Full Package Production: Is It Right For Your Fashion Business?
There are two major routes you can take when looking to outsource apparel production to an experienced manufacturer: full package production (FPP for short) and CMT (cut, make, trim).
Whichever you go for largely depends on two variables: your level of experience in the fashion industry and how much control you want over your manufacturing process.
If you are just starting to build a fashion brand and with little industry experience, FPP is your best bet. CMT is better suited for entrepreneurs with some level of expertise who understand the garment production process.
In this post, we will explore what Full Package Production is all about, the processes involved, the cons and drawbacks, and some of the manufacturing services you can check out.
What is Full Package Manufacturing?
Put simply, Full Package Production is a model where the manufacturer takes care of the entire production process, from design and material sourcing to production and shipping. This allows you the time to focus on other important aspects of your business such as marketing, customer relationships, planning and forecasting, etc.
Typically, these processes include:
- Design & Development – Turning sketches into technical drawings and creating tech packs.
- Sourcing & Materials Procurement – Finding the best fabrics, trims, and accessories.
- Sampling & Prototyping – Producing test samples to refine the design.
- Manufacturing & Production – Cutting, sewing, assembling, and ensuring quality control.
- Finishing & Packaging – Pressing, tagging, and packaging garments for shipping.
- Logistics & Distribution – Warehousing and delivering products to your store or directly to a customer.
How The Full Package Manufacturing Process Works
Understanding how FPP works will help you better decide if it’s a good fit for your business. That being said, here are the typical processes that go into FPP.
Phase One: Design and Tech Pack Development
Design and development take precedence in every clothing production process. This is the phase where your initial design ideas evolve into a well-detailed tech pack the manufacturer could use as a blueprint for future production runs.
Usually, a designer in the manufacturing team would sit with you during the ideation session trying to your ideas into sketches. Once a satisfactory sketch/illustration has been developed, the next step would be to begin creating a tech pack for the design, which will eventually be shared with you for approval.
Bear in mind that this whole process can be done collaboratively or in your absence – it depends on your preference and, of course, the location of the manufacturer.
Optimize your production processes and manage your entire production cycle from a single dashboard.
Phase Two: Fabric and Trim Selection
Finding high-quality, affordable fabrics and trims can be a challenge, especially for the inexperienced. This is another area where FPP manufacturers come in useful.
They source everything for you, ensuring the right materials match your brand’s vision, budget, and sustainability goals.
Essentially, they handle the following on your behalf:
✅ Sourcing fabrics, trims, zippers, buttons, and accessories
✅ Negotiating bulk pricing with suppliers
✅ Ensuring compliance with sustainability and ethical standards
By leveraging their supplier network, FPP providers save you time and keep production costs as low as possible.
Phase Three: Pattern Making and Grading
After design and fabric sourcing comes pattern making. This involves creating paper traces – or stencils – based on your designs. As usual, you won’t have to worry about this as the FPP clothing manufacturer will take care of it.
After the patterns are created, they will be graded to accommodate all the different sizes you have in mind.
Phase Four: Sampling
At this point, the manufacturer is ready to swing into full gear. However, they would first produce a sample and send it over for your approval before commencing full-scale production.
Usually, they would first send over a toile sample which is made from cheap, easy-to-source materials. If given a thumbs up, the manufacturer will proceed to create the sealed sample, which is the final version made from the actual material. Keep in mind that different types of samples can come in between toile and sealed.
Phase Five: Production
Once the sampling phase is completed, the approved design will hit the shop floor and production will begin. Depending on the complexity of your design, the production stage will involve cutting, assembling, sewing, trimming, and finishing.
As expected, the manufacturer will take care of the entire process of production.
Phase Six: Quality Control
This is the phase where the finished products are physically inspected to ensure there are no misfits. If all goes well, they will be shipped to you.
Advantages and Disadvantages of FPP
Like every other type of manufacturing, FPP has its fair share of pros and cons. They are as follows:
Pros:
✅ Saves Time – No need to coordinate multiple vendors
✅ Cost-Effective – Bulk sourcing reduces material and production costs
✅ Scalable – Easily increase production as your brand grows
✅ Higher Quality – Dedicated quality control ensures top-tier garments
✅ Less Stress – Manufacturers handle everything, so you can focus on marketing and sales
Cons:
✅Higher Upfront Costs – Since FPP includes everything from design to logistics, the initial costs may be higher compared to a Cut, Make, Trim (CMT) model where brands provide materials.
✅Finding the Right Manufacturer – Finding the right FPP manufacturer that best fits your budget and brand requirement isn’t always that easy.
✅MOQ Issues: Many FPP manufacturers have minimum order quantity requirements and will only work with you if you meet them.
Top Full Package Production Manufacturers To Check Out
Struggling to find the right FPP for your business? Here are some you might want to check out.
PS: We are not in any way associated with these manufacturers – we just picked them up based on research.
Location: China
2. Bryden Apparel
Location: Singapore
3. Made Apparel Services
Location: United States
Streamline Your Production Process With Uphance
Coordinating your entire manufacturing process efficiently isn’t always easy. It gets worse when you attempt to do it manually or use legacy systems that are at best outdated. Instead, you need a cloud-based production management solution that is robust enough to grow with your business. You need Uphance.
Uphance enables you to track and manage your entire apparel production process from design to prototyping to sampling and final production. Even better, Uphance streamlines the whole process of creating tech packs for your products.
Ready to take Uphance for a spin? Why not schedule a demo right away?
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