Production Tracking — From Sampling to Dispatch

The 7 Production Stages in LabelERP

Every garment order in LabelERP moves through seven clearly defined stages. Your team always knows exactly where a particular order stands, which eliminates guesswork and reduces follow-up calls with your factory floor.

1. Order Received — The order is confirmed and entered into LabelERP. Fabric requirements, colour-ways, and delivery dates are captured upfront. The system automatically calculates the total quantity across all sizes.
2. Sampling — Your design team creates samples and attaches photos directly inside the order. Buyers can approve or request changes, and every revision is logged with timestamps so you have a complete audit trail.
3. Fabric Sourcing — LabelERP links the order to your inventory. If fabric is available, it is reserved. If not, a purchase order is generated and sent to your supplier. Fabric consumption is estimated using the bill of materials (BOM).
4. Cutting — The cutting department marks the order as "in cutting." Actual fabric used is recorded against the estimate so you can track fabric wastage at the order level — something most ERPs skip entirely.
5. Stitching — Work-in-progress moves to the stitching floor. If you use multiple job-work units, LabelERP tracks which unit is handling which lot, along with expected completion dates.
6. Quality Check — Finished garments go through QC. Defective pieces are flagged, and the defect type (stitching fault, shade variation, measurement mismatch) is recorded. QC pass rates are visible on your dashboard.
7. Dispatch — Approved garments are packed, invoiced, and dispatched. LabelERP generates the GST-compliant invoice and updates inventory in real time. You can also send a dispatch alert via WhatsApp.

These stages are configurable. If your workflow has an additional step — embroidery, washing, printing — you can insert a custom stage between any two existing ones.

Key Features of LabelERP Production Tracking

LabelERP is not a generic manufacturing ERP retrofitted for fashion. It was designed from day one for Indian garment brands, export houses, and D2C labels. Here is what makes production tracking in LabelERP different:

• Real-time stage visibility — Every order card shows its current stage with colour-coded badges. Green means on track, amber means delayed, red means overdue. Your merchandising team can filter by stage to see all orders currently in cutting, for example.
• Order-level timeline — A complete history of every stage transition, with who moved it and when. This is invaluable during buyer audits or when resolving disputes about delivery delays.
• Size-wise and colour-wise breakdowns — Fashion orders are not simple. A single PO might have 5 colours and 7 sizes. LabelERP tracks production at the size-colour matrix level, not just the order level.
• Job-work tracking — If you outsource stitching or embroidery to external units, LabelERP tracks which job-worker has which lot, the date it was sent, and the expected return date. Overdue job-work lots appear on your dashboard automatically.
• Fabric consumption tracking — Record actual fabric used against the estimated BOM. Over time, this data helps you build accurate consumption norms and reduce material waste by 5-10%.
• Photo attachments at every stage — Attach sample photos, QC defect images, or packing photos directly to the order. No more hunting through WhatsApp groups for that one picture.
• Alerts and notifications — Get notified when an order has been stuck at a stage for too long. Set custom thresholds per stage — for example, alert if an order is in cutting for more than 2 days.
• Multi-location support — Track production across multiple factories or floors. Each location has its own capacity view, but all data rolls up into a single dashboard for the owner or merchandiser.

How Production Tracking Works in LabelERP

Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of how a typical garment order flows through LabelERP production tracking.

Step 1: Create the order. Go to Orders → New Order. Enter the buyer name, style number, fabric details, and the size-colour quantity matrix. Set the expected delivery date. LabelERP assigns the order a unique tracking number.

Step 2: Approve the sample. Your design team uploads sample images. The buyer reviews them inside LabelERP (or you share a link via WhatsApp). Once approved, the order automatically moves to the Fabric Sourcing stage.

Step 3: Reserve or procure fabric. LabelERP checks your current fabric inventory. If enough stock is available, it is reserved against this order. If not, the system generates a purchase indent that your sourcing team can convert into a PO with one click.

Step 4: Begin cutting. When fabric is received and inspected, the cutting master moves the order to the Cutting stage. They record the actual meters used per colour. LabelERP compares this to the BOM estimate and flags any over-consumption.

Step 5: Track stitching progress. Cut pieces move to stitching — either in-house or to a job-work unit. If sent to a job-worker, LabelERP creates a challan (delivery note) automatically. The job-worker can update progress via a simple mobile interface.

Step 6: Run quality checks. Finished garments are inspected. Your QC team marks each lot as passed, failed, or needs alteration. Failed pieces are routed back to stitching with the defect description attached.

