Quality Management Guidelines for C&A Suppliers
- Materials and Components
Prevention: are all your raw material and component suppliers fully aware of the C&A minimum requirements ?
If you do not specify and negotiate with your suppliers to these minimum levels then you potentially place yourself in a difficult situation of responsibility when problems arise.
x - Fabrics
It is recommended to use the C&A fabric Standard sheet for detailed informations about fabrics. It is coordinated with the C&A minimums.
See : Fabrics/Fabric Standard Sheet
Are you aware of the legal and safety requirements governing merchandise sold in C&A stores, along with the Oeko-tex C&A standards for “more care for the body”.
See : Quality legal requirements - Safety Requirements - Oeko-Tex
Always avoid offering to C&A materials that will not reach the required legal, chemical and physical Standards.
If you should face any problems, please contact the C&A’s Quality Assurance Department (QAD) and ask for advice.
x - Laboratory Testing
During the sample approval procedure QAD technicians will indicate which physical and chemical tests must be carried out by an accredited and C&A approved laboratory (your own lab. may be visited and approved by C&A QAD for physical testing).
All bulk materials and components should be tested BEFORE production commences to avoid responsibility being declined by your supplier on, for example, cloth which has already been cut.
See : Sample Procedure - Approved Laboratories.
If your raw materials or components FAIL the required testing then please contact the C&A’s Quality Assurance Department urgently for advice.
It is good industrial practice to run a domestic washing or dry cleaning test on a pre-production garment to ensure that all components are compatible, and that the care instructions are correct for the garment (this test can easily be organised ”in-house”).xx
x - Raw material inspection
All material and components should be inspected prior to production to ensure conformity to colour/weight/touch, and visual appearance (shading/weaving faults) plus consistency.
The C&A quality monitoring process for fabrics will provide you with guidelines based on statistical methods of random selection.
Faulty/second choice goods must be clearly identified and kept well away from production areas.
Records should be kept of rejected materials as this will provide you with data to enable you to rate your suppliers.
x - Accessories
Only approved and branded zippers are accepted by C&A. A full list of the approved suppliers and types is available under the Zip fastener network.
Only press studs from approved suppliers are accepted by C&A for baby wear.
Please refer to Quality Legal Requirements - Sample Approval Procedure
Please refer to Procedure for samples (section in this site) and Sample Approval (Mondials) or Sample Approval (non-Mondial) for a full explanation of the C&A requirements for sample approval.
x - Key points that should
be remembered are:
- samples should be
submitted and approved before production commences;
- samples should be in
the correct fabrics and colours, with the correct accessories and
components (use the Fabric and Accessory card if this is not possible);
- samples should always
be sent with a Size Specification which corresponds to the measuring
positions.
- samples to be produced
to the C&A minimum manufacturing Standards (see section "Product
specs." in this site);
- must be checked by the
supplier before being submitted to C&A for approval; with the
correctly completed Sample Approval Form
- all remarks/findings
on samples from either PMs or QAD in C&A must be taken into account
when production commences.
x - Production
Standard market practice foresees that a Quality Manager, responsible for the quality levels of merchandise, and independent from other conflicting areas of responsibility be available within production organisation and control.
One of the major responsibilities of the Quality Manager is the training and auditing/assessment of quality staff.
x - In-Line Inspection
The choice of a production line/subcontractor is directly linked to the suitability of the machinery park for the garment in question.
All equipment and machinery must be clean and in good working condition.
Working instructions for in-line inspection (in written form) must be available in each production area, and a procedure must be implemented to ensure that proper in line inspection is carried out in all production units.
The staff responsible for in line inspection must be properly trained both in inspecting and reporting techniques.
Reports and records must be kept.
The approved sample package (sample/size.spec/F&A card) must be available in the production area, and used as a reference for in line inspection.
Best market practice is the implementation of piece by piece inspection of all garments at the end of the production line, plus a random measurements inspection for the main measuring positions (at least 10% of all garments produced).
When problems are detected immediate action on all produced garments is required, plus corrective action for garments still on the production line.
x - Final Inspection
A final statistical inspection (e.g. Military Standards) must be performed on each order prior to delivery.
The C&A Inspection Manual for Suppliers (see attached pdf file) provides details of how this should be carried out.
The Basic Garment Inspection Checklist should be a reference for final inspection.
The staff responsible for this inspection must be correctly trained and they must record the results of all inspections.
Specific Check Lists per garment type can be developed to ensure that all issues are checked during the Inspection.x
x - Collaboration with
C&A QAD Organisations
All C&A suppliers are actively encouraged to contact the C&A QAD organisation in order to proactively seek ways and means of increasing garment quality satisfaction.
The supplier himself is the person responsible for the quality content of his production.
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