The embroiderer says they sent everything back
Fronts for 900 polo shirts went to the embroiderer for a chest logo. They came back over three deliveries in a van, in bags. The finishing supervisor has 862 embroidered fronts. The embroiderer says they returned all 900, plus some they rejected because of a puckered logo, which may or may not have been counted. The delivery note that went out was handwritten and has one total on it.
There is no way to settle it. Either the factory recuts, or the order ships short.
Outwork falls between two businesses
Your own floor may be tracked well. The moment panels leave the building, they drop out of your system and into someone else's, and the only link between the two is a piece of paper.
- Dispatch notes are handwritten with totals, not a breakdown by bundle, size and colour.
- Returns arrive in part deliveries and are counted roughly.
- Rejects and damaged pieces are not recorded separately.
- Nobody keeps a running balance of what each subcontractor holds.
- Delays at the subcontractor are found out when the line runs out of panels.
Missing panels, missing days
A shortage found at finishing means a recut, which needs fabric and possibly another trip to the embroiderer, holding up the whole shipment for a handful of pieces. Arguments with subcontractors over counts sour relationships you depend on. And without a record of how long each subcontractor takes and how often they reject or damage work, choosing who to send the next order to is guesswork.
Outwork is also where planning breaks down. The line is loaded on the assumption that embroidered fronts will be back on Wednesday, and when they are not, operators wait.
Outwork tracking, bundle by bundle
- Bundles going out are scanned onto a dispatch, which prints a note listing each bundle with style, colour, size and quantity. The subcontractor signs for it, on paper or on a phone.
- The dispatch records the expected return date agreed with the subcontractor.
- Returns are scanned in by bundle as they arrive, with the quantity counted. Any difference from what went out is recorded as short, rejected or damaged, with a reason.
- A running balance per subcontractor shows what they currently hold, by order, and what is overdue.
- Shortages trigger an alert to the merchandiser the day the return arrives, while the subcontractor still remembers the job.
- Over time, the records show each subcontractor's turnaround and reject rate, which helps when allocating the next job.
| Question | Answered now by | Answered with tracking |
|---|---|---|
| What did we send? | A handwritten total | Bundle list with sizes and colours |
| What came back? | A rough count | Scanned by bundle |
| What does the embroiderer still hold? | Phone call | Running balance |
| Which returns are late? | When the line stops | Overdue list |
If a subcontractor is willing to use it, they can be given a simple view to confirm receipt and mark bundles ready. It works without that too.
Sending work out without the worry
Shortages are spotted on the day of the return, when they can still be found in the subcontractor's bags. Disputes are settled from a bundle list rather than memory. The planner knows which panels are due back and when, and which subcontractor is running late, in time to reload the line. And the next job goes to the embroiderer whose record is best, not whoever answered the phone.
Is outwork a black hole for you?
- Orders have shipped short because panels went missing outside.
- Dispatch notes are handwritten totals.
- Rejects from embroiderers or printers are not counted separately.
- Lines wait for panels that are late back from a subcontractor.
- You do not know what each subcontractor currently holds.