What does it cost to prototype a bag or clothing line?

Posted by Kathleen Fasanella on Sep 9, 2009 at 1:59 pm / Newbies, Operations / Trackback

Note: the site was upgraded yesterday. If you have a Word Press site, you should
upgrade immediately. Many apologies if you had navigation problems. Dolet me knowif you find any
(more) glitches.
Now on to the topic at hand, this is a question I get all the time. Ill bet many of you hear it too.
Heres two examples:
I have a friend who wants to prototype a handbag and shes not sure how much to pay someone to do
so. Any tips?
How much money does it take to create a small line (10 items) of childrens garments? Have a couple
pointers?
Considering that these questions are usually sent to me via twitter, how can I give an answer in 140
characters or less? Considering the medium, my first thought is to respond by asking how much does
a house cost. Are we talking a hovel or a mansion? Whats it made of? In what area of the country or
even neighborhood, do you want the house to be? Will you buy new or build to suit? Since theres so
many differences between home and product building, we should limit the discussion to materials and
service costs. As we go along, Ill provide and explain an estimate for the jacket at right so you dont
think Im holding out on you.
Materials cost:
I dont know the proportion of materials cost to total price that go into a home but Id guess maybe
35% to 50% depending on amenities and whether land (which can also vary wildly) is included. By
comparison, the materials cost of building a prototype sewn product will be very low, maybe 10% of
the total. This is not to say materials cost is unimportant because it matters a great deal once you
start making a quantity of them in production. As a rule of thumb, your total materials cost (for
production units) should not exceed 30% of your wholesale price. Figure one third materials, one third
sewing and another third to cover overhead and profit. Or these days, with marketing being the end
all, maybe that should be revised into quarters with marketing being a fourth.
Services cost:
In home building, you have a whole gamut of needed services, the two primary ones are building
plans and construction labor. With sewn products, this could be the pattern and sewing. With homes,
you can buy a template plan and hope a contractor can take it as is. Likely they cant so youll have to
pay an architect or engineer an hourly rate to customize it for you. With sewn products, I know a lot
of people try to lower costs by using a home pattern but its usually a painfully expensive way to learn
(sooner or later) that it doesnt work. Usually you cant get a good contractor to take it, only less
experienced neighborhood sewing shops who will charge quite a bit more (30-50%) to do the same
work. The summary is, youre going to pay one way or another. The only question is when and how
much will it cost you over what it should have. Do it the least expensive way you can but test, test
and test some more.
I dont know what architects make but professional pattern makers charge between $30 and $75 an
hour. Theres a broad range of experience too and you never know who really knows their stuff. Some
are really good talkers, but are pretty scary in my opinion. Its best to get a referral from a
contractor, another pattern maker or a designer if theyll give you one (the forum is a great option
too). Anyone you hire should be able to give you a break down of costs and services with options of
opting out of things you dont need. Speaking of and again, at the risk of being accused of venting my
spleen, do not have your patterns graded until you have orders. If someone includes the cost of
grading as a service they recommend you have done before you have any orders, dont hire them.
Heres a recent example of an estimate I gave to someone who inquired about having this
designfrom Soia & Kyo made (pictured at top right). By the way, I declined to do the work because I
dont do knock offs. I provided an estimate anyway because I suspected the person was hoping to pay
a lower than retail price ($273, msrp $390) and I wanted to illustrate that custom, even with my
lower than average prices, is never less expensive than retail.
8 hours of pattern work @ $50 an hour = $400
3 hours of cutting @ $25 an hour = $75
3 hours sewing @ $25 an hour = $75
1 hour finishing @ $25 an hour =$25
Total labor = $575 minimum
However, an estimated cost of up to $1,000 for this design would not be out of line depending on who
you hired, how good they were and market conditions. By market conditions I may as well mention
handbags specifically. Handbags are still hot (at least with aspiring entrepreneurs) and there arent
many handbag pattern and prototype makers so with all the competition in the market for their
services, they dont need to discount. On the other hand, a prototype may even be free. Some
offshore producers will roll the development costs into your production order -which is why they
stipulate minimums. I dont think this is but rarely a good idea unless you have pre-sold the item and
have enough orders to make the minimums. But nobody listens to me.
In the olden days (ten years ago), pattern makers used to charge a set fee for garment patterns, one
price for a dress, another for slacks etc but very few do it this way anymore because service providers
are increasingly required to consult with clients who dont have a lot of experience in the industry. In
fact, its become so difficult to quantify the amount of time a client may need that some are charging
deposits in advance and refunding the balance. Were also providing a broader range of services than
before, everything from sketching and sourcing to tech packs. All of this contributes to increasing
ambiguity about giving prototyping estimates. Speaking of, I wrote an entry on one stop shops
(package vs cmt sourcing) before that you may find useful. In most circumstances, I think full
package sourcing is to be avoided unless you have the money to pay for hand holding. I guess it
makes for an easier entry, money does that but I do fret and worry that entrepreneurs will leap frog
over having to learn production to their later detriment.
So if youve read this far and care to elaborate, what are the costs youve paid for prototyping? It
would be helpful for context to also mention the range of services for which you contracted. Thanks!

