Production Setup and Masters
Before the floor runs anything, four things need to be configured. This section walks through each.
The list, in the order most factories tackle them:
- Garment Manufacturing Settings — the global production-side settings: warehouses, cutting parameters, labor rate, spreader compensation.
- Production Units — every operation runs at a Unit: a stitching line, a cutting table, a subcontract supplier. Without these, batches can't be assigned anywhere.
- Assembly Operations and skills — the operations themselves (cut, stitch, wash, press) with their SMVs and required skills.
- Workflows and permissions — already seeded; tune only when you have a real reason.
Who owns this configuration
In most factories, this is owned jointly by Production Management and Operations, with a one-time pass by Finance to confirm the labor rate and overhead.
Don't leave it to someone who isn't going to live with the consequences. The defaults here ripple through every cost rollup, every dashboard, every Batch you run from this day on.
A note on changing settings after you've run real Batches
Most of these settings are safe to change at any time. A few aren't:
- Cost Per Minute changes affect future cost rollups; existing closed Batches stay at their original rate. Mostly fine.
- WIP Warehouse changes don't migrate existing stock; you'd have to move it manually. Don't change unless you know what you're doing.
- Cutting Operation changes affect future Cutting Orders. Existing ones are unaffected.
Changing the WIP Warehouse after you've run Batches does not migrate existing stock — it strands whatever is already in the old warehouse, and you have to move it by hand. Don't change it unless you know exactly what you're doing.
When in doubt, change one setting, run a test Batch end-to-end, watch the cost rollup, and confirm it behaves the way you expect before changing more.
What to do next
Start with Garment Manufacturing Settings — the rest depends on what you set there.