After getting the purchase order
from buyer, garment merchandiser has to take immediate step with different
departments for smooth work environment. Merchandiser’s roles start after
taking the order from buyer and until ship the goods to buyer on time. In the
meantime, merchandiser co-ordinate with different department within the
organization, suppliers and job worker’s logistic outside the company. In a short way, we can say that merchandiser
will analysis, make plan and control the overall order from start to final
shipment of the goods.
- Role
with buyer and sampling department
- Role
with purchase department
- Role
with store department
- Role
with testing department or lab
- Role
with electronic data processing department
- Role
with HR department
- Role
with production department
- Role
with quality department
- Role
with packing department / finishing
- Role
with commercial department
- Role
with shipping department
Role with buyer and sampling
department
The initial stage of merchandiser
is order confirmation with buyer and co-ordinate with sampling department for
various approvals before start the bulk production.
- Role of
Merchandiser with buyer: after getting the enquiry from buyer with tech
pack, garment merchandiser has to work with various departments and
prepare a quote to submit the buyer. Price quotation will be intimated to
the buyer that price is negotiated and confirmed. After that, buyer will
sent the purchase order along with the LC. At different sampling stage,
merchandiser has to send print embroideries and trims accessories to the
buyer for bulk approval. Bulk goods
will be produced and shipped the goods after getting the all trims
approval from buyer.
- Role of
Merchandiser with sampling department: After get all details from buyer
with tech pack, garment merchandiser will arrange the fit sample for
approval and sample size may be in one size. After get the comments on fit
sample, buyer may ask for full size set or pre-production sample in jumping
size or one size. At sampling stage, print, fabric, color, trims and print
placement approvals are also finalized in sample stage. At the same time,
technical team will check measurement chart and confirm upon any increase
in measurement will lead to an up charge. Here also paper pattern is also
update as per buyer comments and follow update spec sheet.
Role with purchase department
In garments industry, basically
purchase department is divided into two departments like fabric and
accessories. Here is describe bellow
- Fabric
department: Fabric requirement come
from buyer & after that factory merchandiser will follow their parameters.
As per buyer requirement,
merchandiser will take action to keep the parameter of fabric count,
construction, weight or GSM, design of the fabric, fabric quality &
color etc. In tech pack, buyer will provide all details instruction of
fabric & after that garments merchandiser will hand over all details
to the fabric manager for further progress. Garments merchandiser
coordinates with fabric manager until unless get the fabric from fabric
department. After getting the fabric from fabric department, send to the
buyer for approval of quality, design, GSM & color. At first, around
3KG to 5KG fabric knitted for approval purpose. After getting approval
comments from buyer, the price is negotiated with supplier and placed the
bulk work order. Before start the fabric production, need to coordinate
with production department for measuring fabric width or Dia to minimize
the production loss. Keep in mind, buyer standard before start the bulk
dying. Dying department has to keep in mind about AZo dyes. Buyer may ask
for Azo test at any time in the middle of the bulk production. If the
quantities are too small for manufacturing the goods then stock lots can
be offered to the buyer. Main goal of garment merchandiser is sourcing,
pricing and time of deliveries of bulk fabric. Generally, almost 5% excess
given in bulk with actual required quantity but this can be vary based on
order quantity or companies to companies.
- Accessories
department: After price negotiation with buyer, they will provide full
details of trimming and accessories requirement by style wise. Garment
merchandiser will arrange the trims as per required and keep in mind
color, size, design and logo etc. Sometimes buyer may look nickel free
metallic items. If those items are not available in market as per buyer
required then options can be proposed to the buyer. After getting approval
of trims and accessories from buyer with price negotiation, bulk work is
placed to the supplier for faster production. Here garment merchandiser’s
main goal is in-house all trims and accessories before start the bulk
sewing to smooth production. Normally, extra 3-4% added with actual order
quantity and may vary depend on size wise order quantity.
