1. Style Enters Production Before It’s Fully Ready

The most common factory mistake is pushing a style into production without complete readiness. Approvals are still pending, trims are partially received, patterns are still being corrected — yet the line is loaded.

This creates stop-start sewing, multiple breakdown meetings, and rushed decision-making during production. The delay begins long before the needle drops.

2. Material and Trim Misalignment Creates Hidden Waiting Time

Fabric might be in-house, but labels and accessories are still “on the way.” Bulk approval is received, but packaging confirmations are pending.

What happens next? Bundles move halfway and stop. Work-in-progress begins to pile. Supervisors get blamed for "poor control," but the truth is — planning released the style without material alignment.

Most factories track sewing efficiency but don’t measure waiting time caused by planning misalignment — and that's where true delays live.

3. Line Loading Based on Assumptions, Not Real Capability

Another root cause is overconfident loading plans. Industrial engineering might calculate a theoretical capacity, but actual line behavior depends on operator maturity, product complexity, and motion flow — not just target pitch.

Factories push targets that look good on paper but do not match real capability. This pressure leads to last-minute overtime, absenteeism impact, and constant fire-fighting after mid-line reviews.

4. No Buffer Strategy – One Delay Triggers a Chain Reaction

In a well-structured factory, there are buffers built strategically — in planning timelines, in raw material arrival, even in manpower deployment.

In factories without buffers, every small disruption becomes a crisis. A missing trim can stop 60 machines. A delayed approval can pause an entire section.

Buffers are not a sign of weakness — they are a sign of professional planning.