trip report – format

QUALITY

INSPECTIONS

Requirements & Procedures

Revised April 2016

Bon-Ton Requirements and Procedures Bon-Ton Incorporated Quality Assurance

Revised April 2016 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Policy Statement Pg.3

2. Introduction Pg. 4

3. Packaging Standard Pg. 4

4. General Inspection Procedure Pg. 5

5. Standard Inspection Package SIP Pg. 6

6. Scheduling Pg. 6

7. Completion of Inspection Pg. 6

8. Inspection Disposition Pg. 7

9. Inspection Charge and invoicing Pg. 7

10. Best Practices Production Pg. 8

11. Garment Inspection Procedure Pg. 10

12. Appendix A - Third Party QA Notification Form Pg. 22

13. Appendix B – Example Garment Report Pg. 23

14. Appendix C - Critical Measurements (Major Defects) Pg. 32

15. Appendix D - Classification of Defects Pg. 33

16. Confirmation Form Pg. 54



POLICY STATEMENT

A. This program is based on the mandate that merchandise purchased by The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (Bon-Ton) must be inspected to meet product specifications, all applicable laws and regulatory requirements.

B. Bureau Veritas has been designated to conduct Bon-Ton quality

inspections for all required third party product inspections (at Bon-Ton’s discretion) prior to shipment. The cost of these inspections is the responsibility of the vendor and/or factory.

C. Vendor or factory inspections are not a substitution for this requirement.

D. The third party inspection does not limit Bon-Ton’s rights or diminish or remove vendor or manufacturers' responsibility and obligations under the Purchase Order Terms and Conditions.



INTRODUCTION

The Bon-Ton organization is totally committed to providing our customers with only the highest quality merchandise available to meet the lifestyle requirements of the middle and upper income families in today's competitive market place.

This program is designed to ensure a uniform understanding and implementation of Bon-Ton inspection requirements and procedures.

Although we have tried to clearly define our requirements, if you have specific questions, please direct them to both parties below:

Kevin Clancy Program Manager Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services 310 West Wisconsin Ave. 10th Floor West Milwaukee, WI 53203 Phone: 414-347-5251 E-mail: [email protected]

1. PACKAGING STANDARD

Please refer to the "International Vendor Compliance Guide" for more information http://logistics.bonton.com/Documents/International%20Vendor%20Com pliance%20Guide.pdf

There is virtually zero tolerance allowed for packing discrepancies during inspection of Bon-Ton’s merchandise.

The following packing discrepancies are unacceptable and would deem an inspection as “failing”

Incorrect Hang Tag/Price Tag

Incorrect information on Hang Tag/Price Tag Missing Hang Tag/Price Tag Damaged Hang Tag/Price Tag Altered Hang Tag/Price Tag Incorrect style/color/ratio in carton Incorrect packaging – flat pack/hanger pack

Unreadable or Missing UCC128 label on carton Wrong size carton

mailto:[email protected]

http://logistics.bonton.com/Documents/International%20Vendor%20Compliance%20Guide.pdf





2. GENERAL INSPECTION PROCEDURES

Initial Contact: For third party inspection programs the initial request for an inspection must be directed by Bon-Ton Product Development staff to the QA Department by submitting a “3rd Party QA Notification Form” (see Appendix A).

The notification should provide the following information:

Who: (vendor, factory) What: (description of product, style, and etc., along with the

product specifications or inspection criteria and approved reference sample)

Where: (inspection location, factory or warehouse name, address, contact name, phone number, etc.)

When: (when inspection required, scheduled ship date) How many: (total quantity of product)

The QA Department will initiate a final inspection by forwarding the DVNF to the designated third party inspection service when received from Product Development.

Please keep in mind that Bureau Veritas will need 10 calendar days advance notice to arrange a final inspection. Waiting until the week of the vendor required ship date is too late.

Note 1: Any consideration for waiving the third party inspection requirements must be approved by the Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. QA Department.

Note 2: If a style has multiple deliveries within a season, or is a replenishment style, it will need to be re-inspected every 6 months assuming the initial inspection passed.