Role with Store department
After place the work order to the
supplier, garment merchandiser will provide all work order along with purchase
order of the style to the store manager. Once the trims are in-house, the store
manage will send a sample to the merchandiser for approval purpose, on receipt
of approval of the same goods will be in-house. Here garment merchandiser will
arrange the work order with price to the store manager. If any deviation come of
receiving goods then have to report to the store manager or accessories manager.
Here garment merchandiser will provide size wise order quantity along with
approval trims to the store manager. So that store manager will understand what
quantities are to be dispatched.
Role with testing or Lab
department
Generally test requirement come
from buyer, factory merchandiser will send the sample to the selected
companies. Now a days, large company arrange basic in house test like rubbing,
shrinkage test, color fastness, saliva test etc. Fabric, trimmings and
accessories are tested as per given buyer parameters. Sometimes, buyer may look
for third party test report like azo, fabric composition, ph etc. Buyer will
provide the tolerance range for acceptance of goods.
- Fabric
testing: In various stage fabric test are conducted as per buyer
requirement. Fabric test like GSM, strength, length, width, shrinkage,
thickness, count and color fastness etc.
- Yarn
testing: Yarn test included like count, strength, twist etc.
- Accessories
testing: As per buyer requirement, buyer may look for accessories test
like color fastness, corrosion & metal items test etc.
Role with electronic data
processing (EDP)
Garment merchandiser should be in
synch with all departments regarding the progress of each style which is
running in production. The EDP department will help to arrange data into one
place where user will get the full data in one click. Here will show total
status of style in one data which is collected from different departments. There
are many software packages available for this job. Large organizations arrange
their own ERP system internally for better performance.
Role with HR department
Garment merchandiser should
inform HR department in case of manpower, local transport requirement and
manpower movement requirement.
Role with production department
Garment merchandisers main goal
is ship the goods on time without any problem. For smooth production,
merchandiser will hand over his style details with order quantity to production
department. As per plan, production department will input the goods after
getting the size set pattern from cad department. As per buyer requirement,
garment merchandiser submits the production sample to the buyer for approval. Before
submit the production sample, merchandiser should take size set approval from
buyer. After start the production line, merchandiser will coordinate with
production department in daily basis regarding order progress and clarification
of doubts in any. It’s main duty of garment merchandiser to follow up the
patterns, fabric approval status and trims in-house on time.
Role with quality department
Each and every buyer is looking
for quality product. Garment merchandiser should maintain quality of the
product as per buyer requirement. The quality department have to maintain
quality standards as buyer requirement, when production running in line. Each and
every point have to check carefully for maintain quality standards. On the
basis of styling of the product, quality manager will set the check points to
maintain the quality level as per buyer standards.
Role with packing department
(Finishing)
As per buyer instruction of
packing, garment merchandiser will provide all details to the packing
department. Garment merchandiser will provide style wise garments quantity,
ratio quantity, solid quantity, marking details which are received from buyer. Suppose,
buyer want individual poly bag or single poly bang used in garments then ration
quantity packed by blister poly bag etc. As we know that, storage and labour
cost is higher in foreign countries. Buyer considering the situation, they made
effective plan to utilize the cost and space. Garment merchandiser should
collect all details of packing form buyer and send to the packing department,
so that it becomes easy to utilize the cost and space of the carton and
dispatch where there is a requirement.
Role with commercial department
Factory merchandiser will provide
a copy of all purchase order against the particular order to the account
department. Account department will co-ordinate with all departments like
garment merchandiser, supplier for any excess or shortage or price variation
etch. As account department allocated fund against an order (e.g bank transfers,
LC negotiation etc). The account department negotiated all payment which is related
with order depending on the type of L/C. Once shipment completed, as per buyer
required document submitted to the bank and payments are received.
Role with shipping department
Factory merchandiser always
co-ordinate with shipping department for vessel booking, transport etc. for his
order and complete documents of shipping submitted to the account department
for realizing the fund from buyer.
After
complete the shipment of the goods, garment merchandiser will compare the actual
and final budgeted cost to insure contact profitability.
