Modern factories are highly automated and mechanized. Without automated equipment, even basic efficiency is unattainable on production lines, making it extremely difficult to achieve high production capacity. Similarly, garment factories without specialized machinery struggle to secure large or international orders. However, this does not mean that machinery can be chosen carelessly. A good equipment supplier must possess professional knowledge and, more importantly, sustainability. Continue reading to understand why choosing a value-added equipment supplier is crucial for garment factories.

The Impact of Equipment Maintenance on Production Lines

Efficiency is a key indicator of a manufacturing plant's ability to ensure smooth production processes. According to statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, fixed assets such as machinery and equipment increased by 78.4% in the second quarter of 2020, highlighting the high demand for equipment investment. In factories, most operations are performed by equipment, and the main factor affecting production lines is maintenance activities. This includes preventing equipment aging, maintenance, and adjustments. Equipment failures leading to downtime result in losses such as wasted labor, time, production delays, material waste, and even product recalls. For this reason, selecting reliable and suitable equipment is crucial.

Key Criteria for Selecting Garment Equipment Suppliers

The production process of a garment is complex, with each part handled by specialized machinery. Therefore, the first condition for selecting garment equipment suppliers is finding experts in the field.

The garment manufacturing process is intricate, involving countless steps from pattern making, cutting, sewing, processing, to quality inspection. A good garment equipment expert can help factories increase efficiency, improve product competitiveness, enhance product quality, increase customer satisfaction, and ensure timely delivery. Suppliers in the same field can also provide equipment tips to make operations smoother.

When investing in equipment, companies often face differing opinions from management (owners/managers) and procurement departments. Company leaders often focus on industry foresight and future direction; procurement departments, being the primary expenditure units, significantly impact overall company costs based on their performance. Many procurement departments evaluate suppliers solely based on price, considering it the highest standard. While price advantages provide significant short-term benefits, they can lead to future issues. Additionally, procurement departments may adopt a "shop around" mentality, which is only applicable to standard product purchases. In garment factories, fabric materials vary, making this buying method more time-consuming. The selection of equipment involves human control factors due to different levels of familiarity with the equipment, resulting in hidden costs that are often the tip of the iceberg.

Besides price being the primary cost consideration, long-term equipment procurement strategies should focus on equipment flexibility, supplier expertise, integrity, quality, and service. Good suppliers continuously optimize their products to maintain market competitiveness for their customers.

Zara's Quality Control Challenges in China

The fashion industry is fast-paced and unstable, with few opportunities for success. Over 53% of garment production lines close within the first year due to stocking low-quality products. Fashion brand Zara discovered this issue. After expanding to China, they repeatedly encountered quality problems, focusing on growth (annual growth of 60% from 2007 to 2012) rather than quality. In 2017, the brand closed several flagship stores in China, partly due to unstable quality.

The Impact of Poor-Quality Machines on Garment Production

Besides resulting in poor product quality, purchasing garment equipment from unreliable suppliers can lead to expensive machine failures and order delays.

While regular maintenance is acceptable, frequent breakdowns disrupt production lines and ultimately reduce profits. If equipment suppliers cannot promptly repair machines, orders accumulate, affecting the entire supply chain. Top manufacturers lose approximately 3.3 million hours annually due to downtime. Waiting weeks or months for repairs is not ideal. Additionally, maintenance often relies on human judgment, with repairs based on experience, leading to hidden costs. More precise maintenance management could save factories significant expenses annually.

Benefits of Choosing the Right Garment Machinery Supplier

  • Meeting Deadlines and Ensuring Repeat Orders: Choosing reputable, high-quality garment machinery ensures reduced machine failures and consistent maintenance. Excellent garment machines enable smooth production operations, ensuring orders are completed on time and helping textile companies meet consumer demands. Fashion companies include fast manufacturing partners in their safe supplier lists for repeat orders, benefiting garment manufacturers in the long run.

  • Integrating Equipment to Ensure Production Efficiency: Collaborating with professional equipment suppliers can improve production efficiency. Equipment integration allows machines to communicate, such as passing quality control rates. Equipment IoT not only enhances efficiency but also provides businesses with more convenient management processes, achieving energy-saving goals.

  • Stable Supplier Relationships: Building good relationships with appropriate equipment suppliers can help garment manufacturers improve efficiency. Once garment machinery suppliers understand the production goals of garment professionals, they can provide equipment recommendations and spend time explaining how to optimize machines for maximum efficiency. Allowing suitable garment machinery suppliers to engage in the daily operations of garment factories can bring additional benefits, such as reducing repair time or offering more expert advice, as they understand and care about the business structure of garment manufacturers.

  • Supplier Sustainability and Foresight: High-quality equipment suppliers continuously develop new products that meet market demands, providing factories with a competitive edge. The garment industry relies heavily on labor, and daily efficiency is subject to many unforeseen factors. Machinery suppliers continually innovate, digitizing and smartening equipment, making production processes transparent, fast, and energy-saving, directly reflecting in garment factories. The foresight and sustainability of equipment suppliers effectively address the fundamental pain points of customers.

Practical Advice for Selecting Suppliers

With numerous equipment suppliers in the market, how can garment factories find suppliers that meet their requirements?

  • Understanding the Market and Target Customers:When selecting garment machinery suppliers, providing specific information about the industry and target customers is beneficial. This allows garment machinery suppliers to recommend machines that align with the business goals of garment manufacturers and screen out suppliers that are unsuitable for their industry. Good garment machinery suppliers will be interested in the success of garment manufacturers and want to understand their goals. Avoid suppliers who are only interested in their own revenue, as this leads to toxic working relationships.

  • Providing After-Sales Service: Suitable garment machinery suppliers are interested in participating in all aspects of the production process, even those requiring extra work. If machines encounter any issues, a good supplier will offer after-sales service and assistance. They will send personnel to evaluate the concerned machines, resolve difficulties without blame, and minimize inconvenience caused by machine failures.

  • One-Stop Service for Comprehensive Factory Support: While garment manufacturers should aim to save costs, focusing solely on cost when selecting garment machinery suppliers may backfire and cause problems later. The best garment machinery suppliers provide a wide range of machines necessary for establishing a successful garment factory. The garment manufacturing process is complex; purchasing each product based solely on price and from different suppliers leads to extensive communication and increased maintenance costs. Therefore, garment factories should seek suppliers offering one-stop services, including consultation, machine procurement (same brand), assembly, and maintenance.

Conclusion

Garment factory owners already have enough to worry about; reducing one concern is a significant relief. Equipment procurement is expensive, and choosing the right and professional equipment suppliers can enhance factory productivity and long-term success. Garment factories should prioritize after-sales support and equipment flexibility. Oushima, established for half a century, is a specialized garment machinery supplier for garment factories. We provide one-stop services and advanced digital equipment, improving our customers' production processes. Contact us today to see how our integrated garment equipment can help any garment manufacturing company.

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