARA buyers etc. So today I tried to share with you in a short form from some blog posts and my own experience.
What is technical audit?
Technical Audit is a very important function for garment manufacturing. Every buyer does a technical audit before placing an order in any garment factory. Usually before starting business with a new supplier or supplier, the supplier wants to improve the quality of its existing supplied products, by keeping the quality level upgraded it is very important to review the factory's self-capacity to ensure that it meets the customer's requirements.
Technical audit is a thorough verification of a supplier's manufacturing process and quality control system that is considered a systematic approach to meet customer quality.
What is the purpose of technical audit?
The objectives of technical audit of buyers in garment manufacturing companies are as follows:
1. To ensure that the QMS system is functional.
2. To maintain an audit quality control system.
3. To ensure compliance with customer quality standards.
4. To ensure customer's requirement of manufacturing and process control.
5. To apply best practices in garment manufacturing.
6. To ensure effectiveness, efficiency, improvement and customer satisfaction.
7. To build long-term excellence and sustainable relationships as a supplier by maintaining the quality of the customer's products.
Types of technical audit?
Generally there are three types of technical audit.
1. Internal Audit / Fast Party Audit:
Internal audit or fast party audit is performed by the internal auditor of the factory appointed by the factory management. The internal auditor's report is considered very important for the proper management of the factory, the top-management evaluates the report and takes corrective action accordingly. Here the supplier gets the opportunity to improve itself according to the customer's quality and technical needs through its own (internal) audit system.
2. Customer Audit / Second Party Audit:
When this is done by the customer or buyer, they report it to the supplier so that they can take corrective action. This is usually done through a scoring or rating system.
3. External Audit / Third Party Audit:
A third-party audit is an external independent audit system commissioned by a customer or authorized party to verify the quality or standards and requirements of their processes. A third-party is a contracted organization that acts on behalf of the customer, prepares reports or certifies the supplier for a specific period of time.
Is the technical audit on all categories and topics?
The sections and subjects on which technical audit is conducted are mentioned below:-
1. Factory warehouse
2. Trim and Accessories Area
3. Inspection of fabric
4. Cad
5. cutting
6. Pre-production
7. Fusing
8. swing
9. Finishing
10. Final inspection or final inspection
11. Quality control or quality control
12. Packing / Finished Products
Factory Warehouse:
1. Product identification, FIFO-LIFO, storage item tracking system and inventory.
2. Mold prevention systems, relative humidity or relative humidity %, and its control system methods.
3. Trim, accessories and fabric storage using pallets or racks.
Trims and Accessories Inspection:
1. Approved trim cards for each running style.
2. Inspection procedures and lighting systems.
3. Reject item isolation and isolated area for same.
4. Internal test report of all trims and accessories provided by third party or supplier.
5. Complaint and replacement and submission of document or documents to the supplier against the failed product or products.
Fabrics Inspection and Procedures:
1. Fabric inspection system, procedure, and report checking (following 4-point or 10-point system.
2. Accuracy of Shrinkage or Shrinkage Tests.
3. Light-box for Shade Evolution.
4. Color evolution and shade grading as per customer requirement.
CAD:
1. Checking pattern library and e-pattern library.
2. Marker calibration, verification (pattern or dice, bundle, direction) and report.
3. Making individual patterns according to the type of shrinkage.
Cutting:
1. Checking grain line/notch indication, cut mould, stripe and matching indication.
2. Pattern measurement for verification.
3. Keeping the fabric cutting process sequence correct.
4. Fabric relaxation method and its report and documentation.
5. Spreading Quality Control - Table Marking-Ends-Leaning-Tension-Narrow Goods-Remnants-Ply Count-High-Marker Placement-Fabric Defects or Floss.
6. Cutting quality control- miss cut-rugged cutting-notch-matching plies and pattern check.
7. Bundling and numbering separation, its accuracy and correct reporting of swings.
8. Cut Panel Inspection
9. Preventive maintenance system and report system.
10. 5S implementation efforts.
