What is a Tech Pack?

A Tech Pack, short for “technical package” or “technical specification sheet,” is a crucial document in the fashion and apparel industry, although it can be applicable to other products like handbags, shawls, wallets, bedsheets, bathrobes etc. as well.

Tech pack serves as a comprehensive guide that communicates the design and manufacturing specifications of a product to suppliers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders.

Why are tech packs important?

Here are 7 reasons why tech packs are important for a brand:

1. Clear Communication
2. Quality Control
3. Cost Estimation
4. Efficiency
5. Legal Protection
6. Consistency
7. Scalability

1. Clear Communication: Tech packs provide a standardised format for conveying detailed information about a product’s design, materials, and construction. This helps ensure that everyone involved in the production process understands the exact requirements, reducing misunderstandings and errors.
2. Quality Control: Tech packs outline quality standards and expectations for the product. They specify materials, measurements, tolerances, and construction methods, allowing brands to maintain consistent quality across their product line.
3. Cost Estimation: Brands can obtain accurate cost estimates from manufacturers based on the information in the tech pack. This is essential for budgeting and price negotiations.
4. Efficiency: Having a well-structured tech pack can streamline the production process, as suppliers and manufacturers can refer to it at various stages. This leads to fewer revisions and delays, ultimately saving time and money.
5. Legal Protection: Tech packs can serve as legal documents in case of disputes or discrepancies in the manufacturing process. They provide evidence of the agreed-upon specifications and can protect the brand’s interests.
6. Consistency: Brands often produce multiple batches or iterations of a product. Tech packs ensure that each version maintains consistency in design, materials, and quality.
7. Scalability: As a brand grows, it may work with multiple suppliers or manufacturers. Tech packs help maintain consistency across different production partners and locations.

What are the different elements of a tech pack?

There are 7 different key elements of a tech pack:

1. Design sketches or drawings
2. BOM Sheet
3. Measurements and sizing specifications
4. Construction Details
5. Color and finish specifications
6. Labelling and packaging requirements
7. Quality Control guidelines

1. Design sketches or CAD drawings: Visual representations of the product’s design. These are also known as flat drawings or simply “flats”.
2. Bill of materials (BOM Sheet): A list of all materials and components needed for the product, including fabric, trims, buttons, zippers, etc.
3. Measurements and sizing specifications: Detailed size charts and measurements for different sizes. If your brand is working on a size specific niche, this element becomes critically more important. Some size specific niches are kids and tweens, plus size categories etc.
4. Construction details: Instructions on how the product should be assembled, including stitching methods, seam allowances, and placement of labels and tags.
5. Color and finish specifications: Information on color codes, pantone references, and finishing techniques (e.g., printing, embroidery).
6. Labelling and packaging requirements: Instructions for labels, tags, packaging materials, and branding elements.
7. Quality control guidelines: Standards and tolerances for quality control, including acceptable variations.

Who are the different stakeholders involved working with tech packs?

Tech packs involve the following stakeholders :

1. Designers
2. Product developers
3. Fabric Sourcing Team
4. Pattern makers
5. Sampling Tailors
6. Production Managers
7. Quality Control inspectors
8. Senior Management

Let us look at each of these stakeholders and understand how they work with tech packs.

1. Designers : Tech pack creation starts with fashion designers who are responsible not only responsible for design and sketch their collection but also ensure that their designs are transformed into a detailed specification document, namely tech pack.
2. Product Developers : Product developers use the input provided by the fashion designer and test their hypothesis by attempting to convert the technical specification into actual sample.
3. Fabric sourcing team : This team evaluates the fabric requirements and also breakdown of different layers of fabrics if multiple fabrics are being used. A good tech pack also carries recommendation on alternate fabrics if the initial targeted fabric is not available.
4. Pattern makers : Pattern makers use the information provided in the tech pack, particularly in terms of sizing to create patterns that will be further used to develop samples from the tech pack.
5. Sampling tailors : They follow the detailed garment construction techniques and flag out any inconsistency between practical application vs. tech pack during sample development process. A group of sampling tailors, pattern makers, fabric sourcing team together report to Product developers and it is product developer’s key role to bring all the different stakeholders on the same page during the product development.
6. Production Managers : Once the final samples aka PP samples (Pre-production samples) are ready, production managers use tech packs as a holy book (like the holy Bible) and ensure that their team is following all the steps and comments flagged in the tech pack.
7. Quality Control Inspectors – When conducting quality checks, Quality control inspectors refer to tech pack and PP sample in order to evaluate variance and potential inconsistencies in the production run.
8. Senior Management : Tech packs are the only source of truth. Product development cycles are long and production cycles can be longer. Add logistics & delivery lead time – we have a very stretched timeline. A lot of discussion and changes occur during this entire phase and if not properly documented, can lead to mistrust and chaos. In case of any disagreement, the senior management at the supplier end as well as at the brand owner end can review the tech pack to evaluate the issues at a very fundamental level.

If your supplier lacks the ability to comprehend a tech pack, it is a very big RED Flag. Tech pack brings accountability for all stakeholders and it is the building block for all product development and production activities.

In summary, a tech pack is a critical tool for fashion and product brands to ensure efficient and consistent production, maintain quality standards, and facilitate effective communication with suppliers and manufacturers. It plays a pivotal role in the successful execution of a product’s design and production process.