How Long Does it Take Say It in Stitches to Process an Embroidery Order and Why?
The lifecycle of an embroidery order involves several important steps, starting with the initial request for quote. During this stage the embroidered apparel distributor presents art for the design that they would like to have embroidered, along with relevant details about the product to be embroidered. These details include the location of the embroidery on the garment, the order size, and any concerns or special requirements that need to be worked out in order for the order to be processed perfectly and on-time.
The embroidery process can be somewhat complex. After we receive the order, a series of steps must be completed before the product arrives at your client’s door. And this can require some time! That’s why Say It in Stitches works closely with distributor clients so that they can understand the process and so that we can work together to produce the best possible product with the fastest turnaround time available.
How long does it take to process my order?
For Say it in Stitches to be able to move your order to the factory floor and start the embroidery process three key conditions must be met:
1) We must, of course, have all blank (unembroidered) garments for the order in-house. On rare occasions we can start an order before we have all of the items in-hand, but for more efficient processing and the best pricing to our clients it is best to wait until everything is in house and available for processing. Sometimes this involves waiting for backordered items, or just waiting a bit longer for items coming from remote supplier locations with longer transit times. Most of the time, it takes 1-5 business days from the moment an order is placed for us to receive all of the garments.
2) We must have written production instructions, preferably in the form of a purchase order. It is important to document all of the relevant order details, such as which logo(s) to embroider, in what location(s) on the garment, with what thread colors (including possible logo or thread color variations by garment type), and any packaging and shipping instructions. While some clients would prefer to provide instructions by phone or in person, adhering strictly to this written protocol allows us to more quickly and effectively project manage your orders and to make sure that no mistakes are made. Working out the details of an order with our distributor clients—including resolving any possible issues or up-front P.O. mistakes—can take time since important decisions have to be made (often involving the final customer or client of our distributors). We are usually able to work these details out while the blank garments are in transit to our factory.
3) We must have an approved sewout or proof of the embroidery (which we provide on scrap fabric for any newly digitized design or even digitized files provided by clients). This sewout approval establishes the standard of quality that our distributor clients sign off on for how the final product will look. This process can also take time, since our distributors must often obtain approvals from THEIR customers, and design changes or the decision process are not always quick. We digitize new designs and provide sewouts or proofs for client approval usually within 1-2 business days. And from experience, most sewout approvals are provided by our clients in another 1-2 business days.
From the time that these conditions have been met, Say it in Stitches adheres to a strict, maximum 5 business day production turnaround policy (with rare exceptions agreed up front for very large orders or under special circumstances). We do whatever it takes–including overtime hours and meticulously project managing every detail of the job–to deliver every single time on this promise and make it happen for you. So that you, the distributor, can have the confidence when selling to and updating your customers about when they will receive their finished embroidery orders.
How is my order processed?
From the moment that you contact our company and request a quote, your order is in professionals’ hands. An expert in embroidery, production management, and customer service makes sure to gather all the relevant information about your request. That person will conduct a thorough analysis of your art and your purchase order and inform you if some aspects of it are missing or can be improved.
From the moment that your order is actually placed we begin to carefully project manage the order to make sure that all of the “moving parts” are working effectively and in unison. We carefully coordinate any new digitizing with our dedicated digitizing team, carefully articulating any special instructions to make sure that the digitized file is tailored for best results based on your garment characteristics, your specified requirements, and the unique aspects of the embroidered design itself. Once we have completed the digitizing we test the file on scrap fabric and perform as many rounds of file edits and new sewouts (proofs) required in order for it to look perfect. While we do accept digitized files provided by our clients, we strongly prefer to do our own digitizing when possible in order to ensure the best possible quality and production efficiency.
As the garments arrive from your vendor(s) we carefully check in the product, meticulously comparing vendor packing lists to your purchase order details. We do this in order to ensure that we have received all of the correct product that you ordered, assuming that you have it drop shipped directly to our factory.
Once the conditions to move to production (sewout approval, blank garments in house, and written instructions received) have been met your order goes into the production queue. Each order is time and date stamped so that we can keep track of shipping or completion date requirements. Every week and several times daily we adjust production schedules and resources as we manage toward the timely completion of the order.
After the order has been completed, our dedicated team of inspection and packing specialists will detail the garments, steam them, and then neatly and individually fold and pack them. A second piece count (the first is done by the machine operator) is conducted so that we have a record of exactly what has been packed for each order. Each order has is accompanied by a full production report that documents production and turnaround times and other important aspects of the job.
What about “impossible” deadlines?
We take great pride in our fast turnaround time. With some regularity, we receive order requests that are especially time-sensitive. These “rush” orders are handled with special care by our team of experts by more aggressively managing each of the phases of the order lifecycle, circumventing certain aspects of our normal production process (e.g., queuing time), and dedicating additional resources to the job. Don’t worry! We go to extremes to accommodate these special client requests and we never fail once we have agreed on a deadline.
Need world-class contract embroidery service? We are here for you! At Say It in Stitches, we pride ourselves on having a team of experts, professional and top-quality equipment and, above all, a personalized and flexible service mindset to ensure that your orders are delivered on time and with any extras you request. Want to know what else we can do? Get your quote and start working with one of the best custom embroidery services on the market.