1. Product brief and project planning
Tell us your product category, intended use, design direction, expected quantities, and delivery destination. Include a sketch, reference photographs, or a tech pack where available. At this stage we discuss the information still needed, possible construction questions, and the scope of sampling so that a quotation can reflect the actual project.
2. Materials, patterns, and samples
Materials influence appearance, fit, decoration, and cost. Once the material direction and measurements are understood, patterns and sample construction can be discussed. Review a sample as a whole: how it feels, how it moves, where branding sits, and how edges and seams are finished. Send consolidated revision notes with photographs and measured differences.
3. Specification approval
A verbal approval is difficult to interpret later. Confirm the specification version, approved sample reference, size chart, artwork, trims, and packaging in writing. Make any remaining substitutions explicit. The commercial order should also state quantity by variant, agreed price, payment arrangements, and estimated production and shipping milestones.
4. Manufacturing and inspection
Production follows the agreed reference. Cutting, decoration, assembly, and finishing need instructions that match one another. Discuss inspection checkpoints for your order and identify details that deserve special attention, such as print alignment, fastening function, or critical measurement points. Product-specific inspection requirements should be established before production rather than added at dispatch.
5. Packing, shipment, and reorders
Agree on how products are labelled, grouped, protected, and counted. Confirm dispatch arrangements and which documents your shipment requires. On arrival, compare the received goods with the order record and report concerns with clear evidence. Retain the specification and approval history when planning another batch; changed materials or artwork should be reviewed as new decisions.
Your project checklist
- Brief
- Development
- Sample review
- Written approval
- Manufacturing and inspection
- Packing and dispatch