The Factory-Ready Tech Pack Checklist
What a sourcing agent looks for before quoting a style, which gaps block a quote outright, and how to close them before you pay for a sample.
Why packages get stuck before a quote
A factory quote is a costing exercise: fabric consumption, trims, machine time, and risk. When any of those inputs is missing, the factory either guesses in their favour or sends the package back with questions. Both outcomes cost you weeks.
The gaps that stop a quote are consistent, and they are almost never about how beautiful the design looks. They are about whether the package answers: what is it made of, how big is it in every size, how is it assembled, and how many do you want.
Blocking items — no quote without these
| Item | Why it blocks |
|---|---|
| Front and back technical flats | Without proportional line drawings there is no construction reference to cost against. |
| Complete bill of materials | Every unlisted trim becomes a substitution decision made without you. |
| Fiber content and fabric weight | Fabric is usually the largest cost line; GSM and content set it. |
| Points of measure, illustrated | A value means nothing if the factory measures it from a different point. |
| Full graded size run | Costing and marker planning need every size you intend to produce. |
| Graded pattern files (DXF/SVG) | Otherwise the factory drafts the pattern, changing fit and pattern ownership. |
| Construction notes and stitch types | Stitch class and SPI drive machine selection and sewing minutes. |
Supporting items — these decide how many sample rounds you pay for
- Detail flats for construction you cannot see from the outside: pocket bags, hood interior, cuff finishes.
- Tolerances per point of measure, so a delivered garment can be accepted or rejected objectively.
- Seam allowance stated per seam type, alongside which seams are overlocked, bound, or flat-felled.
- Notches and drill holes, so a cutter and sewer align pieces the same way every time.
- Label and care artwork with placement, plus packing and polybag instructions.
- Fabric consumption estimate or a nested marker, so fabric cost is not padded for uncertainty.
Give the commercial context too
Quantity per colour, a target FOB, and your sample and ex-factory dates change the quote as much as the construction does. Minimums are usually per colour and per fabric, not per style, so a three-colour drop is three minimums.
Score the package before you send it
Run the handoff through a weighted checklist rather than a gut check. Weighting matters: a missing graded size run costs far more than a missing target price. The free factory readiness check scores your package the way a sourcing agent reads it and exports the gap list, so you can close blocking items first and send once.