Custom Sportswear OEM and ODM: From Tech Pack to Bulk Production
Bringing a sportswear style from idea to container involves more handovers than most brands expect. A disciplined factory workflow turns those handovers into predictable milestones, and it also tells the buyer exactly what to prepare at each step.
Stage 1: Enquiry and tech pack
A usable tech pack contains a technical flat drawing, measurement chart with tolerances, fabric and trim specification, colour references, print or embroidery artwork, label and packaging instructions, and the target quantity per size and colour. Missing any one of these items typically adds a full sampling round.
Stage 2: Fabric and trim confirmation
- Fabric: construction sheet, GSM, stretch figures, lab dip approval, availability and lead time.
- Trims: elastic, zips, thread, cord ends, heat transfer labels, hang tags.
- Compliance: test requirements, restricted substances, labelling and country of origin.
Stage 3: Sampling
A typical programme runs a proto or fit sample, then a size set, then a pre-production sample that must be approved before bulk. Each round should return a written comment sheet with measurements and photographs rather than vague feedback.
Stage 4: Bulk production and in-line control
- Fabric inspection on receipt, using the four-point system.
- Cutting report verifying plies, marker efficiency and shade bundling.
- In-line checks at 30% of the run, plus a mid-line review.
- Final random inspection against the approved sample and AQL limits.
Stage 5: Logistics and after-sales
Confirm packing method, carton dimensions, shipping marks and any retail-ready requirement such as polybag or hanger packing. Keep a reference sample from bulk for eight weeks after delivery so that any claim can be checked against production reality.
Timeline expectations
- Sampling: 7–15 days per round.
- Lab dips: 5–10 days.
- Bulk production: 25–45 days after approvals and deposit.
- Books, labels and packaging: add 5–10 days if procured from a third party.
The programmes that run smoothly are almost always the ones where the buyer and the factory agreed the specification, the approval criteria and the dates in writing before any yarn was knitted.
