Quality Assurance System 101: Understanding The Basics And Concepts
Quality refers to the degree of excellence of our products in terms of design, materials, craftsmanship, durability, and functionality.
Quality is important for your fashion brand because it reflects your values, reputation, and customer satisfaction. You should strive to deliver high-quality products that meet or exceed our customers’ expectations and needs.
Quality is also essential for your long-term success and competitiveness in the fashion industry. By ensuring quality, you can build trust, loyalty, and repeat business with your customers.
Your products embody quality in every detail. From design to materials, from craftsmanship to durability, from functionality to style, you deliver excellence to your customers. Quality is your core value and your competitive edge in the fashion industry. You understand your customer’s needs and expectations, and you exceed them with your high-quality products. Quality is how you earn your customers’ trust, loyalty, and repeat business
Total quality in fashion means applying the principles of total quality management (TQM) to the textile and clothing industry.
Some of the benefits of total quality in fashion are:
- It can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty by delivering products that conform to customer requirements and expectations.
- It can reduce costs and waste by eliminating defects, errors, and rework in the production process.
- It can improve productivity and efficiency by standardizing and optimizing the processes and activities in the organization.
- It can spark a culture of constant growth and creativity by promoting collaboration, education, and feedback.
Total quality in fashion is important because quality is a source of competitive advantage and differentiation in the modern market. Customers have higher standards and expectations for the products they purchase, looking for excellence in design, performance, longevity and eco-friendliness. Therefore, fashion brands need to adopt TQM to stay ahead of the competition and deliver value to their customers.
Quality Assurance is the set of systematic or planned actions that provide confidence that a product fulfills certain needs.
Quality Assurance cares about the quality of both the product or service and the organization that produces or delivers it.
It is important to note that providing information requires a comprehensive set of documents that cover the organization, its environment, suppliers, raw materials, customers, and products.
The main function of quality assurance is to prevent problems before they need to be corrected.
We must always remember that the main goal of implementing a Quality Assurance system is to improve the competitiveness of the company, retain existing customers, attract new ones, and increase profit margins
QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE
Quality is not just a word, it’s a commitment. To deliver products that meet your customer’s expectations, you must focus on four key areas:
- How to design and improve your products over time
- How to source the best materials for your products, working with reputable suppliers
- How to manufacture your products with care and precision, showcasing them in fashion shows
- How to support your customers after they purchase your products, offering them a seamless fashion e-commerce experience
You don’t just sell products, you build relationships. That’s why you ensure that your products are well-packaged and transported safely to your customers. And that’s why you offer after-sales service and listen to their feedback. These factors make a difference not only for your products but also for your brand. You want to stand out in the market by offering the quality that lasts. That’s why you’re proud to be a leading fashion brand inspired by fashion nova.
QUALITY MANUAL
The Quality Manual is more than just a document. It’s a guide that shows how to ensure that your products meet the highest standards of quality. It’s a tool that helps you train and communicate with your team, as well as resolve any issues that may arise. And it’s a reflection of your company’s image, as you strive to deliver excellence in everything you do.
The Quality Manual is your go-to resource for understanding and improving quality in your company. It includes:
- A message from the leader of the company who shares their vision and values
- A brief introduction to the company, what it does, and what it aims for
- A clear outline of the organization’s structure and how decisions are made
- The different decision levels
- The quality-related roles and responsibilities of each team member
- A detailed explanation of the products, manufacturing, and control processes that ensure quality standards are met
The Quality Manual helps you to achieve quality in your work and deliver value to your customers.
The Quality Manual is not the only document that guides you in your work.
You also have:
- A set of written procedures that cover every aspect of the company’s activities
- These procedures show you how to work effectively with other services and avoid misunderstandings
- Work instructions, operating methods, and data sheets that tell you exactly how to perform a specific job or task
- These documents help you to follow the best practices and ensure quality at every step
- A basic testing program to check the quality of fabrics, trims, raw materials, and garments
- This program helps you, the suppliers, and the company’s members to make sure that the products meet the expectations of the customers and match your performance standards
When you follow these documents, you communicate better with your colleagues, solve problems faster, and take ownership of your work. You also feel part of a strong team that works together to achieve the company’s goals.
To test the quality of your garment, you need to perform these steps:
- Dimensional stability – check how well it keeps its shape after washing or dry cleaning.
- (washable items: 3 washes)
- (dry cleanable items: 1 commercial dry cleaning)
- Colorfastness to washing – check how well it retains its color after washing. Look for any fading, bleeding, or staining.
- Appearance after washing – check how it looks after washing. Make sure it does not wrinkle, shrink or twist.
- Pilling resistance – check how resistant it is to pilling. Rub it gently and see if any small balls of fiber form on the surface.
- Seam stretchability (all knit seams) Check how stretchy the seams are if it is a knit garment. Pull them gently and see if they snap back or break.
- pH value (all acid/specialty wash items)Check the pH value if it has an acid or specialty wash. Use a pH meter or indicator paper and see if it is within the acceptable range.
- Flammability (children’s sleepwear)Check the flammability if it is children’s sleepwear. Hold it near a flame and see if it ignites or melts easily.
- Zipper, hardware & fastener evaluation (including buttons, snaps, and draw cords)Check the zipper, hardware, and fasteners. Make sure they work smoothly and securely and do not damage the fabric or your skin.
- Care instructions – Follow the care instructions on the label. Wash, dry, and iron your garment as instructed, and see if it maintains its quality and appearance.
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND TEST PROCEDURES
- American Association of Textile Chemists & Colorists (AATCC)
- American Society of Testing & Materials (ASTM)
- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- NP- Portuguese Norms
- ISO International Standard Organisation
- NF French Norms
- BS – British Standards
Performance Ratings
GOOD: meets performance standards, approved
UNSATISFACTORY: not approved for use
Definition of Class Rating Terms for Most Properties
- 5 excellent
- 4 good
- 3 fair
- 2 poor
- 1 very poor