Garment production and WIP tracking
Karpan ERP tracks garment production from the work order to finished pieces. You see which department or job worker holds which component, in which size and colour, and how many pieces are in alteration or rejected.
What is WIP in garment manufacturing?
WIP (work in progress) is everything that has started but is not yet a finished garment: cut panels, printed fronts, stitched bodies, pieces waiting for washing or finishing. In a garment unit, WIP sits in many places at once: the cutting floor, the stitching lines, the printer down the road.
Tracking WIP means knowing, for each order, which department holds how many pieces of which component, in which size and colour. Without it, the first sign of a problem is a short shipment. Our guide shows how to track and control WIP step by step.
In Karpan ERP, every move of material and pieces is a document: a work order, an issue, a receipt, a transfer to the next department. The WIP stock screen adds them up, department by department. It sits on top of the same orders, BOMs and lots described in Karpan for garment manufacturing.
From work order to finished pieces.
Work order
Raise a work order for an order and style, for one of your departments or an outside supplier. It needs approval before any material moves.
Issue material
Issue fabric and trims to the department or supplier against the work order, lot by lot.
Receive output
Receive what comes back (for example cut panels) by size and colour. One receipt can cover several work orders. Output cannot go above what the issued material allows.
Move to the next department
Issue component WIP from the production store to the next department. You can only issue what is available.
Assemble
A department turns components into the next output, for example front + back + sleeves into a garment, size by size and colour by colour.
Alteration and rejects
Pieces that need rework go back to the same department or supplier. When they return, split them again into OK, alteration and reject.
Return and close
Return unused material to the same lot and store, still reserved to the order. Rejects are written off, with a debit note for an outside supplier.
Every component, size by size.
The WIP stock screen shows the work in progress each department holds, by component, size and colour. Filter by department or by order and style to see where one order stands.
- Department-wise WIP from the production ledger
- Component × size × colour
- Filter by department, order and style
- Issue only what is available
| Component | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | 120 | 240 | 240 | 120 |
| Back | 118 | 236 | 240 | 116 |
| Sleeve (pair) | 120 | 230 | 238 | 120 |
Components in, garments out.
A department uses the components it holds to make the next output. Karpan works out how many pieces it can make for each size and colour: the smallest number any one component allows. So you cannot record 500 shirts when only 450 backs exist.
- Several components into one output
- Or one component into the next stage
- Maximum pieces worked out per size and colour
- Output becomes WIP for the next department, or finished garments
How many size M shirts can stitching make?
Sample numbers. Each shirt needs one front, one back and one pair of sleeves.
Rework is tracked, not lost.
Alteration and reject pieces are kept apart from good stock. Alteration pieces can be sent back to the department or supplier they came from. When they come back, you split them again into OK, alteration and reject. For an outside supplier, rejects can raise a debit note.
- Alteration and reject stock in the store
- Pieces waiting at the party, shown separately
- Re-issue and receive-back documents
- Debit note for supplier rejects
Production works with the rest of Karpan.
BOM and planning
The BOM and process route decide what each work order needs and what it should cost.
BOM and planning →Job work
Send cutting, printing, embroidery or stitching outside and keep the stock with each job worker on record.
Job work management →Costing
Component costing shows what one piece costs for each in-house step, with job work rates from the work order. Order profit and loss shows the margin.
Stock and lots
Material for production is issued from lot-wise stock, and returns go back to the same lot.
Lot-wise inventory →Where Karpan stops
Production tracking in Karpan is document based. Here is what it does not do today.
- Line and operator tracking: no bundle tickets, operator-wise output or line balancing.
- Machines: no machine or sewing line data capture.
- Capacity planning: SMV can be recorded on the process route, but there is no capacity or line loading plan.
- Cutting plans: no marker or lay planning.
- Time and action calendar: not available today.
- Still growing: the production module is the newest part of Karpan and is being extended. Ask for a current demo.
Things people ask us.
What is WIP in garment manufacturing?
WIP (work in progress) is material and pieces that have started production but are not finished garments yet, such as cut panels, printed parts and stitched bodies.
How does Karpan ERP track WIP?
Every issue, receipt and transfer between departments is posted to a production ledger. The WIP stock screen shows what each department holds, by component, size and colour.
Can I receive garments by size and colour?
Yes. Output is received by size and colour against the work order, and it cannot go above what the issued material allows.
Can work orders go to outside suppliers?
Yes. A work order can be for one of your departments or for an outside supplier, and material is issued against it.
How are alteration and rejected pieces handled?
They are kept as alteration and reject stock. Alteration pieces can go back for rework and are split again into OK, alteration and reject when they return. Supplier rejects can raise a debit note.
Does Karpan do line balancing or bundle tracking?
No. Karpan tracks production by document (work order, issue, receipt, transfer), not by bundle or operator.
See one order move through your departments.
A free 30-minute walkthrough of work orders, WIP and garment receipt.