Quality

Documentation first

Each yarn lot should be supported by supplier documentation such as article name, count, composition, shade, lot number and certificate references where applicable. These details must match the purchase order and approved development standard.

Physical and visual checks

Cones should be checked for damage, contamination, oil marks, irregular winding, moisture, odour and visible shade difference. The yarn should also be compared with the approved handfeel and colour standard under controlled lighting.

Where a significant deviation is suspected, the lot should be held for technical review rather than released automatically.

Disposition

Incoming material may be accepted, accepted with observation, held for further review or rejected. Any non-conformance should be documented through an NCR and communicated to the supplier promptly.

Specification accuracy

Content labels must show the correct fibre composition, care information, size, country of origin and buyer-required wording. Brand labels and hangtags should be checked for spelling, colour, dimensions, artwork and attachment method.

Functional and compliance checks

Buttons, zippers and closures should be checked for operation, colour match and suitability for the garment. Where OEKO-TEX® or another certification requirement applies, the claim must be supported by the relevant supplier documentation and certification scope for the exact component or programme.

Incorrect labels are treated as a serious quality issue because they can mislead the customer or create regulatory exposure.

Control at line level

Approved trim cards should remain available to production and quality teams. Trims should be issued by style, colour and size where relevant, and unused or mixed components should be segregated.

Approved colour standard

Bulk colour should be assessed against the approved lab dip, yarn card, sample or buyer standard under agreed lighting conditions. D65 or other specified light sources may be used according to the programme; additional sources can be included where metamerism risk is relevant.

Shade bands

Where acceptable lot variation exists, garments may be separated into approved shade bands. Components within an individual garment must remain visually compatible, and carton or size-ratio packing should follow the buyer-approved shade-control plan.

Metamerism, colour migration and finishing-related change should be noted and controlled before shipment.

Production application

First-off pieces from each colour should be checked after finishing. If the bulk shade differs materially from approval, production should be held for review rather than corrected through packing selection alone.

Defects to prevent

Typical knitting defects include holes, dropped stitches, needle lines, laddering, miss-loops, broken yarn, tension stripes, contamination and distorted panels. These faults should be identified at panel stage because correction becomes more difficult after linking and finishing.

First-off and patrol checks

First-off panels should be checked according to style risk, size range, colour, machine setup and approved process requirements. Inline patrol checks then compare ongoing production against the approved swatch and panel standard.

Machine drift, feeder tension and needle condition should be corrected as soon as variation appears.

Panel disposition

Panels should be approved, repaired where permitted, re-knitted or rejected. Repairs must not create visible weakness or surface damage. High-risk structures may require increased inspection frequency.

Core seam requirements

Linked seams should be secure without excessive bulk. Missed loops, visible needle bites, loose yarn ends, puckering and unequal panel feeding are unacceptable in premium knitwear.

Different seams, different loads

Shoulder seams require stability, armhole seams require mobility, side seams must hang straight, and neck linking must remain visually refined. Linking yarn and tension may therefore vary by seam type.

Seam alignment should be assessed before and after washing because finishing can reveal twist or imbalance.

Inspection method

Seams should be reviewed from both face and inside. Open cardigans, wide necklines and reversible designs require particular attention because internal construction may be visible during wear.

Approved recipe

Water temperature, detergent, cycle time, mechanical action, rinse method, drying and brushing should follow the approved recipe. First-off pieces should be measured before and after finishing to confirm shrinkage and surface effect.

Risks in finishing

Over-processing can flatten ribs, blur stitch definition, increase pilling or distort dimensions. Under-processing can leave the garment harsh, uneven or unstable. Heavy pieces should be dried flat to avoid hanger stretch.

Consistency control

Production batches should be processed under comparable conditions. Colour, handfeel, measurements and surface should be checked after the garment has rested and conditioned.

Standardized method

Measurements should be taken on a flat, conditioned garment using the same points of measure and method used in the approved technical specification. The garment should not be stretched unless the measurement instruction specifically requires it.

Tolerances

Measurement tolerances should follow the approved buyer specification or the applicable KCI house standard for the style. Where no buyer-specific tolerance has been agreed, KCI may use internal guidance appropriate to the garment type and construction.

Special structures such as heavy cables, links-links and high-elasticity ribs may require separate measurement rules.

Production use

First-off pieces of each size should be fully measured. Inline and final inspections should use a representative measurement sample, with complete rechecking triggered when repeated deviation appears.

Flat dimensions

Scarves and wraps should be measured without excessive tension, excluding or including fringes according to the specification. Hats should be measured for circumference, width and height in a consistent relaxed state.

Tolerance framework

Accessory tolerances should be defined by product type, construction, finished dimensions and buyer requirement. Scarves, shawls, hats and other accessories may need different rules because elasticity, fringes, edge treatment and finishing affect measurement.

Additional quality points

Fringe length, edge stability, symmetry, shape recovery and weight should also be controlled. Accessories packed under compression should be allowed to relax before final measurement.

Critical defects

Critical defects create safety, legal or severe product risk. Examples include sharp objects, dangerous contamination, incorrect fibre declaration or a defect that makes the product unsafe or materially misleading.

Major and minor defects

Major defects include visible holes, runs, open seams, severe measurement deviation, stains, incorrect assembly, obvious shade mismatch and poor linking. Minor defects may include removable loose threads, light press marks or small cosmetic deviations that do not materially affect use.