Manual vs CAD/CAM system in garment industry


Greater flexibility in pattern designing, grading and marking, reduction
in waste %, increase in quality of cutting room and reduction in sample
making time are some of the benefits of application of CAD/CAM
system in garment manufacturing, asserts V Parthasarathi.

Textiles and computers are
genetically related. It is so because
computers are believed to be from
punch card system used in jacquard
weaving machine. In the
environment, where computer is a
normal need for every industry,
textile industry is no exception.
Textile companies that continue to
excel in today's competitive business
climate understand the importance of
computers.

After more than a decade of computer revolution, some textile
corporates in India have understood the dire need of the IT
EVOLUTION. Most of the Indian industries have not come under the
influence of this evolution. The ability to withstand the revolution in
science for several decades has enabled computers to be used very
much as an effective tool in information technology and communication
fields.

In international and domestic boom in the last few years, the fashion
designing industry is riding the crest of wave of success. Fashion
designers are mushrooming, their earnings are rising, and promotions
are coming at a very faster rate. The direct employment in the fashion
sector is running into millions. Textiles are India's single largest foreign
exchange earner contributing to about one third of total export. In
addition India's share in the world market with regard to leather are significant. It is certain that
job and business opportunities in the fashion trade are likely to grow at higher rates.

CAD & CAM are a part of computer technology. Increased competitiveness and demand for shorter
lead times has lead to the slow, but definite proliferation of CAD/CAM systems in India, even in
the textile and apparel industry. Traditional working methods are being phased out in favour of
futuristic and globally prevalent methods of working. The evolution in technology has been
influenced by the proposition to reduce cost and lead time, to increase interactivity between what
is real and virtual and to enhance one's creative abilities. This article is a part of the author's
research work -- a comparison of CAD/CAM & Manual systems in garment manufacturing --
reveals the advantage of CAD/CAM system over manual approach in the garment industry.

Experimental procedure and results
In order to assess the improvement in productivity and quality, CAD/CAM manufacturing is
compared to Manual manufacturing processes. Various work processes followed in CAD/CAM (Unit
C) and MANUAL (Unit M) are discussed and the results are provided below.

The following are the key areas where the author makes his
observation:
Time required in pattern designing, grading, pattern alteration.
Waste percentage in cutting room.
Quality of cutting.
Time taken for sample making.
Productivity.
Lead time for production.

A common sort, which was processed in both units was
considered for the observation, and so it was decided to compare
men's shirt (size L) (casual wear, long sleeve)
with the following dimension:

Results of the experiment

Time required in pattern designing, grading,
pattern alteration:
Both in unit C and unit M the time required for
preparing a sort of the above said dimension
was observed. Particular time required for each
operation was observed, by using the stopwatch
and six sets of reading were taken. The average
time taken is mentioned above.

