Monday, September 15, 2014

Apparel Merchandising

Special Course With 25% Eid Discount !
PIGFT- Panorama Institute of Garments and Fashion Technology is going to start a special Apparel Merchandising Course with 25% discount. This course will be started on 12th October, 2014. Course duration is 6 months, but this Apparel Merchandising Course will be completed within 3 months in a special mode of care. This is a great chance for those who want to complete a long course within a short time. Only 10 learners will be allowed in this Apparel Merchandising Course on the basis of, ‘First come, first served’. So, contact us and confirm your admission at once.     

Course Title: Diploma in Apparel Merchandising
Course Duration: 6 Months (Converted into 3 months)  
Course Fee: 22,500 Tk (Actual fee 30,000 Tk. 25% Eid discount)
Last Date of Admission: 30 September, 2014  
Class Starting Date: 12th October, 2014

Note: One can get admitted in this Apparel Merchandising Course after 30 September, 2014. But no discount will be applicable in this regard.  

Uniqueness of this Apparel Merchandising Course:
1. This course will be run by a teacher who has an experience of 9 years as an apparel merchandiser.
2. All the necessary notes and sheets will be provided free of cost.
3. The learners will be given certificates after the successful completion of this Apparel Merchandising Course.  

This course has been decorated with 54 topics and some of them are mentioned below:
1. Garments Industry in Bangladesh: Problems and Prosperity
     3. Apparel Merchandising as a career regarding the present, past and future
5. Introduction to Knit, Woven, Sweater and Different Garments
6. Introduction to Garments Accessories
7. Fabrications
8. Knitting and Weaving
9. Dyeing
10. Washing
11. Finishing
12. Testing
13. Printing  
14. Embroidery
15. Correspondence and Follow-up (T & A, CP)
16. Potential searching of buyers
17. Order Negotiation
18. How to make a Booking Sheet/ Work-order
19. AQL
20. Consumption
21. Costing
22. Compliance
23. Perfect CV Making,
24. Job Searching Strategies
25. Preparation to face the interview
26. Working procedures of a merchandiser   
And 27 more topics including the above ones


Thank you so much for understanding this post. If you like this post, share it with your nearest ones following the below links. It may be helpful to enrich their competence and to touch their goals. Please visit our website:  http://www.pigft.com to know more about us.

We are always special in taking care and alert about the betterment of our valued learners.
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Saturday, August 30, 2014

Design your dream career today



Dear Visitor,

Welcome to PIGFT and thanks for reading this article. It proves that you are serious about your career and just seeking an opportunity on the way of building your dream career. We are here to indicate some valuable guidelines which might be the turning point of your life. You are already going on with a salary based job or business or thinking about how and where to start your profession from. There is a great opportunity in the Export-oriented Garments Industry in Bangladesh where you can start your career from.

Bangladesh is the second largest RMG (Ready Made Garments) exporter country of the world. This sector covers near about 80% of the total export of Bangladesh, which is playing a vital role in building a flourished economy of the country. This is obviously a wise decision to design your dream career in this apparel arena. It can escort you to the highest peak of success. This sector can give you what is almost impossible to gain from another sector in Bangladesh.

We suggest you two ways to initiate your occupation in this trade. You may choose any one of them. Okay guys, let’s know the ways now.

1. Business: There are many types of business in our garment trade. Such as, Garments Factory, Buying House, Spinning Mill, Knitting Plant/ Weaving Plant, Washing Plant, Dyeing Plant, Garments Accessories and many more. But if you are a newbie and willing to start a business without any risk and with the littlest capital, you have to take a decision very carefully. We think, Buying House is the best one for you. You can start a Garments Buying House easily with a very small amount of money which can’t be imagined. But all other businesses in this apparel trade except buying house require a huge amount of capital. This may be difficult for you to invest a big amount of money as a new entrepreneur. So, we prescribe you to start a Garment Buying House as your new business in this bustling industry of Bangladesh. If you want to know more about buying house, please click the link: How to Start a Buying House Business in Bangladesh.  



2. Salary Based Job: This sector is also unique to build up a highly professional status with a salary based. You can work here with different designations and we think, Merchandising is the best for an entry level employee. Getting an apparel merchandising job is easier than getting a job in any other sector in Bangladesh. This is highly paid and highly honored. This job can lead you to the ultimate prosperity which means the cherished success with solvency, happiness and complete job satisfaction. This job is unparalleled in one sentence. For more information, please click the link: What is merchandising? │What is apparel merchandising?   



