2009 Kathleen Fasanella All rights reserved The Entrepreneurs Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing [Link]
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Section 2: How to Plan a Line
Allocation Table From To = 1/10 yd Allocation; The First Step to Costing 0 3 5/8 .1 3 5/8 7 .2 7 All 10 about 7/8 Allocation .3 10 14 .4 noun. 1. Al-lo-ca-tion (alo-ka'shen), Running your finger over to the right, you'll find . 7/8 4. So your allocation would be 1.4 yds. Something set apart for a specific purpose. 2. A distribution by plan, allotment, assignment. 3. A 14 18 .5 thing allocated. At the same time, you've added an extra inch. That 18 21 5/8 .6 inch is your "boo-boo" buffer. Now you would 21 25 .7 multiply 1.4 times however many you were going Now that we've covered the factors of cost in sewn 5/8 product manufacturing, it's time to introduce to make. So if you cut 100 units, you'd buy 140 25 costing 28 7/8 .8 yds. methods. For garment industry purposes, allocation term that refers to 28 32 is an industry specific .9 the quantity of materials and trims that are needed 7/8 produce a given style. We use allocation to mean 32 to 36 1.0 how much fabric and guts a certain design needs, in
order to be completed. Accurate allocation is mandatory in order to figure costs, and is reflected on costing sheets. Figuring these costs will allow you to order just enough (for example) interfacing for the entire line. That way you don't need to spend too much money for things you don't need, or to keep from running short in mid-stream. Allocation table The goal of the allocation table is to take the most convoluted measuring system known to humankind and convert it into a rational system, where it can be divided by ten. I've only seen this in factories, and it's a gem. This is what we call an Allocation Table. It converts the actual yardage scale, into units of ten. In doing so, a waste allowance is added at the same time. By the way, everybody in your shop needs one of these tables. It's a good idea to make several copies and laminate it to the tabletops and post it on bulletin boards. How to use the table When you lay out a pattern for the first time, use this table to figure the yardage. Of course, you'll need to lay your pattern pieces out as you would a marker. It adds a safety zone for mis-cuts and errors without going overboard. For example, say your product takes lyd and 13 1/2". Well, it's a lot of trouble to multiply that by however units you hope to sell. So you'd look for 13 1/2 in the chart. You will find this falls between the range of 10 7/8"and 14 1/2".
This section on allocation is simply intended as a starting point. When you are cutting a higher number of units, every inch counts. The figure of 1.4 could end up costing you quite a bit if you didn't adjust the figure before production purchasing. Section Four will explain in more detail how to figure fabric usage. Specifically, you'll need to make a marker and draw in the pattern several times to get a better idea of the real costs. By the time you get to the production end, you may find that you have costed your product three different times, if not more, which is a good sign. In the design phase, you should concentrate on ballpark estimates. Figuring allocation is just the starting point to get estimates in the design phase.
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2009 Kathleen Fasanella All rights reserved The Entrepreneurs Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing [Link]