Time taken for the following activities in
CAD/CAM System:

Time taken for the following activities in manual system:

Comparison between the unit C & unit M:

Waste percentage in cutting operation
In order to determine waste percentage in both manual and CAD/CAM system, following
observations were made. The fabric consumption for 500 shirts was determined by taking the
dimension of centre size, ie, L the area of front, back and sleeve part of shirt is taken for 'L' size
shirt. The fabric required is 2.15 metres without tolerance. With tolerance, the fabric required is
2.4 metres.

Total no of shirts observed = 500
Fabric required for 500 shirts = 500 X 2.42
= 1209.06 mts
= 1210 mts

No of shirts made out from 1210 metres with (90% fabric realisation) in CAD/CAM system:
= (1210 X 90) 1100
= 1089 mts.
= 1089/2.42
No of shirts = 450

No of shirts made out from 1210 metres with (80% fabric realisation) in MANUAL system:
= (1210 X 80) /100
= 968 mts
= 968/2.42
No of shirts - 403
This exhibits a fabric saving of 10% by CAD/CAM system over MANUAL system as shown by the
following Table:

Quality of cutting:
In order to determine the quality of cutting, 10
rolls from 100 rolls of cloth were received both
in cutting and sewing department. It was
observed every day. Amount of rejected
garment was collected taking into consideration
the following quality particulars:

Fabric defects.
All components cut on the correct grain lines and in accordance with the pile direction of the
fabric.
Dimensionally accurate garment that do not exceed specified tolerance.
All materials spread at correct tension to prevent under- or over-sized component and/or
garment.
Consistent and accurate marking.

Quality of cutting in Unit C

Quality of cutting in UNIT M

Time taken for sample making
Sample making is a continuous process in clothing industry during the development of a new
product. The following steps are involved in the process:

1. New material, design and processes have to be identified.
2. The production of garment patterns has to be altered and perfected to rectify faults during
making up of the sample.
3. At the sample stage, the quantities of fabric and trimming are established and quick costing is
made.
4. The finished garment sample has to undergo scrutiny to evaluate whether they fit in the
viability of producing the garment.
In order to determine sample-making time, the author followed the process of sample making in
both units. The following was the time taken:

Productivity:
Productivity of Unit C & Unit M was obtained by taking
into account per day production and monthly production
capacity when similar sorts of garment were produced.
The number of finished garment
obtained each day as observed
were as follows:

Per day productivity (Unit C) =
15,856 pieces

Per day
productivity
(Unit M) =
4,013 pieces
Lead time for
production:
A typical product development cycle of a garment industry consists of the following steps:
Designing
Marketing
Purchasing/production.
One has to compare lead-time of garment, taking into consideration the above-mentioned
procedure in both Unit C and Unit M. The observed time required for each stage of procedure,
details of the time taken in the
two units are as follows:
Lead time for Unit C = 39
Days
Lead time for Unit M = 55 Days
Results and discussion
Time reduction in CAD for
pattern designing, grading and
marking:
As mentioned in the
experimental procedure, the
CAD/CAM system takes 36.81
minutes, whereas MANUAL
system takes 350 minutes. By
this, one can say that the MANUAL system takes nearly 10 times of the time taken by the
CAD/CAM system. MANUAL system takes comparatively much more time because of: New Pattern
Creation, Measurement of Marking, Pattern Grading, Marker Planning, Sketching, etc. These
activities are done only by an individual and so the time taken depends on the skill of the person.

TUKA DESIGN Software in Unit C uses powerful CAD tools to draft pattern, which gives them
unlimited saving in time compared to the manual method used in the Unit M. A previously
constructed pattern in the system can be used as the base pattern for a new style.

Waste percentage in cutting room:
With the use of CAD/CAM system through experimental procedure it can be observed that about
10% of material is saved, as compared to the manual method. This is achieved due to the
following reason:

1. Do not cut until a trial layout shows the best location for all
pieces within minimum length of cloth.
2. Place all pattern pieces close together, so as to reduce the
waste % of the cloth.
3. Spreading waste is considerably reduced due to correct length
spreading, remnants are also reduced by TUKA SPREAD
machine. Since the CAD/CAM system has mathematical
algorithms in-built in CAD System, this ensures the most
economical use of material.

