In today’s fast-paced apparel industry, the product development cycle—from concept to final sample approval—often takes longer than necessary, delaying market responsiveness. Buyers face increasing pressure to speed up their collections and deliver them to consumers on time. To stay competitive, brands are prioritizing faster product development, making process efficiency a key differentiator for apparel factories.
To achieve this, two critical areas must be optimized: merchandising and costing and product sample making. A Lean Office Program can help streamline administrative workflows, particularly in merchandising and costing (see our Lean Office Program for details). Meanwhile, this program focuses on accelerating product sample making using Just-In-Time (JIT) principles. By applying JIT, factories can optimize sample production, eliminate bottlenecks, and enhance responsiveness—ensuring they meet market demands with speed and precision.
The Accelerated Product Sample Making Program is specifically designed to address challenges within the sample room by mapping and fast-tracking the entire sample development process. This includes optimizing product information flow, sample cut parts, and sample assembly—ensuring samples are efficiently prepared for customer approval or production.
By conducting detailed process mapping, gap analysis, and lean tool implementation, the program streamlines workflows, adopts a multifunctional team structure, and reduces inefficiencies—all while maintaining quality standards.
By cutting lead times and costs at this critical stage, participants will be equipped to help their apparel companies enter the market faster, enhance competitiveness, improve unit pricing, and meet customer expectations with agility.
Program Objectives
- Reduce product sample development lead times to improve market responsiveness.
- Optimize sample-making workflows using Just-In-Time (JIT) principles.
- Eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies in sample production.
- Enhance coordination between key departments for seamless execution.
- Improve cost efficiency while maintaining high-quality standards.
Target Audience
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Sample room managers and supervisors
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Merchandisers and costing teams
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Product developers and pattern makers
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Industrial engineers and production planners
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Quality control and assurance personnel
