Career in Production Merchandising

Merchandisers play a crucial role in the growth of a company. Those dealing with garments take orders for their companies, ensure timely delivery of the products and earn revenue for the company.

In big companies, we may find many Merchandisers working as  a team and coordinating with different teams responsibile for designing, producation and marketing of the products.

Role of a Production Merchandiser in the Garment Industry is to chalk out production strategies so as to deliver the garments as per the order received from the buyers.

So a Garment Manufacturing Unit, be it working for domestic or export market, depends heavily on the inputs received from its Production Merchandiser on formulating a time-bound action plan to fetch an order and then execute it.

Duties and responsibilities of a Production Merchandiser differ from organisation to organisation. In certain compaines, they look after development of samples also.

Their work can be summarised as follows:

1. Sourcing suitable fabric, trims and accessories as per the design specifications received from the buyers.
2. Execution of order may involve work relating to printing designs or weaving embroideries which are specialised activities and the company may like to sublet the work than to hire professionals for the purpose. In such situations, they are the professionals who assign the work to concerned agencies/units, oversee their work and ensure timely delivery.
3. They need to be in constant touch with the buying houses so as to sort out any confusion that may arise between the two parties with regard to product specifications received from them and also timely execution of the order.
4. Creating Production File with regard to each order received, noting down each specification with regard to sample received and documentation of each action taken on the same to meet the deadline.
5. They need to keep themselves abreast with latest designs and styles, create new designs and styles based on the same inputs and take orders from the buyers.
6. The also prepare cost estimates in respect of each sample developed and then of the order received based on quantity and other specifications received.

Qualifications: A course in Apparel Manufacturing Technology, Fashion Technology, Fashion Designing and Fashion Merchandising from reputed Fashion Design Institutes may help one to land a job in the field and succeed.

In addition to having professional qualifications, one may need to have a few personal traits such as a pleasing personality, eye for details, good communication and inter-personal skills, knowledge of sketching/computer aided design, colour sense and a passion for fashion to make a mark in the field.