With the global apparel market constantly changing, volumes depreciating and the number of styles increasing, the necessity of a talented and efficient sampling room has amplified more than ever. Moreover, in times like the present slowdown, while the buyers are cost cutting and exporters struggling with reducing margins, the apparel industry is looking for solutions that reduce costs while maintaining the quality to retain preferred status from the buyer. Pattern outsourcing has emerged as a viable option for retailers and manufacturers to accomplish their objectives, without incurring running cost of in-house operations. StitchWorld spoke to some upcoming and popular pattern outsourcing service providers, about the many criticalities of their business.
The pattern outsourcing service providers have evolved as a relief to small or medium size manufacturing units which are not capable of availing the latest technology on CAD and specialized machinery for sample manufacturing as per buyer demands due to limited capital resources. These companies provide their customers with solutions like pattern making, grading and digitization or plotting. They may even work for tech pack development, marker making or cut planning. “For the domestic market, digitizing and pattern grading is the most popular while for the international market, tech packs and pattern making are more in demand,” says Dinesh Divakaran, CEO of Apparel BPO.
But the list of services that can be outsourced is not limited to just patterns. “Adding more value to services, we also do flat sketch development, fashion illustration, print development, line sheet development, sample making and data/file conversion, ”informs Rajeev Sharma, MD, Fashion2File. Quite unexpectedly, even large setups with in-house CAD systems approach these specialized companies for their services. Rajeev who has been in the pattern outsourcing business for 15 years has about 180 domestic and 12 international clients, some of whom are big players. “There are numerous reasons for the big companies to outsource their work which includes sudden workload, CAD operators on leave or have left the job without prior notice, or they may not be getting the expected fit,” avers Rajeev.
Ravi Kapoor, MD, Tukatech (Asia) agrees that it is a misconception that only small companies use pattern outsourcing services. “The bigger players usually contact us for CAD conversions, or when tough patterns are to be made, for complicated grading and more tight markers. Also to check if the markers they have made are efficient enough or can be improved.” The pattern outsourcing solution providers claim to have an edge over the in-house setup of even the most technology savvy factories. “It is not only about the technology, we are specialists in pattern making, grading and marker making. We do conversions from one CAD system to another within minutes. The CAD conversion capability is usually absent in garment units across the globe. Also we are experts in making the most efficient markers and in testing the fit,” reasons Ravi.
[bleft]Sometimes we receive the complete techpack with all the details of a garment, at times we get just the picture and very basic measurements, and many a time we receive the sample and we have to replicate it. But, anyhow we have to be ready to be able to make patterns with best possible information available with the factory.” – RAJEEV SHARMA, MD, Fashion2Fit[/bleft]
Sriniwas Sharma, Director of Apparel Solutions, another pattern outsourcing service adds,“80 per cent of the companies that have CAD are not using them efficiently. They basically use it for marker making, as the patterns are usually made manually. They are separately digitized and uploaded because of which grading them becomes quite a headache. And sometimes even the personnel operating the CAD are not adequately trained. Here we can perform everything under the same roof with personnel who have the best knowledge of pattern making and CAD.” Interestingly, at most companies there are no dedicated in-house fit technician and the job is being handled by the pattern master.
The other feature that gives these pattern suppliers an advantage in terms of technology is the use of 3D modelling for fit approvals during sampling. Tukatech is a premier in this field with their own Tuka3D software for virtual fitting and draping. “3D fit options are increasingly used by us for fit approvals during sampling. Using this we are able to cut down on fit corrections before a physical prototype is sewn,” avers Dinesh. The CAD softwares that are being used by these service providers are varied. While Fashion2Fit is using Opticad, Apparel Solutions depends on Richpeace, and Apparel BPO trusts OptiTex and Gemini CAD systems. Tukatech obviously uses the indigenously developed TukaCAD, SmartMark,
and Tuka3D.
With these advanced softwares, the range of services offered expands from basic pattern drafting to 3D fit simulation services, with pattern making cost going up to $ 100 per style of a trench coat from as little as $ 2 for marker plotting per running metre.
One can understand the demand of this service by the fact that an established company like Fashion2Fit gets as many as around 40-45 styles a day for pattern making, 20-23 styles a day for grading, 20-25 styles for marker making and about 19-20 styles for data conversion. Apparel BPO isn’t far behind, getting15 styles for grading, 18 for patterns and 10 for tech packs almost everyday. Tukatech claims a similar figure, whereas a relatively new Apparel Resources easily produces 20-25 patterns per day.
Though the end requirement may be the same the way the information is conveyed varies. “Sometimes we receive the complete techpack with all the details of a garment, at times we get just the picture and very basic measurements and in some cases we receive the sample and we have to replicate it, but in all cases we have to be ready to be able to make patterns with best possible information available with the factory,” says Rajeev. Sriniwas claims that he also develops designs for the manufacturers.
[bleft]80 per cent of the companies are not using CAD efficiently; they basically use it for marker making, as the patterns are usually made manually. Therefore digitising, uploading and grading them becomes quite a headache. Here we can perform everything under the same roof with personnel who have the best knowledge of pattern making and CAD.” SRINIWAS SHARMA, Director, Apparel Solution[/bleft]
Almost all the companies deliver their orders within 24 hours, and may add another 24 if the order is for the international market. The patterns don’t generally need more than 2-3 alterations to achieve the optimum fit, but the situation becomes more tiring when the company is not working directly with the buyer. “The reason is that we have to work with the factory team and they are working with the buyer’s team therefore the information loss is very obvious. However, we have developed some Microsoft based excel forms to fill for each service so that we could provide them one page where all related information can be provided to us,” informs Rajeev. Nevertheless, many tend to believe that with the corporate and professional culture sweeping into the garment industry, such communications are not an issue.“Even if we are not directly in contact with the buyers, most corrections can be conveyed effectively with a few photographs and sketches sent over the internet. We have now started working with a live video link which is much more effective,” says Dinesh.
The companies which had been in the business of pattern outsourcing for some time now, recognize that there has been a shift in the kind of orders they receive. “As fashion is changing more rapidly the number of styles are increasing by the day, therefore a lot of pattern making is required. Volumes are decreasing and style variations are increasing too with a greater emphasis on fits,” argues Ravi. But if the number of styles is increasing it becomes logical that manufacturers establish an in-house capacity for pattern making to cut down the cost. Dinesh counters the argument, “An in-house capacity for pattern making may sound most desirable for any manufacturer, but unfortunately CAD skilled pattern makers are still a handful in the industry and there is always a shortage of skilled manpower especially during the peak season. So, even having a fully equipped CAD system is not enough unless you have skilled pattern makers behind it. The cost benefit comes into effect during a lean season.
If you were outsourcing, then you would not need to retain a team and pay salaries even when there is no work. No fixed overheads can be a boon during these times. ”Rajeev goes one step ahead and adds, “I think this is one of the reasons that such services can be offered as a stand-alone business model at a very competitive price. It has been quite challenging for every organization to do everything in-house and control every process and at the same time being cost-effective.”
Most of the pattern outsourcing providers has the same pricing and delivery times; however, they tend to gain advantage over each other through exclusive technology and services. All of them are capitalizing on an uncharted segment of the industry and are motivated to take advantage of the lead they have owing to be the first in the business.
