Uniform Solutions for Franchises: Mastering High-Volume Apparel Production

2 May, 2024 By Samantha Warren 85 Views

If you’re operating a franchise, maintaining a cohesive image is key to ensuring each location represents your brand’s excellence and spirit.

That’s why uniforms are so crucial—they serve as a visual endorsement of your brand’s values and professionalism.

However, high-volume apparel production for franchises comes with a unique set of challenges, like:

Consistency Across Locations: How can you ensure that uniforms at one franchise look exactly the same as those 500 miles away?
Scalability Challenges: How do you manage sudden increases in order demands, especially in rapid growth phases or during promotional seasons?
Cost Control: How can you keep costs down without affecting the quality of the uniforms?
Supply Chain Management: What are the best practices for coordinating with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure timely deliveries?

At first, these challenges can seem significant… but what if we told you there’s an all-in-one solution that can help you address all of these challenges head-on?

With Scrappy Apparel, you can overcome the operational hurdles of high-volume apparel production and focus more on what matters—growing your franchise and enhancing your brand’s presence.

Sounds like a recipe for success? Let’s explore these concepts further.

Leverage Scrappy Apparel’s High-Volume Apparel Production Capabilities!

We Know What You’re Thinking—Why Not Manufacture Uniforms In-House?

Some organizations have in-house apparel divisions that can manufacture uniforms as needed. Of course, there are benefits that come with this approach, but there are also many potential risks to consider.

Here’s an overview of each:

Benefits

Complete Control Over Production – Managing the entire production process internally allows for greater control over every aspect of uniform manufacturing, from material selection to final output.
Flexibility and Customization – In-house production provides the ability to quickly adapt designs and make customizations based on specific needs without the constraints or delays that might come with external suppliers.
Faster Response Time – Having the manufacturing process under the same roof can significantly reduce the lead time from design to distribution, enabling faster responses to changing demands or emergency needs within your organization.
Improved Inventory Management – Direct oversight of production helps in better inventory management, allowing organizations to maintain optimal stock levels and reduce excess inventory waste.

Potential Risks

Variable Demand – You’ll often see shifts in manufacturing due to economic factors, seasonal changes, and other variances. Forecasting and adapting to these fluctuations is a significant challenge that impacts inventory management and production strategies.
Global Supply Chain Disruptions – Global events like natural disasters, political unrest, or health crises can significantly disrupt the supply chain, causing delays in getting raw materials, slowing production, and creating logistical challenges. If you don’t know what you’re doing, this can be disastrous.
Variable Cost of Raw Materials – Variations in the cost of raw materials, including cotton, polyester, and various other textiles, significantly affect the production cost. If you’re manufacturing thousands of units, these variations can wreak havoc on your budget.
Ensuring Quality and Maintaining Uniformity – Maintaining quality in large batches of workwear is challenging. The suppliers you work with must follow strict quality controls to meet industry standards (and you must enforce those standards).
Talent Shortages – The workwear industry depends on skilled labor for tasks like design, pattern-making, cutting, and sewing. Shortages in these areas can raise labor costs and cause production delays. Again, this is a nightmare waiting to happen.

Here’s a startling stat: According to research by Deloitte, only 26% of respondents could predict risks within their supplier base. As you can see, the risks could far outweigh the benefits for your organization—but it’s up to you to decide.

Let’s Say You’ve Decided to Work with a Third-Party Manufacturer. How Can You Cut Costs While Maintaining Quality?

Uniforms are an investment in your brand’s future. They show your dedication to excellence.

While we never recommend cutting costs at the expense of quality, we understand that budget is important to every franchise. Here are some factors to consider if you’re looking for cost-effective uniform manufacturing solutions:

Leverage Economies of Scale

The first tip is a common one, but we can’t ignore it. In most cases, bulk purchases drive down the unit cost of each item, allowing you to enjoy better margins or pass savings onto franchisees. This approach also increases your negotiation power with your partner.

Build Strong Relationships With Your Manufacturer

Building this relationship can result in improved pricing, preferred production timetables, and access to superior materials.