Application

Critical defects require immediate containment and disposition according to the applicable quality plan. Major and minor defects are evaluated against the agreed sampling and acceptance criteria. Classification should be defined before inspection to avoid inconsistent judgement.

Timing

The audit should be scheduled when enough production is complete to represent the order meaningfully but before packing makes broad correction difficult. The exact trigger can vary by buyer protocol, order size and production risk.

Workmanship, shade, measurements, finishing and label readiness are reviewed across relevant colours and sizes.

Purpose

The pre-final audit identifies repeat defects before they are locked into packed cartons. It also verifies whether corrective actions from inline control have been completed.

A failed pre-final audit should delay packing until rework or containment is complete.

Output

The audit should produce a documented report listing defects, affected quantities, responsible owners and closure dates. Evidence of correction should be reviewed before final inspection.

Sampling framework

Final inspection may follow ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 or ISO 2859-1 principles at General Inspection Level II, or another buyer-approved protocol. Lot size determines the code letter, sample size and acceptance/rejection numbers according to the selected standard and inspection plan.

Inspection content

The final audit covers workmanship, selected measurement verification, shade, labelling, quantity, packing and carton checks. Defects are classified according to the agreed quality standard.

Only lots meeting the applicable acceptance criteria are released. Failed lots require containment and corrective action, which may include sorting, rework, 100% screening and reinspection depending on the issue and agreed protocol.

Documentation

The release file should include the final inspection report, defect summary, measurement record, photographs and shipment release authorization.

Required information

The report should identify the buyer, PO, style, colour, lot size, packed quantity, inspection date, sampling plan and defect counts. It should also record measurements, shade observations and packing results.

Photographic evidence

Photographs should show garment front and back, key stitch areas, labels, measurements, packing method, carton marks and any defects found. Images should be clear enough to support review without ambiguity.

Approval and retention

The final inspection report should identify the release authority according to KCI’s internal quality-control process. Report-retention periods should follow applicable buyer, legal and company requirements rather than relying on one universal duration.

Garment-level checks

Each piece should be folded consistently, protected from abrasion and placed in the correct polybag or presentation packaging. Size stickers, barcodes, hangtags and labels must match the garment.

Carton-level checks

Cartons should contain the correct style, colour, size assortment and quantity according to the approved packing instructions. Where shade bands are used, packing should follow the buyer-approved shade-control plan.

Shipping marks, carton numbers and packing lists must correspond, and carton construction should be suitable for the route without excessive compression.

Release checks

Barcode scans, label wording, carton marks and random count verification should be completed before sealing. Any repacking after final inspection should remain under quality control.

Lot identification

Yarn cone and lot details should be linked to knitting batches, production dates, finishing records and carton IDs. This enables targeted investigation if a defect or claim arises.

Records to retain

Key records include incoming inspection, lab-dip approvals, trim approvals, technical specifications, production settings, inline reports, pre-final audit, final inspection, packing list and shipment documents.

Retention and access

Quality and shipment records should be retained according to buyer, certification, legal and internal company requirements and stored so they can be retrieved by buyer, PO, style, lot and shipment date.

Containment

Suspect material should be clearly marked and moved to a controlled hold area. The affected quantity, style, colour, lot and defect should be documented.

NCR process

A Non-Conformance Report records the issue, immediate action, responsible department and required disposition. Depending on severity, the material may be repaired, reworked, downgraded, returned or rejected.

Closure

The NCR should remain open until the corrective action is verified. Repaired or reworked goods must be reinspected before release.

Root-cause analysis

Tools such as 5-Why analysis or fishbone diagrams help distinguish the true process cause from the visible symptom. Causes may relate to method, machine, material, manpower, measurement or environment.

Action planning

A corrective action should identify the owner, deadline and required process change. Preventive or risk-reduction actions may include revised settings, training, supplier controls, new checkpoints or updated documentation.

Repeated defects should trigger a broader process review proportionate to their severity, frequency and commercial impact.

Effectiveness check

The action is not complete until evidence shows that the defect has reduced or disappeared in subsequent production. Results should be documented and reviewed by quality management.

Required views

Useful approval sets include full front and back views, side or interior construction, key stitch close-ups, labels, closures, measured points and packing presentation.

Image discipline

Photographs should use neutral lighting, correct focus and a clean background. Measurement images should clearly show the tape position and reading. Colour images are informative but should not replace physical shade standards.

File control

Images should be named by buyer, PO, style, colour, size and date, then retained with the quality and shipment file.

Release conditions

The final inspection must pass, open NCRs affecting shipment must be closed, packing lists must be verified and buyer approvals must be complete. Any agreed balance-payment condition is handled separately under commercial control.

Release statement

The shipment-release record should identify the applicable inspection standard, lot, PO, carton and piece quantity, together with the required quality and packing status. Release authority should follow KCI’s internal quality-control process and any buyer-specific approval requirement.

Post-release control

If cartons are opened or modified after release, the affected portion should return to quality control. Final documentation should remain aligned with the actual shipped quantity.

Data from production

Defects should be tracked by style, operation, machine, operator, yarn lot and buyer where useful. Repeated patterns reveal where process improvement will have the greatest impact.

Improvement actions

Actions may include updated machine settings, revised training, supplier development, stronger first-off approval, clearer measurement methods or changes to finishing and packing standards.

Management review

Quality results should be reviewed periodically with production, merchandising and management. Improvement priorities should focus on recurrence, commercial risk and customer impact.