Step 7: Dispatch and invoice. Passed garments are packed according to the buyer's packing instructions. LabelERP generates the dispatch note, the GST invoice (with HSN codes and correct tax rates), and the e-way bill if the shipment value exceeds the threshold. The buyer receives a WhatsApp notification with the tracking number.

Custom Measurements for Made-to-Order

If you run a made-to-order or bespoke tailoring business, LabelERP supports up to 20 custom measurement fields per order. These are fully configurable — you name the field, set the unit (inches or centimetres), and optionally define a valid range.

The default measurement template includes these fields:

• Chest — measured around the fullest part
• Waist — natural waist circumference
• Hip — around the widest part of the hip
• Shoulder — point to point across the back
• Sleeve length — shoulder point to wrist
• Arm hole — circumference of the armhole
• Neck — base of neck circumference
• Front length — shoulder to desired garment length (front)
• Back length — shoulder to desired garment length (back)
• Bicep — around the fullest part of the upper arm
• Wrist — circumference at the wrist bone
• Inseam — crotch to ankle for trousers
• Outseam — waist to ankle along the outer leg
• Thigh — around the fullest part of the thigh
• Knee — around the knee
• Calf — around the widest part of the calf
• Rise — waist to crotch seam
• Across back — armhole seam to armhole seam across the back
• Across front — armhole seam to armhole seam across the front
• Garment length — total finished garment length

When a customer selects the "Custom" size variant during order creation, LabelERP automatically displays the measurement form. These measurements are printed on the production sheet and are visible to the cutting and stitching teams.

This feature is especially popular with Indian ethnic-wear brands that offer custom kurtas, sherwanis, and lehengas. It is also used by uniform manufacturers who need precise body measurements for bulk orders.

Production Tracking Reports

Data without reports is just noise. LabelERP provides five production-specific reports that help you make better decisions:

• Stage-wise order summary — How many orders are at each stage right now? This is your daily planning view. If 40 orders are stuck in cutting but only 10 are in stitching, you know where the bottleneck is.
• Order ageing report — Which orders have been in the same stage for too long? This report highlights delays before they become crises. You can filter by buyer, style, or factory.
• Fabric consumption report — Estimated vs. actual fabric usage per order, per style, per fabric type. Over three months, this report typically reveals 3-8% savings opportunities.
• QC defect analysis — What are the most common defects? Which job-worker has the highest rejection rate? This data drives quality improvement conversations with your production partners.
• Delivery performance report — What percentage of orders were dispatched on or before the promised date? Broken down by buyer, this tells you exactly where your reliability stands.

All reports can be exported to Excel or PDF. You can also schedule a weekly email digest that sends the stage-wise summary to your inbox every Monday morning.

How LabelERP Production Tracking Compares

Here is an honest comparison of production tracking capabilities across the ERPs that Indian fashion brands commonly evaluate.

The key differentiator for LabelERP is that it combines production tracking with WhatsApp integration and GST invoicing in a single platform — at a price point that works for small and mid-size Indian fashion brands. If you are evaluating ERPs, read our detailed comparison of ERPs for Indian fashion brands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I customise the production stages?

Yes. LabelERP comes with 7 default stages (Order Received, Sampling, Fabric Sourcing, Cutting, Stitching, QC, Dispatch), but you can add, rename, or reorder stages to match your actual workflow. For example, you could add an "Embroidery" stage between Cutting and Stitching, or a "Washing" stage after Stitching.

Does LabelERP support job-work or outsourced production?

Absolutely. When you move an order to a stage handled by an external job-worker, LabelERP creates a challan (delivery note) automatically. You can track which lots are with which job-worker, set expected return dates, and get alerts when lots are overdue. The job-worker can also update progress via a simple shared link.

How does fabric consumption tracking work?

When you create an order, LabelERP estimates fabric required based on the Bill of Materials (BOM) you have defined for that style. During cutting, your team enters the actual fabric consumed. LabelERP compares estimated vs. actual and flags any significant deviation. Over time, this data helps you refine your BOMs and reduce wastage.

Is there a mobile app for production tracking?

LabelERP is a responsive web application that works on any device — phone, tablet, or desktop. There is no separate mobile app to install. Your cutting master or QC inspector can update order stages from their phone browser. We chose this approach because it means zero installation friction for factory floor staff.

What does LabelERP cost for production tracking?

LabelERP offers a free tier that includes basic production tracking for up to 50 orders per month. Paid plans start at an affordable price point designed for Indian SMBs. Visit our pricing page for current details. There is no long-term commitment — you can cancel anytime.