What is a PP meeting?
PP meeting stands for pre-production meeting. A meeting that is conducted before production start of an order and after the Pre-Production sample approval is known as PP meeting. PP meeting is primarily held in the factory and addressed by the merchandiser who handle the specific order. Sometimes PP meeting is conducted in the buying office in presence of the buyer representatives and buying house merchants.
In the organized garment companies, PP meeting is a must do task for merchandisers for their orders. PP meeting is the sign off day for production confirmation for the production unit. After the PP meeting, production factory start preparation for the bulk production.
Objectives of Pre-production Meeting
Objective of PP meeting is to discuss production processes, buyer's requirements and comments on PP sample. Merchandiser and quality control team discusses the changes in garment construction suggested by the buyer (if anything). The aim of PP meeting is to explain all the requirement of the order to make product right first time and smooth flow of production.
The meeting participants also discuss the possible issues and challenges they need to face during production. In the meeting, after understanding the product specs and requirement altogether set a standard process flow and define job responsibilities of the participants.
Post preproduction meeting, the merchandiser prepares a minute of the meeting (MOM) and circulate it to all concerned team member.
Participants in the PP Meeting
It is not necessary that you need to invite all HODs of all departments in every meeting. Depending on the need, you need to decide who need to participate in the PP meeting.
The key departments those need to participate the PP Meeting.
- Merchandising team
- Technical team (pattern master and sampling QA)
- Production Team
- Cutting room team
- Production Planning
- Industrial Engineering
- Quality control
- Production planner
- Buying house QA (if available)
Importance of the PP Meeting in garment production
To make the product as per spec and complete the production on time, production and quality team need the complete information about style. During sample development stage, buyer exchanges many communications to the factory merchandisers for different aspects of the production and product. If all the points are communicated to the production team, they can make the product according to the specification.
PP meeting is the event where production team, and quality control team can ask the questions to merchandiser and technical person about the order. They can bring possible issues in the production on the table in front of the merchandisers and get the satisfactory answers. Quality team can point out quality related concerns and clarify all his concern with the new order. Production team also discusses the capacity availability on the floor and possible starting date for cutting and sewing process.
PP meeting in the event where the core team of a garment factory, decides and agreed together the with the production schedule. Production team, planner and merchandiser review the production schedule and identify the critical processes. They agreed together how to take precautions for the possible issues. They conclude the meeting with signing the MOM.
Based on PP meeting discussion production team, prepare the resource requirement for the upcoming order. Production team prepare their internal production plan so that they can achieve the target completion date.
In the PP meeting, the merchandiser handovers the product Techpack and approved sample to the production team. Further merchant handovers production file to production team.
A good meeting and complete handover ensure the quality production. When there is quality production, there will be less chance of making defective garments which help avoiding delays and controls the increase on manufacturing costs.
Pre-requisites for a successful PP Meeting and Key points to follow
The person who is responsible for conducting PP meeting must follow the below items
- Schedule the PP meeting in advance and circulate the meeting schedule to all team members (department heads) who need to join the PP meeting. Call the people in the meeting who need to attend the meeting and need to contribute to the meeting discussions.
- Mention the PP meeting time and place where team need to meet.
- Bring all the garment samples (Fit. Size set, PP), swatch and Techpack and buyer comments. Keep all this items in the production file.
- Update the material sourcing status, fabric approval and Trim card approval status. This would help you providing update to the production and planning team in the PP meeting
- Start the meeting on time and complete it on time.
- Carry the Time and Action Calendar and discuss the PO schedule for ex-factory date with the meeting team.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How often PP Meeting needs to be conducted?
There is no certain frequency on how often the PP meeting need be conducted. It depends on the need of PP meeting and new orders.
Can we do PP meeting for multiple orders and multiple styles in the same meeting?
Yes, you can conduct PP meeting of multiple styles at the same time. By doing this you can save time in meeting.