Order to shipment: how a garment order really flows
Delays are rarely created where they are discovered. Mapping the full flow and its handovers shows why a late trim approval becomes a late shipment six weeks later.
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How it works
1.Development and sampling
Tech pack, proto, fit and PP samples. This stage owns fit approval, construction decisions and the bill of materials. Every unresolved comment here becomes rework later.
2.Sourcing and pre-production
Fabric and trim booking, in-house testing, marker and consumption sign-off, and the PP meeting that locks the method for the line.
3.Cutting and bundling
Spreading, cutting, numbering, bundling and shade separation. Shade mixing inside a garment is created here and found by the customer.
4.Sewing and finishing
Line balancing, in-line inspection at defined checkpoints, then pressing, trimming, metal detection and packing to the packing list.
5.Final inspection and shipment
AQL sampling against the agreed level, carton audit, documentation and handover. Failing here means re-inspection cost and delayed payment.
Quick reference
- Typical lead time
- 60–120 days from order to ship
- Common final AQL
- 2.5 major / 4.0 minor
- In-line checkpoints
- Minimum 3 per line
- PP meeting timing
- 5–7 days before line loading
Checks you can run this week
- Track the date every approval is actually received, not requested.
- Confirm shade bands are separated through cutting and bundling.
- Run an internal AQL before calling the customer's inspector.
Free downloads for this topic
Print-ready A4 PDF sheets from the NOSK.space garment media library — free of charge, no sign-up.
Single jersey knit swatch card
Loop structure illustration with GSM range, stretch behaviour, expected shrinkage and ball-point needle sizes for cotton single jersey.
Denim 3/1 twill swatch card
Twill line diagram with weight in oz and g/m2, stretch ranges for elastane denim, shrinkage expectations and jeans-point needle sizes.
Cotton poplin plain weave swatch card
Plain weave grid with shirting weight ranges, bias-only stretch notes, shrinkage targets and sharp needle sizes for light wovens.
Free studies and toolkits that use this
This explainer supports the following NOSK.space learning paths and toolkits — all free of charge, with no payments and no paywalls.
Free learning · Intermediate
Apparel Operations ExcellenceLine balancing, capacity planning, WIP control and OEE for cutting, sewing and finishing.
Free learning · Advanced
Lean Six Sigma for ApparelDMAIC applied to real sewing-floor problems, with statistical tools sized for factory data.
Free toolkit
AQL Inspection ToolkitSampling tables, defect tally sheets and a lot-disposition worksheet ready for final random inspection.
Free toolkit
CAPA Documentation PackNCR, containment log, root-cause worksheet, action plan and effectiveness verification templates.
Free toolkit
Audit Readiness BinderA structured evidence index for social, chemical and quality audits, with owner and review columns.
Free toolkit
Factory KPI Dashboard KitDefinitions, data-capture forms and dashboard layouts for the twelve KPIs that actually move output.
Real contacts for this topic
Factories, mills, suppliers, buyers and industry bodies from the free NOSK.space garment directory that work directly with order to shipment: how a garment order really flows. Every detail below is published on the organisation's own site and each link opens that site — free of charge, no introductions sold, no commission taken.
Epic Group
Hong Kong · Hong Kong SAR (plants in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Jordan)
Multi-country apparel manufacturer and sourcing group
Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd.
Bengaluru · India
India's largest apparel exporter — knits, wovens and fabric processing
- Address
- Bellandur Gate, Sarjapur Main Road, Bangalore 560 102, Karnataka, India
Youngone Corporation
Seoul · South Korea (plants in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ethiopia)
Outerwear, technical apparel, footwear and backpacks
- Address
- 159 Mallijae-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
BGMEA — Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association
Dhaka · Bangladesh
Apex association for woven and knit garment exporters in Bangladesh
- Address
- BGMEA Complex, 23/1 Panthapath Link Road, Karwan Bazar, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh
Inditex (Zara)
Arteixo · Spain
Retail group with published supplier standards and sourcing clusters
- Address
- Edificio Inditex, Avda. de la Diputación s/n, 15143 Arteixo, A Coruña, Spain
- Phone
- +34 981 185 400
Where this fits in sourcing
This topic is used at the following stages of the free NOSK.space sourcing guide, which links each decision to the questions to ask and the real organisations to approach.
- Stage 3: Cost estimation and quotation build-up
Rebuild the quoted price line by line so you know what you are actually paying for.
- Stage 5: Factory capability and order flow
Check the factory can actually run your product, at your quantity, on your dates.
- Stage 6: Contract and purchase order drafting
Write down every technical decision you have made so it is enforceable, not remembered.
- Stage 7: Payment terms and trade finance
Agree who carries the risk at each step, and tie every payment to a verifiable event.
- Stage 10: Exporters, buyers and market entry
Match your product to the right export partner or buyer channel.
Common questions
- Where do most delays start?
- Trim and print approvals plus late fabric in-house. Both are visible weeks earlier on a handover-date tracker.
- Can my team use this map internally?
- Yes, freely. Everything on NOSK.life is free of charge for any team, factory or student.
Finished this explainer?
Tick it off to track your own progress in the free student portal. It is stored on this device only — no login, no account, no fees.
Jobs this knowledge leads to
Real garment industry roles that hire for exactly this skill, with the employers that recruit them. Free to browse — no fees, no commission.
Production & industrial engineering · Entry level
Industrial Engineer (IE)
Sets standard minute values, balances the line, plans layout and manpower, and defends the target when output drops.
Open the role guideMerchandising & costing · Entry level
Merchandiser
Holds the order together from enquiry to shipment: costing, consumption, approvals, trims, dates and buyer communication.
Open the role guideSourcing & buying office · Senior
Sourcing / Vendor Manager (buying office)
Sits on the buyer's side: selects suppliers, places and moves orders, and develops factory capability.
Open the role guide
More free media
- How garment quality inspection works, stage by stage
In-line, end-line and final AQL inspection: what each catches, how sample sizes are set and how defects are classified.
- Woven vs knit: how fabric construction changes everything
Warp and weft versus loops and courses — why the same fibre behaves completely differently once it is woven or knitted.
- How to read a fabric test report without guessing
GSM, shrinkage, colour fastness, pilling and tensile results — what each line means and which failures actually stop production.