3. Standard Inspection Package (SIP)

To ensure the best performance of the inspection and obtain the most reliable result, a Standard Inspection Package (SIP) must be supplied by the factory. The SIP includes, but is not limited to the following items:

■ 2 Preproduction samples or TOP samples ■ An 8 x 8 inch fabric swatch for each approved color/print ■ Bon-Ton approved wash shades should be provided (i.e. denim

Pigment dye, etc.) ■ Size specifications including tolerances approved by Bon Ton via PLM where

available ■ Sketches, photos, or drawing of the products. ■ Bon Ton “How to Measure” for every style ■ Approved actual accessories, hang tags and labels ■ Assortment sheet indicating style number, quantity, delivery, and color

assortment. ■ Packing instructions ■ Regulatory documentation General Conformity Certificate (GCC) as

required by law, corresponding testing reports and results, current factory social compliance audit and results

■ Any other information the factory deems important to the inspection

4. Scheduling

The vendor is responsible to contact Bureau Veritas a minimum of 10 calendar days prior to x-factory date.

5. Completion of Inspection

The third party inspection service will issue an inspection report (Appendix B) to the Bon-Ton QA Department and the vendor/factory within 24 hours of receipt of the inspector's detailed report of the inspection. However, all inspections will require a sign off by Bill Grange, Michael DiCocco, or Kevin Clancy before shipping. The inspector’s field report will include, but is not limited to, the following information:

■ Vendor name ■ Style number ■ Product description ■ Inspection location ■ Visual inspection defective units found summary ■ Measurement audit summary and detail data sheet

■ Size scale discrepancies should be called out on inspection report and report placed REJECTED. Product Team will need to give final determination.

■ Carton inspection detail General conformity in regards to style, material, color, labeling, pre-packing size scale, shipping marks.



■ Photos of scan of UCC 128 labels on cartons, scan of UPC on garment hangtag or box, also note in comments if UCC 128 labels are available or not.

■ Please reference the International Vendor Compliance Guide for proper placement of UCC128 and UPC labels. Improper placement can result in chargebacks.

6. INSPECTION DISPOSITIONS

If the result of the inspection passes the AQL adopted by the Bon-Ton QA Department, the final typed report and disposition will be emailed within 48 hours to the vendor so that the shipment can be released.

If there is a failing or doubtful result, the shipment will be

rejected. Bureau Veritas will notify the Bon-Ton QA Department immediately. A disposition will be communicated to the vendor and internally.

The Bon-Ton QA Department will review the inspection report

findings and determine the severity of deficiencies found with the appropriate Bon-Ton merchandising staff. If deficiencies found are considered to be commercially acceptable, the QA Department will release the final report with comments and acceptability.

In cases where inspection results are deemed to be a concern

and would result in unacceptable quality to be shipped to our stores, the Bon-Ton QA Department will meet with the appropriate merchandising staff to determine final disposition and communicate action steps to the factory/vendor accordingly.

All samples of defects of Failed Inspections should be sealed by inspector and kept at the factory for one (1) year or as released by Bon Ton. No sealed boxes should be compromised.

7. INSPECTION CHARGE AND INVOICING

Bon-Ton has negotiated favorable rates with Bureau Veritas on behalf of our vendors and factories.

Bureau Veritas will bill the vendors directly for the cost of inspections.

If merchandise is not ready for inspection on the date specified by the vendor and/or factory, or the inspectors are denied access to the facility, the vendor will be charged inspection cancellation charges, including any travel expenses incurred by Bureau Veritas.

Price list is available upon request through Kevin Clancy

([email protected])



Best Practices Production / Inspection Procedures

STORAGE • Fabric rolls need to be tagged with relevant information /

identification. • Dye lots need to be separated. • All fabrics must be above ground level to avoid contamination. • Proper shelving racks are critical to maintaining good inventory

control. • Trims must also be properly separated and stored.

FABRIC INSPECTION • Fabric rolls need to be tagged with relevant information /

identification. • The 4-point grading system should be employed by all mills and

factories. The vendor must ensure consistent application across their entire factory base.