Maintain transparency about your needs and collaboratively seek economical solutions that maintain quality standards.

P.S. Choosing Scrappy Apparel’s 3PL MGMT program is the best way to minimize supply chain risks. (More on this later!)

Implement Just-in-Time (JIT) Inventory Management

Implementing a Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory system can significantly cut costs associated with storing vast amounts of inventory, as it involves ordering goods only when necessary.

While this method demands accurate planning and forecasting, it can greatly reduce inventory-carrying costs and minimize waste. One example of success is Harley-Davidson USA, which reduced its inventory by 75% with JIT.

Additionally, you will need a flexible manufacturing partner if you want to succeed with this approach. Make sure you choose a manufacturer that can produce the garments on time (never, ever late!) and keep their commitments to your brand.

Quality Control Systems

Implement strict quality control measures to ensure every uniform shines to your brand’s high standards. You’ll want to have your own internal processes, but you should make sure your manufacturing partner is on the same page about quality control.

You can eliminate back-and-forth (and save money) by choosing a manufacturer that does multiple quality control checks on their end.

How to Ensure On-Time Delivery To Multiple Locations

On-time delivery is the backbone of trust and reliability in any franchise operation.

When franchisees receive their uniforms on time, they’re equipped to present a unified, professional image from day one. It also directly impacts customers’ perceptions and the overall brand experience.

Here’s how you can make sure your team has their uniforms when they need them:

Meticulous Planning

Let’s say you’re hosting a company-wide event that calls for special uniforms, and you need to coordinate deliveries to over 50 franchise locations across the country by a specific date.

You need to start your planning months in advance, mapping out each step of the production, packaging, and distribution phases. Work closely with your manufacturing and logistics team to:

Establish a clear timeline
Calculate inventory levels to ensure enough materials are on hand
Evaluate production capacities
Use real-time tracking systems
Optimize delivery routes
Prepare contingency plans for last-minute issues
Consider any other relevant details

By the time the launch date approaches, all items need to be ready for dispatch. Your partner should be briefed in detail, with routes optimized for efficiency and contingency plans in place.

Maintain Open and Clear Communication

Never underestimate the power of clear, open, and honest communication.

Communication is the foundation to build and maintain trust with your manufacturer. Regularly update your partner about your expectations, needs, challenges, or changes in the partnership. Also, engage in direct dialogue and provide feedback to help your partner be successful.

Scrappy Apparel is Your All-in-One Franchise Uniform Solution

We have the three things you need to facilitate successful uniform deliveries across all franchise locations:

A manufacturing powerhouse with the flexibility to scale up or down as demands change
Streamlined fulfillment solutions that ensure on-time delivery to multiple locations throughout the U.S.
Modern inventory management systems that can keep track of stock levels and make sure your uniforms are ready to go when you need them

Instead of juggling multiple vendors, you can trust Scrappy Apparel to manage the entire supply chain for you. Enjoy more of your valuable time back!

Expert Manufacturing Processes

We take care of all the tedious tasks associated with manufacturing, like sourcing materials and choosing the right printing processes.

We collaborate with reputable suppliers globally to guarantee superior uniform production quality, competitive pricing, and prompt delivery.

We’ll work with you to ensure your uniforms turn out just as you imagined they would.

High-Volume Corporate Fulfillment Solutions

We offer corporate fulfillment solutions designed for large organizations and franchises that need to store thousands of garments at a time until they’re ready for shipment.

Here are some of the ways we’re currently helping our franchise customers:

Warehousing – We provide ample storage space to accommodate the high-volume uniform inventory. Our secure facilities ensure that your merchandise is stored safely and efficiently until needed.
Order Fulfillment – When new employees join your workforce or existing employees require uniform replacements, Scrappy Apparel springs into action. We swiftly process orders, picking and packing items with precision to ensure accurate fulfillment.
Lightning-Fast Shipping to Multiple Locations – With our nationwide logistics network, we excel at shipping orders to individual locations across the USA. Whether it’s sending uniforms to multiple branches, offices, or stores, we coordinate logistics seamlessly to ensure timely delivery.