Retain the original price unit and currency
Record whether the price is per metre, yard or kilogram, and retain the original currency and validity. A yard price needs a length conversion before comparison. A kilogram price also needs a confirmed weight per linear length; weight per square metre without the relevant width is not enough. Convert on an explicit agreed basis, retaining the original figures so the calculation can be checked.
Confirm usage from the real cutting layout
Ask the garment team for the length needed for the proposed size mix at the confirmed usable width. Include all required panels and fabric-covered components. State any one-way surface direction or pattern matching constraint. Keep lining and other fabrics separate. Do not estimate a production order solely from a generic length-per-coat rule or scale consumption in inverse proportion to width without a new layout.
Distinguish extra quantity from usable yield
Record whether the usage already includes shrinkage preparation, cutting ends, defects and recutting. An extra allowance added to a base length differs from a percentage of purchased material expected to be unusable. An illustrative 5% add-on uses base length × 1.05. A 95% usable yield uses base length ÷ 0.95. These figures are calculation examples, not a recommended allowance. Do not count the same item twice.
Worked example: cost per coat
Assume two equally acceptable fabrics with confirmed cutting plans. A uses 2.20 metres per coat at USD 14.00 per metre; B uses 2.45 metres at USD 13.00 per metre. Both figures exclude an illustrative 5% add-on allowance. A costs 2.20 × 1.05 × 14.00 = USD 32.34 per coat. B costs 2.45 × 1.05 × 13.00 = USD 33.4425, rounded at the end to USD 33.44. The lower metre price costs more in this example.
Identify additional order costs
List confirmed sampling, testing, packing, freight and other costs separately, noting whether the fabric quotation already includes them. Allocate each relevant confirmed amount to the planned accepted output on a stated basis. Leave unknown costs as open items rather than zero. State an exchange-rate date and source only if a currency conversion is needed; this guide supplies no current exchange rate or shipping charge.
Review material that changes cutting yield
If shade grouping, unusable edge areas or defects change the cutting plan, request a revised usage figure linked to the affected rolls. Assess whether enough material remains for the size mix. Avoid assuming that a nominally acceptable delivered length produces the planned garment quantity. Record the cuttable material, recutting needs and any agreed remedy before revising the commercial comparison.
Compare unresolved assumptions before ordering
Run each unresolved consumption assumption through the same calculation. For example, ask the cutting team how the result changes if the confirmed width is smaller than the quoted nominal width or if panels must share one surface direction. Use measured alternatives where available. A scenario is a planning aid; it does not establish the supplier’s yield guarantee or justify ordering unverified extra material.
Save the calculation and approval basis
Retain the quotation, conversion basis, cutting-plan revision, allowance definition, accepted quantity and included or excluded costs. Give every changed assumption its own revision. Use the quote-comparison worksheet for the commercial record, and attach the garment team’s consumption calculation to the project file. Approve the selected material and commercial basis together before the purchase decision.
Prepare the next decision
| Input | Decision to make | Record to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Price basis | Same unit, currency and comparable specification | Original quotes and conversion basis |
| Usage | Real layout at confirmed usable width | Size mix and layout revision |
| Allowance | Add-on or unusable-yield definition; no duplication | Included and excluded items |
| Other costs | Confirmed charges allocated on stated output | Cost schedule and open items |
| Decision | Equivalent accepted garment output | Dated comparison and approval |
Questions for this stage
Is the cheapest fabric per metre always cheapest per coat?
No. A different usable width, surface direction or cutting layout can change the required length. Compare equivalent approved output using the actual consumption and included cost scope.
Can GSM alone convert a kilogram price into a metre price?
No. You also need the confirmed width and matching weight basis. Record whether that basis covers billed fabric including edges or only the usable area.
Should I add shrinkage twice, in consumption and in allowance?
Identify where it is already covered. If the garment team’s usage already includes an agreed preparation adjustment, adding that same adjustment again overstates the requirement.
Does 5% extra material mean 95% usable yield?
They are different definitions. Adding 5% multiplies the base by 1.05; a 95% yield divides the required usable quantity by 0.95. Agree which meaning applies.
What do I do when freight or yield is not confirmed?
Leave it visibly unresolved and compare stated scenarios. Do not present an unknown cost as zero or a planning yield as a confirmed result. Resolve material assumptions before approval.