Line Sheets, Spec Sheets and Tech Packs…. OH MY!

How Inefficiency Affects the Design Room

When I moved to New York to assess the potential for digital innovation, I took a position at a design house working in the design room as an assistant to the production team. I was on the lookout for areas that would need improvement. A couple days in, it was not hard to see the inefficiency in the design room.

My job was to create spec sheets/tech packs, line sheets, sit in on fittings, send samples to factories and sit in on the buying meetings for the samples. These tasks are often interdependent on each other however; they were all worked on and updated separately. Problems often caused brief moments of frustration due to inabilities to seamlessly connect the tasks. (Luckily, there was no table flipping.)

Below is a brief understanding of each task and some of the problems associated with them:

The most challenging activity was the creation of tech packs.  Tech packs are super detailed and take a long time to generate as a result.  A tech pack contains:

• A technical sketch of a garment, front and back, with close-ups of unusual details

• All construction and sewing details

• A list of fabrics, materials and trims, including suppliers if available

• Artwork for prints, embroideries, patterns, labels, etc.

• Packaging instructions

Tech packs allowed for line sheet creation and garment creation. It’s no wonder tech packs take so long to generate, they are  most important for the production process. Even if all the time needed is spent on making sure tech packs are accurate, sometimes factories can still misinterpret information and problems occur. This can be frustrating for everyone.

How are Tech Packs Made?

Traditionally, tech packs can be generated through Excel, Adobe or with a talented technical designer. Every company does it differently and there are plenty of ways tech packs can be communicated. This could be difficult for factories who work with multiple brands and have to monitor different variations on tech packs.

Tech Pack Made Simple

Consider a tech pack to be similar to a construction contractor. The contractor has the blueprint for how a building will be built, the information on the vendors and they are responsible for managing the timeline of the process. The construction workers represent the factories. They are told what to do and how to do it but have no authority on the design or execution. The workers’ main communication is with the contractor, in the same way the factories have to rely on the tech pack because they cannot directly communicate with the designers. You wouldn't want construction workers in charge of interpreting the architect's ideas in the same way you wouldn't want factory workers in change of interpreting designs. Clear communication is key! Hence why it’s super important that the tech pack contains and communicates all of the right information.

How Technology Can Enhance Tech Packs?

The interdependent relationships of processes in the design room require comprehensive technology.  Luckily, such technology exists and provides solutions making tech pack generation less timely and super shareable. Tech packs are a very vital part of the production and manufacturing stage.

Here’s how tech pack software makes a difference:

1. Accurate Design Communication- Tech packs provide factories with a blueprint of what is going to be built with detailed instructions. In the past, inaccurate information has slowed down the production process and wasted both resources and time. Factories overseas often employ workers who do not speak english. This language barrier is the cause for many miscommunications. However, with tech pack software, these communication barriers no longer exist.

2. Efficiency-  Storing and sharing information contained in tech packs is usually a disconnected process. Using programs like excel to create tech packs and line sheets are outdated methods and emails can be looked over.  But new techpack software allows for seamless communication of documents and designs.

It is imperative for design rooms to catch up and implement sustainable and technically advanced practices.  Advanced tech pack generation is the future of product development.

Company Making the Design Room Less of a Headache

Techpacker: Generating TechPacks Easily

The company Techpacker offers a comprehensive tech pack solution. The free resource allows users to upload CAD designs and then generate and rollout every detail of the garment within minutes. The result is share quality spec sheets.

• The program reduces data entry by 70%.

• Communication features allows for advanced collaborations through documents, images and comments.

• Most importantly the program generates PDF’s without the hassle of using primitively programs (yes you excel).

Deemed as “The World’s Fastest Techpack Tool” I can fully understand the value of having such a resource in a design room.