Thank you so much for reading this article. If you like this article, kindly share it with your nearest ones following the below links. It may be helpful to enrich their competence and to touch their goals. If you need any professional help, please feel free to contact us or visit our website: http://www.pigft.com to know more about our courses.

We are always special in taking care and alert about the betterment of our valued learners. Thank you once again for considering us.    
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Thursday, July 03, 2014

What is merchandising? │What is apparel merchandising?



Dear Visitor,
Welcome to the discussion of merchandising and apparel merchandising. The English word ‘Merchandising’ has come from ‘Merchandise’ and ‘Merchandise’ has been originated from French Language. ‘Merchandise’ means any products, goods or commodities to be sold or bought. On the other hand, ‘Merchandising’ indicates a job or practice which promotes the ‘Merchandise’ or ‘Product’ to be sold to the consumer or customer.  


According to the Wikipedia: In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to the variety of products available for sale and the display of those products in such a way that it stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase.

In retail commerce, visual display merchandising means merchandise sales using product design, selection, packaging, pricing, and display that stimulate consumers to spend more. This includes disciplines and discounting, physical presentation of products and displays, and the decisions about which products should be presented to which customers at what time.

In Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, the term “merchandising” is commonly used within the trading industry and denotes all marketing and sales stimulation activities around PoS (Point of Sale): design, creation, promotion, care and training of the sales staff. A merchandiser is someone who is continuously involved in business promotion by buying and selling of goods. In Asian countries, such as India, this term is more synonymous with activities right from sampling and idea conception to dispatching of the shipment. It is a job description that involves leading and working with different departments within the organization, suppliers and buyers to deal with timely deadlines and accepted quality levels.

According to the Oxford Dictionary: Merchandising is the activity of selling goods, or of trying to sell them, by advertising or displaying them.  

According to the definition of Google: Merchandising is the activity of promoting the sale of goods, especially by their presentation in retail outlets.   

According to the Business Dictionary: The activity of promoting the sale of goods at retail Merchandising activities may include display techniques, free samples, on-the-spot demonstration, pricing, shelf talkers, special offers, and other point-of-sale methods. According to American Marketing Association, merchandising encompasses "planning involved in marketing the right merchandise or service at the right place, at the right time, in the right quantities, and at the right price."



As per various types of definition of ‘Merchandising’ mentioned above, we think, it has been very much clear to us. It’s a matter of sorrow that we’ve seen many persons defining merchandising, but nobody says about Apparel Merchandising. Merchandising and Apparel Merchandising are not same specially in the perspective of Bangladesh. It has a difference in question of practice in Bangladesh. Are not you thinking that, where is the difference? Yes, there is a difference. Follow the above definitions. All are saying that Merchandising is related to the retail consumer, outlet or shops. But, is there any merchandiser related to retail consumers, outlet or shops in 100% Export-oriented RMG sector in Bangladesh? Obviously not. Then why should not we differentiate Merchandising and Apparel Merchandising? Okay, let’s now go to the definition of Apparel Merchandising.    


Apparel Merchandising: In the perspective of Bangladesh, Apparel Merchandising is a job or practice which helps to sale apparel or garment to the foreign buyers.

We would like to update here that an apparel merchandiser is involved directly or indirectly with all the procedures from order collection to shipment.

Conclusion: Thank you so much for reading this article. If you like this article, kindly share it with your nearest ones following the below links. It might be helpful to enrich their competence and to touch their goals. If you need any professional help, please feel free to contact us or visit our website: http://www.pigft.com to know more about our courses.

We are always special in teaching and alert about the betterment of our valued learners. Thank you once again for considering us.  
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Tuesday, July 01, 2014

Problems of Garment Sector in Bangladesh

100% Export-oriented RMG (Ready Made Garments) sector has brought a radical economic development in Bangladesh over the last three decades. The RMG industry of Bangladesh has expanded dramatically after the independence of Bangladesh. Once upon a time the Jute Industry was dominating the industrial sector of the country until the 1970s. But, after the liberation war, specifically at the beginning of 1980s, RMG industry has been established as an important player in the economy of the country and has gradually replaced the jute industry. Currently, Bangladesh is the second largest RMG exporter country of the world. Bangladesh exports many types of garment products to about 50 countries around the world. Nevertheless, this sector has not been free from problems. Moreover, it is facing newer problems day by day.  



1. Wages: The government of Bangladesh sets minimum salaries for various groups of employees, which is insufficient to cause a lifestyle even in a primary price. This is a worrying issue in our RMG industry and it should be fixed so that the labors can cause their lifestyles simply.  

