Over the years, I’ve seen lots of things go wrong with garment production. Some have been minor issues like the hem width was ?” deeper than intended or the wrong size label was sewn in a few garments. Other issues have been much more serious (and panic inducing) like the marker being printed and cut at the wrong scale, or the sleeves of a whole production run being sewn wrong causing them to tear apart at the hem.
While having no issues is certainly the goal, it is not always possible to avoid all problems entirely. If a problem does come up, there is one type of problem that is much easier to solve (regardless of how big or small it is). They are consistent problems. Not consistent as in ongoing, but consistent as in every garment that has a problem has the same problem.
Consistent problems are easier to fix. Production is a repetitive and logical process and to solve a consistent problem, you just have to trace back through the steps to find what step is repeatedly causing it. Once you do, it will be clear what needs to be done. You fix that one thing and the problem is solved for future garments.
Inconsistent problems, on the other hand, are much more concerning. It is hard to even clearly define what the problem is let alone how to fix it. Inconsistent problems can signal much bigger issues in the production process or materials.
A consistent problem is the best case scenario if there are going to be any problems with production.
Have you ever experienced problems with production? If so, were they consistent or inconsistent?