Today we’re going over the pros and cons of doing production with a sample room.
As your business grows, home sewing and the support of a seamstress may not give you the volume that you need. This is a great problem to have! Unfortunately, you may still struggle with the minimums required by a traditional manufacturer. So, what can you do? This is where a sample room may be able to help you out.
The first thing that you need to know is there are A LOT of different sample rooms out there and not all offer production.
Most sample rooms make patterns, sew samples, support with fittings and even grade and make markers for you. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of working with a sample room that is also offering small production runs.
Pros Of Working With A Sample Room
Very low minimums
If you find a sample room that will take on production, it is usually a very small amount. Generally they are filling up the sample sewers’ open time and can manage less than a couple hundred pieces.
Convenience of a one-stop-shop
We all love a one stop shop where we can get everything we need and not have to run all over the city. A sample room can generally offer pattern making, grading, marker making, sample sewing and support with fittings. If you add production you can save a ton of time.
You won’t have to keep repeating the same information to each person that you are working with. The people that are running your production understand your needs. They have gone through the development process with you and this can save time in the long run.
Access to a variety of machinery
What type of machines a sample room has access to is probably the MOST important question. They should be able to give you access to machinery that a seamstress can’t. But, if they don’t have the machines you need, it’s time to move on.
If you’re not sure what kind of machinery you need, take in a sample you like. They will be able to tell you if they have machinery that can do the same thing or something similar.
Cons Of Working With A Sample Room
High costs
This is a big one. Since sample rooms are set up to make one piece at a time, they are an inefficient way to produce product. Meaning higher labour costs for you.
Also, they are generally in more desirable locations than a manufacturer. This means higher rent, and higher costs for your.
Sample sewers are generally the most experienced and skilled sewers in the industry. This gives you expertise when creating your product but isn’t necessary in production. Ultimately, this means higher wages and higher costs for you.
You are also paying a little more for the convenience of getting everything together. You could shop around and get lower prices for pattern making, grading and marker making but it is easier to have this all done together. That convenience will cost you. But, sometimes the cost is worth it.
Limited control over quality
Usually when a sample room is doing production, it’s to fill up the unused time of the sample sewers. Essentially, this is the same as having multiple seamstresses sewing your product. This is less efficient than a factory. And, you don’t get the repetition and learning that a single person would get.
I recommend doing quality inspections when working with a sample room. Either on your own or with help from someone that understands your requirements.
Working with a sample room for both sampling and production can be an effective way for you to use your time. You should be able to get all the expertise in one place. This will save you from running all over town. Meeting with pattern makers, sample sewers and seamstresses can be time consuming. This can be a big win for someone that is short on time.
On the flip side, this is not a cost effective way to scale your business. You will pay for the convenience of a one stop shop and not get the best quality. To get the most out of working with a sample room:
- Clarify who your main point of contact is. It may be a different person for production than it was for making your samples.
- Ask what other brands they are working with to understand their capability.
- Take a tour of the facility and ask questions about how they’ll make your product.
- Get on the same page about quality BEFORE they start production.
- Be clear on your production timelines and check in to see how they are tracking.
I have seen working with a sample room as an effective way to launch a new line. They can give you expert advice on building your initial samples and gently ease you into production. But, my hope is that you outgrow them quickly.
Are you considering using a sample room to make your production? Did you find something helpful in this post that you hadn’t considered? Drop me a note below. I love to hear about your individual experiences.