Production Merchandising

 Introduction

Production Merchandising is a function of multiple activities performed by a person which are either parallel or inter connected. Some of them are interdependent and others are independent of each other. Merchandising involves planning and execution of the export order with the right place, at the right time, in the right quantities, at the right price. It is concerned with all the activities necessary to provide buyers with the merchandise they want to buy and when and where they want it and at prices they can afford and are willing to pay. Hence it involves making execution plans, understanding the buyers need regarding quality and cost, follow up of running order, effective communication with buyer. The term ‘Merchandising’ has always been a magic word and hot pick of the cake in the field of apparel and fashion merchandising. Most of the persons who want to pursue a career in the apparel field want to become a merchandiser. What makes this so much attractive and important is—reputation, responsibility and career growth.

  

Functions of production merchandiser

1. Product development

Product development is the business policy of the organization which includes the development of the new designs and styles within the organization. This activity brings the more business to organization, by showing pro-activeness in design development buyer also impress. The role of production merchandiser in this activity plays very important role. Production merchandiser must keep update to buyer time to time about the product development done by organization. Motivate the buyer to give the design development to the organization instead of doing themselves. Whenever buyer visits to the organization, presentation of new color, prints, embroidery patterns and desk loom developments is done by production merchandiser. To present new designs developed by product development department. Try to convince the buyer to select the designs from presentation.  A very good presentation and convincing ability of production merchandiser brings more business to the organization.

 

2. Sampling

Sampling is one of the main processes in Garment manufacturing and it plays vital role in attracting buyers and confirming the order, as the buyers generally places the order once satisfied with the quality and responsiveness of the sampling. Sampling is the most crucial and most important stage of fashion merchandising. Sampling department makes samples on the basis of the specification and requirement by the buyer. Sampling in merchandising may be defined as “The concept, perception and ideas of fashion designer developed into product samples, in systematic stages of product development, with technical and quality clarity in a development.” The role of merchandiser plays the crucial role as the follow up of the samples is important aspect. Buyer passes some comments to the merchandiser after submitting the sample. These comments are needed to understand and communicate with the sampling department. Get changes from the sampling and resubmit to buyer. Follow up with buyer to get approvals of the sample.

 

3. Costing

Costing is the very dynamic process, and it is the most important function performed by merchandiser. Merchandiser should have knowledge of costing and it’s calculations. While calculating the cost of the garment merchandiser keeps following things in mind.

 

Fabric consumption

Trims

CMT

Value added services: printing, embroidery, washing, applique

Testing

Transportation and logistics cost

Profit of the manufacturing organization

Currency exchange rate

The role of merchandiser does not end only after calculating the cost, but after quoting the cost merchandiser need to negotiate with buyer on cost of the garment.

 

4. Planning (Time and action calendar)

Production merchandising is an interdependent activity. Successful merchandising is outcome of effective preparation and follows up of time and action calendar by all departments. Time and Action Calendar or TNA, a most important jargon used in fashion merchandising, it is an effective way of coordination and following up of important milestones in preproduction processes to ensure timely delivery within stipulated delivery date. Despite claims of being practically in use by most buying and manufacturing organizations, the follow-up of orders/styles during the pre-production processes are not fool proof and there are several myths which need to be redressed claims. Production merchandiser prepares the TNA by keeping things in mind like production capacity, lead time of buyer, holidays etc.

 

5. Communication

Communication is a most important aspect of any export order process. In production merchandising there are various tools used to communicate with buyers in order to proceed further in export order like quality manual, purchase order, packing list, color way communication, style no. tech pack. Buyer communicates each and every aspect of on-going and future style with merchandiser only. Merchandiser must be able to communicate with buyer and with internal departments effectively to process the export order effectively. There are several modes of communication like telephone, email, actual meetings, fax etc. merchandiser must aware of etiquettes to use these modes of communication.

 

6. Coordination

Coordination is the major aspect of fashion merchandising, one need to coordinate with all the departments within the organization and outside the organization in order to run the export order successfully. Coordinating with other department is the one of the major responsibility of a production merchandiser. A production merchandiser has to coordinate with the other departments so as to complete its job and to following the production activities. Factory merchandiser uses different formats and documents to coordinate within the factory like BOM, production file, tech pack. Some of them are need to create by factory merchandiser some of them are provides by buyer. This type of coordination referred to as internal coordination. Production merchandiser needs to coordinate with buyer as buyer also takes the follow up from merchandiser. Merchandiser provides the formats to the buyer like production status report, packing list, TNA etc.

 

7. Sourcing

For garment export house fabric and trims are the raw material which needs to be outsourced. Sourcing is basically determining the most cost efficient vendor of materials, production, or finished goods at the specified quality and service level. It is closely associated and an important part of apparel merchandiser’s responsibility. Materials basically include piece goods that will be cut and converted into the garments. Not only does the fabric have to be appropriate and suited to the garment design and end use but it must also be made available at the precise time when it is needed. Thus, lead times play an important role in the sourcing and placing orders for the materials required for the production. Lead times required from a supplier can vary from as little as two weeks to as much as nine months. Trims are all the materials other than the piece goods that are required to make up a garment. Findings require the same careful planning as the piece goods. As soon as the fabric is in the stores, then only the sourcing of the threads start because the color of the thread must match the buyer’s requirements. The ordering of the threads must be complete by the time fabric is cut ready to be feeded to the sewing lines. Sourcing department along with apparel merchandiser plays the vital role to execute and shipment of export order successfully. Merchandiser must make sure that all approvals related to fabric and trims should be coordinated with the sourcing department in given timeframe.