• Fabric inspectors within the factory require proper training. • Fabric inspectors must cut swatches from the beginning of the roll

and match the color shade to the middle and end of the roll. • Fabric inspectors must build their own library of defects. • Fabric inspectors must generate detailed reports to help factory

management communicate effectively with the mills/factory production to resolve various problems.

SPREADING & CUTTING • Factories must select qualified employees to spread the fabric as

this is a critical activity. • Fabric must be spread properly (to grain, not wavy, on line, correct

nap direction, relaxed, etc.) • Fabric cutters must be properly trained on correct cutting

procedures. • Fabrics must be cut in the same direction to ensure consistency. • Proper clamps and pins must be used to hold down the fabric

layers. This will avoid fabric shifting within the pile. • Cutting rooms must have adequate lighting. This enables the cutters

and spreaders to quickly identify shading and other fabric defects. • Cutting rooms must be kept clean to provide safer work

environment and to avoid contamination on finished product.



CUTTING INSPECTION • Cutting inspectors must be properly trained to ensure the matching

of all cut parts as well as ensuring color consistency. • Cutting inspection forms must be standardized from one factory

to another. • Cutting problems must be reported to the sewing / production

supervisor to ensure the necessary corrections are made.

SEWING LINES • In-line inspection procedures must be implemented to check

collars, cuffs, necks, lap seams, and placket assembly. This will ensure correct topstitching, symmetry, matching of shoulder seams at collar, correct lap seams, and proper matching of stripes and plaids.

• Factories must position inspection stations within the sewing lines for checking major parts and assemblies.

• Critical parts and / or assemblies must be 100% checked instead of randomly audited. This will result in defective parts being identified.

• One operator and one inspector must be utilized for checking critical parts that have potential safety hazards, i.e. snaps on children’s garments.

• Pre-production meetings must be held with the factory and critical inspection checkpoints must be established.

• Factories must avoid sewing dark color garments in the same sewing line with light color garments to avoid contamination.

FINISHING LINE • Finishing line operators must be properly trained to handle

pressing equipment. This includes using the correct temperature based upon the fabric in question and avoiding heavy pressing those results in shiny appearance.

• Packaging area must be organized and properly supervised. This is a critical inspection checkpoint, as Bon-Ton has zero tolerance on packaging discrepancies.

• Supervisors must ensure that the correct hangtags, price tickets, etc. are provided to the proper production packing stations to avoid any possibility of mislabeling. Worktables should be cleared of all merchandise, tags / tickets (that are not applicable) prior to starting another size / color or style.


The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. GARMENT INSPECTION PROCEDURES


1.0 PURPOSE

1.1 To describe the standard procedures for garment inspections for Bon-Ton.

2.0 APPLICATION

2.1 Applies to all garment inspections conducted for Bon-Ton.

3.0 PRE-INSPECTION

3.1 Bon-Ton will provide to Bureau Veritas, authorization to conduct specific inspections by sending to Bureau Veritas either (1) a listing of production orders (PO’s)/styles/SKU’s to inspect, (2) a specific inspection request form, or (3) other appropriate written authorization.

3.1.1 Bon-Ton will indicate exceptions to the inspection procedure, which

apply to a particular inspection assignment. This will be done by writing “EXCEPTION” in the comments section of the inspection request form, and identifying the specific change and/or instruction.

3.1.2 The inspection request will specify the types of inspections (in-line,

final) to be conducted for a particular production order or shipment.

3.2 Bon-Ton will provide to Bureau Veritas, a defect criteria list to be

used by the inspector during the inspection.

3.3 Vendor will provide to Bureau Veritas, measurement specifications with points of measurement, tolerances, a how to measure guide and any

technical information associated with the construction, trims, labeling, ticketing, packing, etc. of the item/s being inspected.

3.4 Vendor will provide to Bureau Veritas approval samples for the inspector/s

to use as reference for style/construction/color/etc.

3.4.1 If/when approval samples are sent directly to the factory, the

Bureau Veritas Regional Coordinator will confirm with the

factory, prior to the date of the inspection that the approval sample package has been received and who will give it to the

inspector.

