Finding a good solution to manufacturing apparel in Vancouver, BC can be a challenge for new and existing clothing and other textile product producers. At Direct Current Sales – we understand the access to skilled labour resource problem as an opportunity to grow cooperatively in the trade. 
Direct Current Manufacturing Inc., was established in 1999 (2000) to fill the void between the need demand and availability to quick response, local garment making. The benefits of expanding resources for apparel made in Canada is desirable for a host of reasons to include new job creation and stewardship toward sustainable business practices.
Next to achieving a great fit, the “straight of goods” is perhaps one of the most important quality control concerns. And proper patterns are at the foundation of all products made.
To ensure cost control in production it is a very good idea to make sure every detail is well refined before spending on bulk sewing labour begins. The necessity to prototype and design is a craft reliant on a willingness to work out component details as a major part in the process of pre-production.
In practice, this is a chore that is best given to the brand/ project manager to administrate in a format that prevents guesswork by pattern makers who are draftspeople with infinite options. For this reason, it becomes the project managers chore to supervise and table the desired goal with answers limiting the back and forth with patterning and production that if not properly respected will lead to frustration, inflated cost and in the worst case delay and poor results will lead to waste and work stoppage.
We hope this post will be useful to explain the importance of what is sometimes referred to as a condition “standard in the trade”. We think making apparel is akin to horse racing. It’s a rich person game. If you have to ask repeatedly “How much” then we would recommend greater research be applied to plan before spending.
Projects fail when questions that inevitably arise if a design is not fully thought out by the creators and business managers. Let us face it upfront – a good sewing shop is hard to find. The best sewing shops have little or no time for problem-solving. We sometimes find that clients sending out a “Tech pack” feel that their job is done and the responsibility has been handed off to production to handle. In our experience, that attitude alone does not work without consideration to the time investment of the handler tasked with receiving the plans – especially if those plans are in any way incomplete. This is an important point to review when asking for a price. Who pays for the customer interface? The breakpoint here is the administrative fee relative to getting the job ready for the cutting table that should be reflected in the pre-production budget allowed.
Time is money and the Cut make and trim per unit is sewing shop labour so beware the bottleneck that can crush a timeline or other sensitive R&D hope. Remember garbage in = garbage out.
Contact us for solutions to growth. For help with your business apparel design ambition #MadeinCanada email info@directcurrentmfg.com
Direct Current Sales 