How To Conduct Pre-Production Meeting?

When a garment factory receives the confirmation of an order, they perform internal research and development and discuss the production process. It involves discussions on the kind of machinery that is to be used, the method of work execution, and the skill sets required to carry out the job. All of these activities are discussed with concerned people in a meeting that is known as the pre-production meeting or PP meeting. 

Numerous buying teams also carry out order execution cum planning meetings and technical meetings with the concerned vendors, which can also be termed a PP meeting. Naturally, all the individuals involved in the production process want to have these meetings without any hiccups. This meeting is primarily conducted to ensure that no one gets a chance to blame others for a lack of proper communication and that every aspect of the production process is discussed thoroughly beforehand. Therefore, it is vital that the brand carefully notes down the meeting minutes and should not miss out on any crucial points. 

Why is a pre-production meeting important?

Although the term "pre-production meeting" is frequently used in the clothing industry, only a few individuals know its significance. The purpose of the PP meeting is to educate all the participants about the product-making process. Furthermore, the PP meetings ensure that everyone in the production process steers clear of mistakes. A garment will undoubtedly be made incorrectly if the PP meeting is not completed and the production line starts without any paperwork. 

If a clothing manufacturer cannot meet the requirements, it may lead to the cancellation of the order. Therefore, it is vital to have these meetings so that employees can be aware of the production's technical aspects, which one cannot understand by merely observing the sample. 

Typically, the PP meeting should happen about two weeks after the approval of the PP sample. If this is not feasible, the buying agent and the supplier should agree on a more suitable date. A good production unit never starts working without a PP meeting. 

In brief, PP meetings accomplish the following:

• Everyone is aware of different aspects of the production process. 
• Help clear up doubts, issues, or misunderstandings about any product.
• It is necessary to build strong bonds between individuals involved in the production so that they can better communicate and have a fruitful group discussion. 

Planning the pre-production meeting

If a buying team is attending the pre-production meeting with the factory manager or technician, then the factory managers need to have an internal pp meeting after. In this way, all the members of the factory are aware of the aspects of production. Furthermore, after the completion of their internal discussions, the R&D and other authorized departments should decide a time for the final PP meeting. Generally, the industrial engineering department is responsible for scheduling and conducting the PP meeting in coordination with the planning department. 

The agenda of the meeting is to be finalized, and one should inform all the HODs and critical executives involved in the production of the same. A person is to be designated to record all the minutes of the meeting and important discussions. After the meeting is concluded, a summary of all the proceedings is to be sent to all the employees involved in the production process for reference. 

Pre-requisites of the PP meeting

Before the start of the pre-production meeting, detailed engineering of the style is to be done. Furthermore, material testing of both the fabric and accessories is carried out along with a rough idea of the type of machine and the skills required to conduct the production process. Then it is the responsibility of the industrial engineering department to compile all these documents in the format prescribed for the PP meeting. 

PP meeting attendees 

A pre-production meeting is very crucial for the production process. Thus, the company should ensure that all the key executives are invited to the meeting. Attendees of the PP Meeting are:

1. Operational leader. 
2. Production Manager (PM) in charge of Operations & Production. 
3. Technical Manager, Pattern Master, Sampling Quality Assurance and GPQ Fabric, Store & Finish Manager. 
4. Maintenance & IE Manager Cutting, Sewing, and Finishing Manager.
5. Packing head
6. Embroidery head
7. Finishing head
8. Quality manager
9. IED head
10. Sequins head
11. Fabric representative
12. Planning head 
13. Accessories representative 
14. Cutting head 

Proceedings of a PP Meeting 

In a PP meeting, one must discuss the following points in detail. 

Manufacturing & Finishing 

• Every anticipated manufacturing flaw, especially those emphasized in the fabric inspection report and sample process. 
• Colourfastness of fabric. 
• Fabric quality, shrinkage, shade, cross stains and wash concerns. 
• Width, yarn count, and quality of the fabric used

Cutting

• All cutting-related difficulties should be emphasized, including fabric relaxation, spreading elongation and tension, panel checking and measurement discrepancy in records, pattern adjustment, plaid matching, etc. 
• Placement of pockets, inserts, panels, notches, etc.
• The number of plies to be used in the fabric. 
• Method of cutting for every section. 

Issues of embellishment

The material depiction of the goods that one must manufacture is called a trim card or production swatch board. Some materials in a finished garment are visible, while others are concealed. For instance, the material should be preserved for the PP meeting even though a button is visible, but elastic or fusing is not. 

Everything can only be presented as a whole on a trim card. It makes it easier to comprehend what kind of fabric to use on what outfit. Below are all potential problems with embellishment applications, including print, embroidery, rhinestones, heat transfer labels, decorative patches, etc. 

Stitching and Construction 

• Examples of remarks about sewing-related issues and every aspect of the relevant style are explored. 
• All unusual procedures are discussed with the sample master before being finalized in the pre-production meeting with the vendor. 
• When generating a risk analysis report, complicated procedures are highlighted and displayed for each style. 
• A checklist for challenging activities is updated and checked during production.

Conclusion 

Along with all the above factors, a pre-production meeting also discusses the embroidery, wet processing, beads, and packing of the finished product. The discussion of so many crucial issues makes this meeting of prime importance and makes it essential for a smooth and seamless production cycle. Furthermore, it is conducted to educate the employees about the production procedures. Of course, there is no hard and fast rule for PP meetings, but all the steps mentioned above are a must, and no company should miss any to avoid any irregularities in their production process. Furthermore, it also helps clothing manufacturers better coordinate with fashion designers to smoothly carry out all the instructions and deliver products on time

One of the crucial aspects of the clothing manufacturing process is the procurement of finished products from suppliers. So if a company wants to have a hassle-free apparel manufacturing process, they can get in touch with Fashinza. Fashinza is a B2B apparel manufacturing platform that assists clothing brands in manufacturing their collections by connecting them with suppliers. Fashinza also overlooks the production process from design to delivery. The partner brands can place orders, track them, receive production updates daily, communicate with manufacturers, and make payments, all using Fashinza's one-stop platform.