4.0 CONFIRMATION

4.1 The Bureau Veritas Regional Coordination Center must provide confirmation of receipt of inspection information, inspection dates,

and all related inspection processes, via e-mail or fax, to Bureau Veritas and Bon Ton.




5.0 SCHEDULING

5.1 Scheduling of in-line and final inspections must be consistent with logic and reasonable production capabilities. Thus, a final inspection must not be

scheduled nor conducted the day following the in-line inspection unless the total production quantity is so small it is reasonable that an in-line

inspection can be conducted one day and then a full final inspection of

completed product can be conducted the next day.

5.2 The factory will supply to the Bureau Veritas Regional Coordination Center, the production status including PO, style, and quantities available. The

factory will schedule the in-line and final inspection dates based on this information. Note, Bureau Veritas will coordinate the inspection scheduling

with the factory, but the authorization/request to conduct the inspection

shall come from Bon-Ton.

5.3 The Bureau Veritas Regional Coordination Center and factory agree on an inspection date.

5.4 Bureau Veritas Regional Coordination Center assigns the inspection to

an Bureau Veritas inspector who conducts the according to the requirements set by Bon-Ton and communicated to Bureau Veritas inspection

5.5 Bureau Veritas will not accept instructions nor modifications to the Bon-Ton /Bureau

Veritas procedures without written authorization from the Bon-Ton.

6.0 IN-LINE INSPECTION (Only when required by BonTon)

6.1 The following in-line inspection procedures are to be used in conjunction with the final inspection procedures outlined in Section 7.0 below when specifically requested by Bon-Ton.

6.2 The purpose of an in-line inspection is to help a new factory, the vendor,

and the Bon-Ton to identify potential problems early enough in the

manufacturing process that they can be fixed and the quality of the product improved.

6.3 The in-line inspection shall be conducted on finished garments when the

production stage is at least 20% complete and have been through the

factory’s own QC. Garments are not required to be packed.

6.4 Results of this inspection are discussed, in detail, with the factory management so that the factory can develop, and present to Bon-Ton, corrective action / preventative action plans that address any deficiencies found. Note: The Bureau Veritas inspector cannot give opinion or advice regarding how to correct defects.




7.0 FINAL INSPECTION

7.1 The final inspection shall be conducted on finished garments when the

production stage is 100% complete. Garments are required to be at least 80% packed and sealed, unless otherwise noted by Bon-Ton.

7.2 If the factory is short/over shipping and the amount is greater than +/- 5% the inspector shall provide a comment in the report and describe the

percentage from the order quantity.

7.3 Bureau Veritas will inspect each Bon-Ton style individually and treat each as an individual lot for random statistical sampling purposes.

However, each style (lot) can include various colors and size ranges and multiple shipping destinations. These will be combined within one

report.

7.4 The inspections are to be conducted in accordance with ANSI/ASQ Z1.4-

2008, Normal Inspection, General Level II. The AQL is 0 for Critical defects, 2.5 for Major defects—including critical measurement points that

are out of tolerance and 4.0 for Minor defects—including non-critical

measurement points that are out of tolerance. This requirement may only be changed, in writing, from Bon-Ton to Bureau Veritas, and the written

instruction must specify the orders where the change will be applied. All points of measure for each style should be measured. If all measurements are not taken another inspection will be required.

Lot or Batch Size Sample Size

2.5 Major 2.5

AC / RE Sample Size

4.0 Minor 4.0

AC / RE

26 to 50 5 0 / 1 13 1 / 2

51 to 90 20 1 / 2 13 1 / 2

91 to 150 20 1 / 2 20 2 / 3

151 to 280 32 2 / 3 32 3 / 4

281 to 500 50 3 / 4 50 5 / 6

501 to 1200 80 5 / 6 80 7 / 8

1201 to 3200 125 7 / 8 125 10 / 11

3201 to 10,000 200 10 / 11 200 14 / 15

10,001 to 35,000 315 14 / 15 315 21 / 22

35,001 to 150,000 500 21 / 22 315 21 / 22

150,001 to 500,000 500 21/ 22 315 21 / 22

500,001 and over 500 21 / 22 315 21 / 22

7.4.1 Examples for sampling: 7.4.1.1 Inspection of the sampled garments is explained as

follows: Based on experience, a plain, simple

garment such as a tee shirt or a skirt, without special

trims or decorations, will take a minimum of 2 minutes

to inspect. Inspecting a 200 piece sampling using 2

minutes per garment will incorporate but is not limited to the quality check, measurements, color matching and

recording of discrepancies. Based on the above

information, 200 garments x 2 minutes each = 400




minutes / 60 minutes per hour = 7 hours. The

remaining time will consist of inspection set-up, sample

selection, reporting and communications with factory

representatives.