Quality of cutting:
As mentioned in the experimental procedure, the CAD/CAM
system has 0.38% of the waste reduction whereas MANUAL
System has l.03%. This shows that quality is very good in CAD/CAM because, the spreading of
fabric is done by the TUKA spreading machine, where the 'Photo Electric Guides' are used to
maintain uniform tension in the fabric, so that creases in the fabric is avoided during spreading,
whereas in the MANUAL system it is unavoidable. Tuka Tech Cutter has an automatic sharpening
device for knife, and raw-edge of the fabric do not fray out; As in manual cutting, which happens
due to imperfect sharpening of knife.

Time taken for sample making:
In Unit C using TUKA CAD Software and ENCAD: CROMA 24, Plotter it is easy to make sample.
Sample making time was observed to be around 5 days for Unit C and about 10 days for Unit M.
The CAD software helps designer of pattern to alter it easily in quick time. This is mainly due to
collection planning CAD Software, which helps in:
Developing the variation from core design.
Trying the same cloth on a number of different designs.
Modifying some of the ideas to make the garment more acceptable to a wider range of
customer.
With this flexible CAD System and plotte,r Unit C is able to reduce 50% of sample making time
compared to Unit M.

Productivity:
As mentioned in the experimental procedure, the CAD/CAM System has a production of 15,856
pieces/day whereas the MANUAL system has 4,013 pieces/day.

As the CAD/CAM process requires transfer of information or data for marker planning via floppy,
the process is simplified and the production is increased.
In CAD/CAM system, the capacity of the cutting room has to deal with a mixture of different
types of cloth. Whereas in MANUAL system it is highly impossible to work with mixture of different
types of cloth.
With such a flexible cutting room facilities available, Unit C must have higher production rates
compared with Unit M member together with very high cutting speed.
Lead time for production:
Lead-time of garment production is the number of days required
to finish a garment from sample stage to finished garment.
Lead-time of Unit C is about 39 days and of Unit M is around 55
days. Due to faster sample production, highly saved time and
higher productivity combined with flexibility, CAD system Unit C
is more acceptable.

Conclusion
Unit C is using CAD/CAM system for garment manufacturing.
There is a significant improvement in productivity, and quality,
leading to time reduction. The following are the some of the
benefits of CAD/CAM that the author observed from the Unit C.

Reduction in pattern designing, grading, and pattern alteration time by around 90%. The time
required for Unit C is 36.81 minutes and for line M is about 350 minutes.
Greater flexibility in pattern designing, grading and marking
Reduction in waste% of up to 10%.
Increasing quality of cutting room by around 50%.
Reduction in sample making time by 60%.
Unit C ---- 5 days
Unit M ---- 10 days
Increasing monthly productivity by 75%.
Productivity/day (Unit C) -15,856
Productivity/day (Unit M) - 4,013
Reduction in lead-time up to 45 days.
Unit C ----- 39 days
Unit M ---- 55 days


Flow Chart of Sample Making

Garments Design or Sketch ( Manually or Computerized )

Basic Block ( Manually or Computerized )

Working Pattern ( By Machine )

Sample Garments ( Manually )

Problem of Production or Production Related Matter

Costing............................................. ..................................Send to Buyer

Approved Sample

Production Pattern ( By Hand or Computer )

Briefly Discuss:

Design or Sketch:
It is nothing but one kind of engineering art including all measurement of particular
style.

Basic Block:
It is an individual component of garments without any design or style.

Working Pattern:
To make pattern for a particular style with net dimension.

Sample Garments:
The garments which is needed for bulk production, is called sample garments.

Problem of Production or Production Related Matter:
Production related problems should be eliminated in this step.

Approved Sample:
The sample which is approved by buyer is called approved sample.

Send to Buyer:
When all process are done, then the garments are sent to buyer.

Production Pattern:
To make pattern for a particular style with net dimension along with allowance.

Factors Upon Which Pattern Making Depends:
Skillness
Technological knowledge
Analysis of design and
Experience of garments making.