2. Political Unrest: Apparel sector suffers from political anxiety, hartal and terrorism. The worldwide market has removed allowance benefits over garment trade from Bangladesh since December 2005. Bangladesh has to be advanced very carefully about getting better position of her garments in the global market. Finally, devastation of Twin Tower on 11 Sept 2001, Intrusion of Afghanistan and Iraq and depressive disorders in the globe economic system have seriously affected the trade of Bangladesh.

3. Inappropriate operating environment: Taking the advantages of staff members' hardship and lack of knowledge the entrepreneurs pressure them to perform in a risky and harmful position of performing congested with employees beyond the potential of the manufacturer ground and improper air flow. Inappropriate air flow, rigid situation, dirty rooms are the majority of our sectors. The master's profit is the first concern and this mind-set has gone to such a level that they do not care about their lifestyles.

4. Inadequacy of loan: Inadequacy of the loan soon enough, uncertainty of power, setbacks in getting components, no interaction, issue with taxation etc. Often prevent the market. In the globe market 115 to 120 products of dress are in demand where as Bangladesh provides only 10 to 12 products of garments. India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan etc. Has created an amazing improvement in clothing sectors. Bangladesh is going to task the garments of those nations on the global market.  


5. Discrimination of labor division: In the clothing sector of Bangladesh, projects are assigned mostly on the basis of sex. This decides many of the important conditions of female employees. All the employees in the sewing section are female, while almost all those in the cutting, ironing and finishing segments are men. Women employees are consumed in a variety of professions from reducing, stitching, placing control buttons, making buttonholes, verifying, cleaning the discussions, pressing, foldable, packaging and training to manage. Women perform mainly as assistants, machinists and less frequently, as line supervisors and top quality remotes. There are no women, reducing exports. Men control the management and control level tasks. Women are discriminated against in terms of access to higher-paid white training collar and control roles. 

When asked why they prefer to employ females for stitching, the proprietor and supervisors give several reasons. Most experienced that stitching is typically done by females and that females are more individual and more manageable than men.

6. Unit labor cost: Bangladesh has the most affordable unit work price in Southern Japan. It expenses only 40 cents to produce clothing in Bangladesh, whereas it expenses 79 cents in Sri Lanka and 86 cents in Indian. Clearly, Bangladesh’s relative benefits can be found in having the most affordable unit work price.

7. Working hours: Though the salaries are low, the work time is very long. The RMG sectors claim to function one eight-hour move six times a week. The 1965 manufacturer Act allows females to perform distribution deadlines; however, females are virtually compelled to perform after 8 o’clock. Sometimes they perform until 3 o’clock in the morning and review on their behavior to start perform again five hours later or 8 o’clock. They are requested to perform whole months at some point the Factory Act, which states that no employee should perform more than ten times repeatedly without a break.

8. Inadequate housing facilities: As most of the clothing employees come from the poor family and come from the distant areas and they have to be present at to the responsibilities promptly, these employees have to seek the services of a space near the manufacturer where four to five huddle in a space and spend lifestyle in the sub human situation. For four to five employees there is one common latrine and a kitchen for which they have to pay from Taka 2,000 to Taka 2500. They discuss this amount among themselves to reduce the housing cost.

One cannot believe their eyes in what terrible situation they have to pass out their time after almost a whole day of hard work in the factory. After the time consuming job they come into their rest, prepare their meals and have their dinner or lunchtime in unclean ground or bed and rest where they take their meals. They discuss the single bed or rest on the ground.

The entrepreneurs of these sectors must not cure the employees as creatures. The entrepreneurs of these sectors who drive the most magnificent car and live in the most magnificent house do ever think that these are the employees who have created their residing so luscious. Will these self-centered entrepreneurs ever think of these employees of their better residing for the benefit of humankind by offering better housing for these employees in addition to offering with the job.

9. Protection Problems: Because of the negligence of the manufacturer control and for their cockiness manufacturer gates used to be kept closed for security reason disobeying act. Safety needed for the employees is compulsory to maintain in all the company. But without the service of this necessary product a lot of injuries happen to suffer every season in most of the company. Some important causes of the accident are given below-

a.     Routes are obstructed by storage components.
b.     Machine layout is often incredible.
c.     Lack of signs for an evade route.     
d.     No supply for urgent lighting.
e.     Doors, starting along evade tracks, are not fire-resistant.
f.    Doors are not self-closing and often do not start along the route of evade. 
g.     Inadequate gates and stairways to quit easily.
h.  Fire quit or urgent stairway does not have appropriate servicing. 
i.      Lack of appropriate quit path to reach the position of safety.
j.    Parked automobiles, goods and junk on the outside of the building prevent leaves in the open air.
k.   Fire accident in the Bangladeshi garment factory is a common scenario.  