7.4.1.2 Items sold as a set (2 pc set, 3 pc set) must be viewed

as individual items. Each item within the set requires its own inspection and therefore increases the sampling.

For example, a sampling of 200 pieces, for a 2 piece set,

will be viewed as a 400 piece sampling and will require 2

man days (in most cases) to complete.

7.4.1.3 More complex garments such as coats, dresses, tailored garments, etc. will require additional inspection time.

Therefore the number of man days required to complete

a 200 piece sampling is to be subject to increase to more than one man day.

7.4.1.4 Vendors / Factories must allow adequate timing when

scheduling inspections to allow for proper sampling and inspecting to be performed.

7.4.1 Critical Defect: Any defect or feature of the product that may

pose a safety hazard to the customer or end user. Zero

tolerance will be applied to the acceptable quantity of critical

defects found within a shipment. A critical defect will automatically render the inspection as rejected.

7.4.2 Major Defect: Anything that adversely affects the appearance,

performance including fit or customer satisfaction, to a degree that would provide a discerning customer with justification of non-purchase, a return, or complaint.

7.4.3 Minor Defect: Any variation from the standard that is not

sufficient in degree to be classified as major, and that would not provide a discerning customer with justification for non- purchase, a return, or complaint.

7.5 The inspector shall observe the inspection location. No inspection shall

take place without adequate lighting. If the inspector feels the lighting

is not sufficient, first request better accommodations. If none are

available, the inspection shall proceed as scheduled, however, a comment shall be written on page one of the report stating that the

inspection was conducted under less than optimum lighting. If the lighting is very bad so that it prohibits vision, then the report shall be

marked as not ready.

7.6 Before starting the final inspection, the Bureau Veritas inspector must

receive a full and complete inventory list of all carton numbers in the shipment that are complete and ready for inspection. A copy of this




carton inventory shall be attached to the inspection report. Only cartons shown on the carton inventory are to be inspected. The inspector shall perform the random sampling from only the cartons

shown on the carton inventory.

7.6.1 The inspector shall record in the comments section on the

report, the identification numbers of the cartons that are

randomly selected for inspection.

7.6.2 If a carton inventory list is not available, the inspector must select a good random sample. Cartons must be chosen randomly from all available cartons, not just cartons that are conveniently accessible.

7.6.3 The inspector shall stamp each inspected carton with their

individual Bureau Veritas chop. Each carton must be chopped.

7.7 Unless arriving much earlier than scheduled, an inspector should never wait more than 2 hours for any inspection. If after waiting 2 hours, if the goods are not ready for inspection, the inspection must be rendered Not

Ready. The factory will be required to reschedule the inspection.

7.8 Garments must be inspected for workmanship and construction defects.

7.8.1 Inspectors must thoroughly check seams for stitching defects

including pocket pouches, plackets should be even side to side, inseam lengths must be even at snap areas. Garments must fully

be turned inside out and seams and stitching must be checked thoroughly for broken/missed stitches, sloppy stitching, notched

fabric under stitching and any other fabric or stitching defects that

could be found on the outside of a garment.

7.8.2 Inspector shall pull on buttons, snaps, etc. to make certain they are securely attached (see critical defects).

7.8.3 Buttons, snaps, zippers, Velcro, etc. must be checked by the

inspector to verify they work/function properly.

