Innovative Product Development Support for Apparel and Textiles
Proactive Approach Moves Quality Upstream
Everyone is familiar with the widely used method of evaluating garment performance and compliance by testing the entire finished product in along with factory audits and production inspections. Delays in bringing products to market, increased risk of recalls, and non-compliance with regulatory standards are all consequences of failures being discovered late in the production process, at the shipment stage, when it is difficult to adjust.
The successful implementation of new features for upcoming styles can be ensured by testing during the design and development phases of the product life cycle. Early testing phases will reduce the risk and delays sometimes brought on by testing errors during the pre-production and production phases.
OUR APPROACH
Bureau Veritas assists with garment design teams to assess product challenges and implement product testing during the design and development phases of the product life cycle through our Softline Product Development services.
KEY BENEFITS
• By moving testing up front and handling failure at the design stage rather than the garment stage, brand integrity can be managed more effectively.
• Shorten product development cycles to enable quick-to-market or fast-fashion initiatives.
• Determine the quality of potential new suppliers and highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of current ones.
• Reduce the possibility of poor-quality products and pricey consumer returns.
• Strengthen trademark protection and risk management.
• Have faith in the goods you put on the market.
Bureau Veritas offers comprehensive quality assurance services continuously to support the preservation of your name and reputation. Our technical expert teams can create a testing strategy that best meets your requirements. We can locate industry standards and best practices for a wide variety of materials, regardless of whether you are a producer of consumer goods or a supplier of raw materials. Our services can be tailored to meet the demands of your project objectives.
Our Softline Product Development services include but are not limited to:
• Design evaluations regarding particular design concerns or applicable regulatory and safety requirements
• Specification development for new materials
• Product assessment through testing at development and pre-production stages
• Comparative analysis by testing own brand products to the competition
• Defect and failure analysis of customer complaint items or manufacturing defects
• Support potential performance claims through testing at the development stage
• Technical support network to answer questions, interpret results, and help manage your quality assurance program
• Training: Educate suppliers and buyers to build awareness of CPSIA regulations, CPSC testing and certification rules
Outside of seasons or development calendars, we can work with you to create ready-to-use and certified libraries of fabrics, trims, and accessories.
Frequently Asked Questions
I want to source new lower priced fabrics. How do I ensure the current quality is maintained?
We suggest testing particular performance properties that will be most impacted by the product's intended application. Before purchasing the new fabric yardage, carry out a comparison analysis of the current fabric and the proposed new fabric to determine similar performance, for instance, if the product end use markets strong wickability.
I have a trim that I would like to use across multiple styles but I don’t want to test for every style. What do you suggest the testing approach should be?
To manage trim testing, Bureau Veritas presents a pre-certification method that enables tracking and support of numerous styles using the same trim.