OEM Service Pipeline · Tech Pack to FOB
Five operational stages — tech-pack interpretation, pattern and marker, sampling, bulk production, QC and shipment. One PM per PO. Daily WhatsApp updates. Pattern tolerance ±0.5 cm. Delta-E <3 on colour. The numbers below are the same ones we lock into the PO acceptance email.
Stage Gantt · Day 1 → Day 30
An OEM run is not one project — it is five sub-projects in sequence. Each stage has a named owner inside our team, an explicit deliverable, and a calendar window. If a stage runs long, the next stage absorbs the slack only when the spec allows; otherwise the PM rebooks the FOB date in writing. No silent slippage.
Common findings at this stage: missing gsm spec on lining fabric, undefined elastic width on waistband, no Pantone reference on accent stripe, hangtag artwork supplied at 150 dpi instead of 300 dpi. We do not start pattern work with any of these open.
Pattern modifications welcomed at this stage: rise, inseam, neckline depth, strap width, hem length, pocket placement. Late modifications (after marker is cut) are not free — we publish the rework fee in writing before proceeding. See OEM sample policy and revision-round fees for the schedule.
What we will not skip: PP sample sign-off in writing. The PP sample becomes the contractual reference for AQL 2.5 inspection downstream. Skipping PP is the single most expensive shortcut in OEM — we will not run bulk without it.
Halt authority: any CP3 or CP4 inspector can stop a batch from advancing without escalation. We backstop with a same-shift root-cause review on the floor — not a written report two days later. Line allocation is decided by SKU family on the PO acceptance email; see yoga apparel manufacturing capacity and line allocation.
Lane handoff: the same logistics coordinator who packed the order books the lane (FOB / CIF / DDP / FBA-direct). Lane choice was decided on the PO acceptance email, not after pack-out. Customs paperwork is filed on every cross-border shipment — buyers do not touch HS-codes.
The 5-stage workflow is invariant across every OEM run. What scales between tiers is the PM bandwidth and the sample turnaround speed — see OEM service tiers below for the bracket-by-bracket breakdown, and the OEM yoga apparel pricing tiers and MOQ schedule for the per-piece rate by volume.
Day 1 of the workflow only begins when the package below is complete. A partial tech pack means our patternmaker starts on Day 4 instead of Day 1, and the FOB date moves accordingly. Use this list to package the brief in one delivery — not eight separate emails over three weeks.
| # | File | What's in it | Format | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Spec sheet | Every dimension across the size range, seam allowances, fit intent, points of measure with tolerances. | XLSX / PDF | Required |
| 02 | BOM (bill of materials) | Every fabric, trim, label, hangtag, polybag — with supplier preference if any. | XLSX | Required |
| 03 | Fabric swatch | Physical swatch or named mill reference. We re-source from our tier-1 list if requested, at-cost. | Physical + photo | Required |
| 04 | Fit notes | How the garment should sit on the body — sketch annotations on body silhouette, ease points called out. | Required | |
| 05 | Branding artwork | Logo, woven label, hangtag, polybag print — vector preferred for crisp scale across garment placement. | AI / EPS / PDF 300 dpi | Required |
| 06 | Pantone / colour references | Pantone TCX/TPG codes for solid colours; hex values for sublimation. Monitor screenshots do not qualify as colour specs. | TXT / PDF | Required |
| 07 | Reference garment | One piece in the closest existing fit — your own previous run, or a benchmark. Couriered to the pattern desk. | Physical | Strongly preferred |
| 08 | NDA (mutual) | If branding or design is confidential, the mutual NDA is signed before any tech-pack file changes hands. | Optional |
What we do not need at this stage: 3D renders, mood boards, or competitor screenshots. If your brief is still at that stage, the ODM yoga apparel design service is the right intake — we draft the tech pack with you and route into the same 5-stage workflow afterwards.
Sample sign-off is the one part of OEM where speed is the enemy. A bulk run on a fit sample that was never PP-signed is the most expensive mistake a buyer can make — it shows up at AQL inspection as a 20% out-of-spec batch and a hard conversation. Below is the four-stage gate we hold every PO to, with the approval criteria for each.
Lead time4–6 working days · revision rounds 3–5 days each
Lead time4–6 working days · revision rounds 3–5 days each
Lead time5–7 working days · cannot be skipped on any OEM run
Retention18 months on-floor · 18 months at buyer end
Sample fees, courier costs, and revision-round billing are itemized on the OEM sample policy and revision-round fees page — including which revisions are absorbed, which are billable, and the rework fee schedule when a buyer changes a spec after PP sign-off.
Production transparency is not a portal. It is a person on WhatsApp at the same time every day with a structured update. Below is what a buyer can expect to receive from Day 15 (bulk kickoff) through Day 28 (pack-out) — and how the photo log, the stage card, and third-party inspection slot in.
The same tracking SOP runs across the custom yoga apparel manufacturer overview programme, the ODM yoga apparel design service intake, and every line on the production floor — the daily message is not a tier upgrade, it is the standard for every PO.
A guarantee that isn't written into the PO acceptance is a slogan. We put four numbers in writing on every OEM run — not on a marketing page, in the email that confirms the PO. Below is what the four numbers mean and how we measure them.
01Pattern accuracy
±0.5 cm
02Colour accuracy
ΔE < 3
03Pre-pack defect rate
< 1.8%
04Written acceptance
PO email = contract
What we do not guarantee: zero defects (anyone who claims that is shipping rework as inventory), 100% colour match to a backlit monitor reference (you must send a physical Pantone TCX/TPG card), or lead-time hold if the buyer's sign-off lags past the agreed window. Each of these is documented on the OEM sample policy and the OEM pricing tiers and MOQ schedule.
The 5-stage workflow is identical at every tier. What scales is PM bandwidth, sample turnaround speed, and whether a Gantt-style schedule with milestone dates is published by week 1. Pick the tier that matches the volume and the timeline pressure of the PO — downgrade is automatic if annual volume falls below the bracket, no contract gymnastics.
Tier 1 · Standard
50–300pcs per SKU
Capsule launches, first-PO buyers, proof-of-concept runs. The right intake when the SKU is new to the catalog.
Lead time25–30 working days
Tier 2 · Pro
300–1,000pcs per SKU
Scaling brands, repeat OEM partners, brands placing 2–4 POs a year on the same patterns.
Lead time22–28 working days
Tier 3 · Enterprise
1,000+pcs per SKU · or 3,000+ annual
Established brands, multi-SKU programs, recurring annual buys, retail-channel OEM with hard delivery windows.
Lead time20–32 working days
Enterprise tier requires an annual letter of intent confirming the volume bracket. Tier downgrade from Enterprise to Pro happens automatically if annual volume falls below the threshold — we re-quote at Pro pricing on the next PO, no renegotiation theatre. The full bracket-to-bracket pricing logic is published on OEM yoga apparel pricing tiers and MOQ schedule.