Fire Accident in RMG Sector


10. Cost competitiveness: Chinese providers and some other opponents of Bangladesh have applied distinct price-cutting guidelines in dispatching clothing products over the last few years, but Bangladesh did not reply successfully to such guidelines. Chinese providers were able to drop the trade price of 29 clothing groups by 46 % on regular in the United States within a season, from $6.23 per sq gauge in Dec 2001 to $3.37 per sq gauge in Dec 2002. Bangladesh needs to react to such price-cutting guidelines of its opponents to be able to remain aggressive in the quota-free international market.

11. Lead time: Lead time represents the time required for providing the requested clothing products after the trade purchase has been obtained. In the 1980's, the regular cause amount of time in the clothing market was 120-150 times for the main clothing provider nations of the world; it has been reduced to 30-40 times in the current several years. However, in this respect the Bangladesh RMG market has enhanced a little; for example, the common cause time is 90-120 times for woven garment companies and 60-80 times for knit clothing companies. In Chinese providers, the common cause time is 40-60 times and 50-60 times for woven and knit products, respectively; in India, it is 50-70 times and 60-70 times for the same products respectively. Bangladesh should improve its regular cause a chance to contend in the worldwide market.

12. Dependency on international raw materials: Bangladesh imports raw components for garments like pure cotton, fabric and garment accessories. This requirement of raw components affects the development of the clothing market. Moreover, international providers often supply low quality components, which result in low quality products.

13. Inexperienced workers: Most of the uneducated females appointed in garment factories are unskilled and their products often become lower in quality.
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Friday, June 27, 2014

Fiber, Yarn and Fabric



Fiber: Fiber is a material which is collected from natural or synthetic sources. Fibers are the tissues of a plant, animal or any other substances and they are very small in width comparatively than their length.   
 
Cotton Fiber

Textile Fiber: Textile fiber means only those types of fibers which are used for making yarns and yarns are finally converted into fabric through knitting or weaving process. There are many types of fiber looks like textile fiber, but all of them are not textile fiber. Textile fibers must have some characteristics which are mentioned below. 

1.     It should have a minimum length (5 MM);
2.     Fineness;
3.     Sufficient Strength;
4.     Pliability or Flexibility;
5.     Rigidity or Stiffness;
6.     Cohesiveness;
7.     Elongation and Elasticity;
8.     Uniformity;
9.     Luster;
10.   Moisture Absorbency; and
11.   Durability                                    


Apparels or Garments
^
Fabric
^
    Knitting or Weaving    
^
Yarn
^
Spinning
Fiber



Classification of Fiber: There are two types of fiber. They are:
        1.     Natural Fiber; and
        2.     Man-made Fiber  

Natural Fiber: Fibers collected from natural sources are called natural fiber. Natural fibers are mainly collected from Animal, Vegetable, Mine and Metal.  

Man-made Fiber: Man-made fibers are also known as Synthetic fiber, such as Polyester, Acrylic, Nylon etc.  

Yarn: Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers, which are used in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, and for making rope. 
 
Yarn

Thread: Thread is one type of yarn used for sewing by hand or machine. Modern sewing threads may be finished with wax or other lubricants to withstand the stresses involved in sewing. Embroidery threads are yarns specifically designed for hand or machine embroidery

The difference between Yarn and Thread: Thread is tightly twisted by two or more plies of yarn that are circular when cut in cross section. It is used for hand sewing and in home sewing machines. Sewing thread is distinguished from yarn by the fact that thread is used to sew together garments or other clothing, but yarn is manufactured from fibers and used in making fabric through knitting or weaving procedure. The terms are confusing and are often used interchangeably; thread can be made up of yarn, but yarn can not be made up of threads.    
  
Fabric: Fabric is a material produced by knitting or weaving and used for making things such as apparels, curtains, and sheets. 

Fabric


Thanks for reading the article. If you need any professional help, please feel free to contact us or visit our website: http://www.pigft.com. We are always alert about the betterment of our valued learners.
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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

How to become a class one apparel merchandiser

Apparel Merchandising is a superlative career in the current perspective of Bangladesh. Most of the young job-seekers of Bangladesh don’t know the features of this profession. It’s a matter of sorrow for us. If they would know the importance of the profession, it would be more beneficial for them to build up a dream career. On the other hand, many of those who are working as an Apparel Merchandiser don’t have a complete idea how to become a class one merchandiser. That’s why we are providing this guideline to promote them to a class one merchandiser.

