Evaluation & Quality

To meet certain targets manufactures have to ensure their products are evaluated at every stage until its ready to sell. This is called a continuous evaluation.

The product is then studied in detail and then prioritised at each tiny aspect. This is usually made out of opinions, standards or criteria and market research. The product is always compared to existing products already on the market. A product needs to meet these expected criteria at this stage; safety, suitability, value and testing.

The evaluation of a product is called reviewing, which highlights any last or missed problems.Quality is evaluated on a finished item, and has to meet certain criteria to meet industry standards; look, fabric, assembly, purpose, size, Safety and packaging.

Quality is required to meet all of these and its important to control the product efficiently throughout the production to ensure the product doesn’t end up being discarded.

Products are legally required to meet industry standards, and this is shown by the quality symbols inside the garments on the care labels. The British Standards Institution sets the standards and it’s shown by a kite mark, this proves the product has been tested.

The ‘CE’ mark is the European Union standard which is to do with maintenance not quality.

 

By Abigail Stephenson
Photographs provided by fashion Capital.

For other articles in the learning about textiles technology, click below:

Part one: what are textiles?
Part two: The inspiration behind the ideas of design
Part three: drawing and modelling
Part four: planning
Part five: influences on design
Part six: fibres
Part seven: construction
Part eight: properties of fabrics
Part nine: care of fabrics
Part ten: components
Part eleven: disassembly
Part twelve: application of colour
Part thirteen: measuring and marketing
Part fourteen: assembly
Part fifteen: industrial production techniques
Part sixteen: systems in production
Part seventeen: aesthetics and ergonomics
Part eighteen: evaluation and quality
Part nineteen: marketing