11. Using all types of personal protective equipment. Cutting safety equipment: hand gloves, mask.
Sampling and Pre-production:
1. Pre-production meeting and document keeping for each stalling.
2. Sampling and pattern correction before starting bulk.
Fusing:
1. Checking that interlining bonding strength, temperature, time and pressure are correct.
Sewing (Swing):
1. Making Specs for Proper Swing Allowance vs. Machine Stitched Goods and Before Wash Measurements.
2. Needle control principles; Sharp tools and staple control.
3. Preventive maintenance system and report system.
4. Roaming QC Audit System.
5. Overlock machine fabric trimming check, use of guides to maintain proper seam allowance.
6. Approved trim cards and approved samples for each running style.
7. In-process quality checkpoints, defect type records, and alteration reports.
8. Mockup (with written instructions) or JQS (Job Quality Standard) for each swing operation.
9. Checking the construction, seam quality and overall garment appearance.
10. Garment measurement and construction checking compared with approved samples and specifications provided by the customer.
11. Seam puckering, SPI, stitch tension, needle marks and other stitching qualities.
12. Approved lighting conditions at all QC checkpoints, lux and checking reports as per customer requirements.
Finishing:
1. Pull test of snap and shank buttons and check of calibration of pull tester machine.
2. Quality inspection system and checking reports.
3. Metal and needle detection in place and function Checking place and function.
4. Garment measurement method as per customer requirement.
5. Preventive maintenance system and reports.
6. Excessive WIP, dumping of excess garments in the finishing work area.
7. Approved lighting conditions at all quality check points, lux as per customer requirement and its checking report.
8. Pressing system (temperature, stream, iron-su and its head).
9. For finishing stickers and folding approved samples or hanging data provided by the customer.
10. Finished Garments AQL Audit.
11. Continuing efforts to implement 5S.
Carton Warehouse:
1. A system or method of keeping cartoons.
2. Mold prevention systems, relative humidity or relative humidity %, and its control system methods.
3. Packing, inventory and delivery/shipment systems.
4. Checking the percentage of moisture in clothes.
5. Cartoon weight report, scan and pack system.
Final Quality Audit Room:
1. Location of the audit room, whether it is different from the production area or not.
2. Materials required for final audit; Availability of approved samples, trim cards, inspection tables.
3. Having a light source as per customer requirement.
What documents to show in technical audit?
All the documents to be shown in technical audit are mentioned below:-
1. Factory completes its own quality control manual.
2. Quality inspectors training and evaluation test procedures.
3. Quality management or management system and its activities.
4. SOP (Standard operating system) of all departments separately given below:
· Trim and Accessories Inspection Procedures.
· Preparation method of fabric.
· Cutting Quality Control S.O.P.
· Swing Quality Control S.O.P.
· Finishing Quality Control S.O.P.
5. Analysis of set targets with section wise quality results.
6. Factory performance report from latest customer.
7. Factory Layout, Evaluation, Management, and Quality Organogram.
8. Attachment of all machine calibration certificates to the machine by supplier, third party or own calibration system.
9. Quality analysis and control reports.
10. ISO (International organization for standardization), ASQ (American Society for Quality) or any other international certification.
11. Quality Tools Calibration Report. Eg: Measurement tape.
Technical audit's all end process?
At the end of any technical audit, the audit party prepares a report with their comments and provides a cap form containing the audit findings. Audit results are marked by marks (performance rates) as poor or good, warning and risk classification through a scoring system. The supplier takes corrective action as recommended by the third party auditor or the customer to meet their customer's requirements.
Why is technical audit necessary?
Technical audit is required in every establishment. Some of its requirements are mentioned below:-
1. To ensure that quality and safety standards are maintained as required by your suppliers.
2. To verify that you have the self-capacity to meet the requirements of a new supplier.
3. Managing quality risks and taking preventive measures by ensuring that factory systems have adequate quality systems.
Collected from a website…
Visit here to know what is operation breakdown. You can visit my website to learn more about the bulletin or breakdown of garments and different types of industrial sewing machines.
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