Professional Skill: If you want to become a successful merchandiser, at first you have to learn your day to day jobs perfectly. If you are poor in professional knowledge, you have no chance to become a grade one merchandiser. You should be expert in all the topics of merchandising like Fiber, Yarn and Fabric, Knit, Woven, Sweater and Different Garments, Garments Accessories, Fabrications, Knitting, Weaving, Dyeing, Washing, Finishing, Testing, Printing, Embroidery, Correspondence and Follow-up (T&A, CP), Potential Searching of Buyers, Order Negotiation, Sourcing and Pricing of Raw Materials, Negotiation to Raw Material Sourcing, How to make a Booking Sheet/ Work-order, AQL, Consumption, Costing, Compliance, Carton, CBM and Freight Calculation, Knitting-dyeing Programming, and so on. These are the main areas through which you can focus yourself. If you know these correctly and completely, you will be advanced one step to become a powerful merchandiser.

English Competence: I have seen many merchandisers who are expert in the above professional aspects but very weak in English. They are not successful because of being poor in English. There is no alternative of being expert in English specifically in writing and speaking. Because this is a business with the foreign buyers and they can be contacted through English only. If you don’t know English, how will you contact them? And if you can’t contact your buyers, what is your necessity? If you have no necessity to your employer, why will he promote you? Why will he increase your remuneration? So, try to realize the importance of English skill in question of becoming a class one merchandiser.

Computer Skill: A merchandiser has to complete almost all of his jobs through computer. This is why, your earliest priority is to become skilled in computer. Basically, you have to be good at the followings:

MS Word
MS Excel
E-mail Correspondence
Internet Browsing
MS Power Point (Not so important)
Adobe Photoshop (Not so important) 
  
Hard Work Nerver Kills Anybody
Hard Working: This job is only for those who are hard working. If you are lazy, forget about your promotion. Even you won’t be able to save your job, you must be terminated. The jobs in other sectors require hard work; apparel merchandising also requires hard work. Then what is the difference between these two sectors? There is only one difference. Other sectors don’t pay the reasonable remuneration for the hard work, but apparel merchandising pays the reasonable remuneration for the hard work. This is why, you have to work hard to build up your dream career in this apparel industry.      

Dress Code: Dress Code is so important to emphasize your professionalism. Your colleagues may wear casual dress, but you shouldn’t do it. You should certainly wear official dress which demonstrates you as an executive or high official. Remember, you are working with garments or apparels, but your dress doesn’t beautify your outlook. How is it to think? Please, be reminded that you will never be special if your dress doesn’t say that you are special. So, never ignore the official get up in your office.      

Personality: In fact, personality can’t be defined in one sentence. Personality means the way of your expression of thinking, working, behavior and all of your lifestyle. Those who belong to the big posts, I think they should have a great personality. If you are a person without a great personality, the big post will never be ornamented by you after having all the qualities.     

Responsibility: Apparel Merchandising is a profession full of duties and responsibilities. Always you should take responsibilities and be responsible. The person, who takes responsibilities being ahead, is always considered as a leader and he must promote himself in a professional life. But the person, who doesn’t take responsibilities or can’t accomplish his job successfully after taking the responsibilities, is considered as an insensible, irresponsible, inefficient and unsuccessful. He is never awarded. So, take responsibilities as a leader and get your job done successfully. You must be promoted and awarded.    


Prudence: Prudence indicates a quality can predict the future considering the present situation. The more prudent people get more success in the world. You should always try to be prudent if you really want to be a great one.

Punctuality: It’s very difficult to become a class one merchandiser if you are not punctual. You have to do every thing timely. If your office time is 9 AM, you must enter into your office before 9 AM, not after 9 AM. This is a 100% export oriented business with foreign buyers and the foreigners never like lateness. They are very much punctual. So, you should be punctual as a powerful merchandiser.   

Pressure Taking: We don’t want to say more regarding the topic. You should always be ready to take a lot of mental pressure. If you don’t agree to do so, please forget the dream of becoming a class one merchandiser. Where there is no mental pressure, there is no apparel merchandising. Because, apparel merchandising can’t be separated from a lot of mental pressure.    
 
Popularity: Popularity is one of the most valuable assets in our lives. Popular men get their successes easily. Be careful, you should not have a single enemy in your colleagues. You should be very much popular among all of your colleagues and this popularity will help you touch the highest peak of your success. 

Please, follow the above points strictly and we are sure that you will certainly be a class one apparel merchandiser. There is no doubt about it.

If you need any professional help, please feel free to contact us or visit our website: http://www.pigft.com We are always alert about the betterment of our valued learners.  
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