A roll with no label
A courier drops off a roll of fabric. The label says it is for a client, but not which piece. An interior designer is also sending fabric for two armchairs and a headboard next week. When the upholsterer starts on the armchairs, they discover the roll is short for the pattern repeat that needs to be matched across the seat and back. The designer ordered from a mill that takes a long time to supply more.
Meanwhile, a leftover length from last year's job is sitting on the shelf, and nobody knows whose it is.
Fabric you did not buy, but must look after
Upholstered furniture makers regularly work with customer's own material, often called COM. The fabric belongs to the client, may be expensive or hard to replace, and arrives on its own schedule.
- Rolls arrive without clear links to a commission.
- Meterage is not checked on arrival against what the job needs.
- Pattern repeat and direction are not recorded, so requirements are underestimated.
- Any treatment or certification records the client provides are not kept with the job.
- Leftover fabric is not recorded or returned.
Upholstery also carries its own obligations about materials and labelling, which are set by the rules that apply to your products and your own procedures. Keeping fabric records with the job makes those easier to follow, but they are for you and your advisers to interpret.
What lost track of fabric costs
Discovering a shortage when cutting starts means delays, sometimes long ones, and a difficult conversation with a designer or client. Using the wrong fabric on a piece is a costly mistake with material that is not yours. Lost or unreturned leftovers damage trust. And without records, questions about the fabric's history are hard to answer later.
Fabric tracking for COM work
- When a commission needs COM, the required meterage is worked out from the piece, including pattern repeat and direction, and recorded.
- The client or designer receives the requirement and the delivery details, with the commission reference to put on the roll.
- When fabric arrives, it is booked in against the commission with a photo, a label and its measured length, and compared with the requirement. Shortfalls are raised with the client straight away.
- Any documents the client provides about the fabric are attached to the commission.
- The storage location is recorded, and the upholsterer sees which roll belongs to the job they are starting.
- Leftovers are measured and recorded, and returned or kept on the client's instruction.
| Step | Today | With fabric tracking |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | Estimated when cutting | Worked out at order, including repeat |
| Arrival | Label if lucky | Booked in against the commission |
| Check meterage | When cutting starts | On arrival |
| Fabric documents | In email | Attached to the job |
| Leftovers | Shelf, unknown owner | Recorded and returned or kept |
Fabric looked after properly
Shortages are found on the day the fabric arrives, when there is still time to order more. Every roll has an owner and a place. Upholsterers start work knowing they have the right fabric and enough of it. And clients and designers see that their material is handled carefully, which matters when fabric is expensive or rare.
The same records help when designers send fabric for several pieces at once. Each roll is booked against the right piece, and a shortfall on one does not hold up the others without anyone noticing. When the piece is finished, the record shows which roll it used, which is useful if the client later wants a matching cushion or a repair.
Is COM fabric causing headaches?
- Rolls arrive without clear links to a job.
- Shortages are found when cutting starts.
- Pattern repeat is not allowed for in requirements.
- Fabric documents are scattered in emails.
- Leftover fabric sits unclaimed.