How to track material stock and locations between the brand warehouse and the workshop

No shared material record between the warehouse and the workshop

In an outsourced production model the brand usually supplies fabrics and trims to the workshop. Part of the material is in the brand warehouse, part at the maker, part in transit from the supplier. Without one record per colourway and location, the brand does not know whether there is enough to cut, how much remains after an order, or whether leftovers at the maker will return.

• material in several places without one total
• no certainty how much is free to cut
• leftovers and lots disappear in a spreadsheet or in correspondence

In CMT the material belongs to the brand even when it is at the workshop

CMT (Cut-Make-Trim): the workshop cuts and sews from material supplied by the brand; the raw material remains brand property throughout.

Under CMT, material records answer: how much, which colourway, where it is, and whether it is free for planning. Material sent to the workshop still belongs to the brand, but it is not available to cut the next order in the brand warehouse. Mixing up "sent" with "consumed", and missing maker locations, leads to re-buys, downtime and colour differences between production runs when later deliveries of the same colourway come from a different dye lot.

Demand coverage and lot place in one view

We solve scattered material with a materials warehouse that shows demand coverage and where lots are — including at makers.

• On hand, Needed (from BOM × orders), On order and Balance are visible; material at makers ("At makers") is outside the cutting balance
• Places covers brand warehouses and maker locations; lots without an address have their own alert
• Receiving ("Receive stock") and Movements record lots (quantity, place, lot number, rolls)

It is then clear whether confirmed orders are covered and where a colourway physically is.

Steps

1. 1Materials inventory shows per material: On hand, Needed, On order, Balance and At makers.
2. 2Expanding a colourway shows the colour balance; a negative Balance means not enough material to sew.
3. 3Places holds Location: brand warehouse or a place at makers; lots without an address are cleared from the alert.
4. 4Receiving material goes through "Receive stock" (place, colourway, quantity, lot / rolls).
5. 5Issues to the workshop and moves between locations are recorded in Movements. At makers updates with the maker location.
6. 6Needed links to Material Planner at the purchase decision so the balance rests on current demand.

Example: KARMA Navy wool, run 0112_ARD.

On your side

• On every material shipment to the workshop, record the move and the Location at makers.
• Receive lots with a number when colour must match across production runs.
• You decide the purchase on a negative Balance; Go4 shows On hand, Needed, At makers and places.

Related