What is Production Routing in Garment Manufacturing?
Optimizing your manufacturing process largely depends on your ability to develop an efficient workflow. For example, if you produce t-shirts using the direct-to-garment printing method, preparing the print design before treating the fabric is much more efficient than the other way around.
In short, you want to create the most cost-effective sequence that ensures production resources are well-utilized and manufacturing operations are fast and free of bottlenecks.
This is where production routing comes into play. In this post, we will explore what it is all about and how you can make the most of it.
- Production routing refers to the defined sequence of operations required to manufacture a product
- Production routing isn't the same as bill of materials (BOM)
What is Production Routing?
Production routing refers to the defined sequence of operations required to manufacture a product. In fashion, this might involve stages like fabric cutting, sewing, embroidery, finishing, quality checks, and packaging. Each operation is assigned to a specific workstation or work center and linked in a logical sequence.
Think of it as a GPS route for your garments — guiding each piece from raw material to finished product with clarity and consistency.
Why Production Routing is Critical for Garment Manufacturing Brands
If you produce garment products in many different sizes, styles, routing your manufacturing process can lead to better production planning and lower manufacturing waste.
That being said, here are more reasons why you should take production routing very seriously.
1. Efficiency and Time Management
Fashion cycles are notoriously tight. A delay in one stage can throw off the entire timeline, causing missed delivery windows and lost sales. A well-defined production route ensures that operations flow logically, helping teams plan ahead and optimize resources.
2. Consistency and Quality Control
Whether you’re producing 100 or 10,000 units, maintaining consistent quality is non-negotiable. Routing ensures every garment follows the same path, reducing the chance of errors, rework, or defects. It’s especially vital in outsourced or multi-location setups.
3. Cost Visibility and Control
Unclear routing leads to inefficiencies like idle machines, excess labor, or unnecessary movement of materials. With a precise route, brands can calculate the exact time and cost of each operation — enabling better budgeting, costing, and pricing.
4. Scalability
As your brand grows, the complexity of managing multiple products, teams, and production partners increases. Routing systems make it easier to scale operations while retaining control and visibility.
5. Real-Time Production Tracking
Modern ERPs and production tools use routing data to track garments as they move through the production floor. This visibility helps you identify delays, prevent stockouts, and keep production aligned with demand.
Optimize your production processes and manage your entire production cycle from a single dashboard.
How Production Routing Works in Fashion Manufacturing
Understanding how routing operations work allows you to figure out how best to employ them for your manufacturing business. Plus, it tells your production team what needs to be done, in what order, where, and how long it should take.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the production routing process:
Step 1: Analyze the Product
Before routing begins, the production team reviews the product design and Bill of Materials (BOM). This helps determine what operations are required — and in what order — to construct the garment.
For example, the production route for a shirt can look something like this:
Fabric cutting → stitching → buttonhole making → button attachment → pressing → quality inspection → packaging.
Step 2: Define the Operations
Each task is broken down into clearly defined operations. These could include:
Cutting fabric
Attaching collars
Embroidering logos
Stitching seams
Washing and dyeing
Ironing and folding
Each operation is labeled with a name, description, and sometimes a routing code for digital tracking.
Step 3: Assign Work Centers
Work centers are physical or functional areas where tasks are carried out — like a sewing line, embroidery unit, or quality check station. Each operation is assigned to the appropriate work center based on capabilities and capacity.
Step 4: Sequence the Operations
The routing procedure ensures tasks follow a logical flow. Dependencies are established so that no step can begin before the previous one finishes. Some operations may happen in parallel; others must be strictly sequential.
Step 5: Estimate Time and Resources
Each operation is assigned a standard time, which is crucial for:
Planning production schedules
Estimating delivery timelines
Calculating labor and overhead costs
Labor and machine availability are also factored into the production process.
Step 6: Digitize and Track the Route
Using ERP systems or production software, the entire routing is input and tracked digitally. As the garment moves through each operation, status updates are logged — providing real-time visibility into production progress.
Routing vs. BOM: What’s the Difference?
In manufacturing, it’s easy to mistake routing for Bill of Materials (BOM) because they both involve creating a list. However, they are totally different concepts.
A Bill of Materials is a detailed list of everything required to manufacture a product. It acts like a recipe, providing a breakdown of raw materials, components, and accessories needed for one unit of a finished garment.
Routing, on the other hand, defines the sequence of operations required to produce the garment. It’s the process roadmap that tells the production team what to do, where, and in what order.
Here’s a tabular breakdown of how they differ.
Aspect | BOM (Bill of Materials) | Routing |
|---|---|---|
Focus | What materials are needed | What processes are performed |
Purpose | Material planning & costing | Production planning & execution |
Content | Fabrics, trims, packaging, accessories | Steps like cutting, sewing, finishing |
Used By | Designers, sourcing, inventory managers | Production planners, factory managers |
Supports | Procurement, costing | Scheduling, operations, lead time |
Optimize Your Garment Manufacturing Routing With an ERP Software
Are you looking to optimize your garment production operations and eliminate resource-draining, efficiency-killing bottlenecks? Using manual or legacy systems won’t help you achieve this ambitious goal.
You need a cutting-edge, industry-standard ERP software like Uphance, designed uniquely for garment manufacturing businesses.
Uphance helps you map every step of your manufacturing process with precision, from raw material to finished product. With Uphance, you can:
Streamline workflows
Track real-time progress
Eliminate bottlenecks
Ready to up your game and take your business to the next level? Contact our sales team today to learn about the many ways using Uphance can benefit your business.
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