Inspection and Quality Control

Pre Production Checks

Latasia has a highly skilled team of quality experts who work with you to ensure that your exact requirements are met. Our team is based in Thailand and all salaries and other remuneration are met by us. You therefore have an excellent quality control resource at your disposal without any of the overheads and inconvenience associated with setting up an office in Thailand. We are a registered Thai company and our staff work throughout the Asia region.

Let us select the factory that will meet your needs and conduct the checks on their ability to:

• ensure effective product movement – we take responsibility for going over styles (fabrics, accessories and trim positions, production stage, shipment details). We also work with the factory to identify, discuss and resolve any concerns over meeting delivery requirements .

• ensure that Quality is built into the production process – we only work with factories that are able to meet our strict quality standards. Latasia can ensure that your quality requirements are understood and met by the supplier.

• assess factory capacity – we undertake an assessment of capacity making sure that the supplier is able to meet orders without comprising ethical or quality standards. Where a need to sub-contract is identified, we undertake a risk assessment to identify what risks, if any, this will pose to your order .

• assessing suitability of Machinery – we will look at the quality and availability of factory equipment as well as examining the set up of such .

• analyse factory resources – we will undertake an assessment of the factory resource capacity, including issus such as under-age or forced labour .

• ensure that good Social and Ethical working practices exist – we review all of the social, ethical, environmental issues at factories, always ensuring that they meet internationally recognised ethical standards .

When you choose Latasia to manage the placing of orders at Factories, you can be sure that a thorough assessment of the supplier’s suitability takes place. We will submit a written report of our assessment to your Senior Buyer.

Production Commencement Checks

Ensuring that the Factory meets your exact needs prior to production commencing is just the start of the process.
At the commencement of the production process, each manufacturer receives:

• Purchase order
• Style specification
• Sew by sample
• Cutters (listing all components of the garment)
• Put up and carton packing (to demonstrate the method of packing to be used)
• Letter of credit
• Packing list

Latasia works with the manufacturer to ensure that they understand their specific responsibilities in this area and to help resolve any issues that arise before production commences.

Production Checks

Latasia staff undertake regular visits to each factory, both routine visits and special visits to resolve any issues arising. Our checks are set out in a detailed work programme, which all of our Quality Inspectors must undertake. Following each visit, we will submit a written report to your Senior Buyer that sets out the work undertaken and any issues arising. The areas that our staff look at include:

• Ensure the manufacture maintains a good Elastic application and Specifications Measurements;

• Ensure that Stitches are in accordance with SPI; we look for any evidence of cracked stitches,’broken stitches, open seams, basting stitches, uneven stitches, etc;

• Any unnecessary and uneven shirring – we look to see that the shirring without elastics is properly done;

• For ladies’ apparel, we ensure good quality Bra Cup, V-Neck application and Bindings are done;

• We look for assurance that proper cutting methods are used – we also inspect Fabric quality;

• We ensure that we have copy of the 4. System Fabrics laboratory testing reports as required, along with fabrics colour approval details and approved samples in place.

• Ensure the goods are properly packed; looking at the appliance, content labour, had tag, hanger, individual polythene bag, jet clip, clip size, inner and out box, etc)

• Look at the production movements; the quality of accessories, trims, embroideries, production stages, shipment details;

• Our team have detailed discussions with factory management to identify and discuss any potential delays and act to resolve the issue before it occurs;

• We review and report on issues concerning the Social and Ethical aspects of the operation. This includes Factory Set Up, Machinery, Capacity, Lighting, Human Resource issues and the general conditions in the work environment. Our staff work on contracts for some of the world’s leading high street names and have had detailed training on their ethical standards;

• We take an active look at the many factories that are involved in an operation.

We ensure that we understand a product before the production commences. It is important to Latasia that we provide your Senior Buyers with an honest, independent, objective and accurate report on the production of each style (in-line and final).