7.8.3.1 Inspectors must pay careful attention to zipper function and determine if the zipper "stop" device functions

correctly. This process must be conducted by both of the

following 2 methods. 1) With the zipper "teeth" not connected and with the two front panels of the garment in

the open/separated/not connected position - pull the zipper head to the upper most position and then to the

lower most position and determine if the zipper head is

stopped at both the top and bottom positions 2) With the

zipper teeth connected/engaged and with the teeth of the

2 panels zipped together, pull the zipper head to the upper

most position and to the lower most position. If the zipper head becomes separated/detached/comes off, this is considered a small part and is a Critical Defect on all




children’s garments and a Major Defect on other garments. This condition is of particular concern on tops

and jackets.

7.8.4 Embroidered areas must be checked for untrimmed threads. If excessive threads or non-woven backing are found, this must be

noted in the comments.

7.8.5 All button and button hole sewing must be lock stitched to prevent sewing threads unraveling and resulting in buttons dropping off or fraying of buttonholes.

7.8.6 Inspectors shall check for pocket placement, shape, and evenness

of pockets. They should be consistent in shape, size, and placement garment to garment as well as side to side on the same garment. Defective pockets include: distorted in shape, placed hi-

low to each other, placed crooked or at differing angles, inconsistent in size, shape or placement garment to garment, etc.

7.8.7 Labeling information should be checked against the information provided by Bon-Ton. If a label is missing, wording is misspelled,

or wording is not readable, this is considered a major defect. Labeling shall be checked on all measured garments.

7.8.8 A tracking label must be available and include all required

information on all Children’s products being inspected. The inspector shall include a comment to indicate it was found on the product and include a photo of the label in the report. If a tracking label is not provided the inspection shall be REJECTED.

7.8.9 UCC-128 All cartons must have UCC-128 barcode label. The

inspector shall include a comment when no UCC-128 label is available. This must be corrected prior to shipping to Bon Ton.

7.8.10 When no standard is provided, any shading variation visible to the inspector, within a garment or garment to garment, is not acceptable. If any shading is observed, the inspection must be REJECTED and the quantity and range of shades must be reported in the comments section of the report.

7.8.10.1 When shading is not evident, the inspector must

comment on the report. For example: No shade variation within a garment or garment to garment.

7.8.10.2 Garments taken from the first carton must be compared to

the next carton, etc. to insure that color, appearance,

overall size, hand/feel, etc. are the same.

7.8.10.3 Inspector shall verify that the correct hanger number matches what is specified in the tech pack (do not




verify via the hanger supplier name). If the hanger number matches the information provided in the tech pack, there is no need to place the inspection On Hold.

7.9 General Conformity Certification (GCC) must be available at the factory on

any Bon Ton order where legally required. The inspector shall include in comments if a GCC is/is not available

7.10 A test report must be available at the factory. The inspector shall include in

comments if a test report is available, record the test report number and the result of the testing.

7.11 A Social Compliance Audit report from either Omega or UL Responsible

Sourcing must be provided by the factory. The inspector shall include in the comments if a report is available and record the date of the last audit and the audit result.

7.12 The only time chipboard is required is for high value/high risk products (jewelry, cosmetics, leather coats, & handbags). Otherwise use of chipboard is optional. The minimum packaging requirements for high value/high risk product are as follows:

7.12.1 Whenever possible cartons should not have identifying marks or

trademarks

7.12.2 Vendors must utilize tamper proof (paper/water

activated/reinforced) tape

7.12.3 All openings on all carton sides must be sealed using the “H” method. Carton strength shall b e a minimum of 200 # or 32 ECT

corrugated. No staples or glued cartons.

7.12.4 Carton must have a cardboard inset in the top and bottom. Insert

shall be slightly smaller than carton and shall be placed between the flaps and the product.

7.12.5 It is not acceptable to insert chipboard sheets in between units

inside the cartons.

7.12.6 Do not use clear or opaque polyurethane tape or any plastic tape that is merely labeled as “tamperproof”, but has no attributes of being truly tamperproof.

7.12.7 If you reuse or repack cartons, remove all previous labeling and

carton markings or writing and tape.

7.13 No bag made of plastic material of an average gauge thinner than 0.0001

inch, which is large enough to fit over a child’s head shall be used.




Polybags less than 1 mil in thickness require a warning statement. A

“master” polybag, where multiple units are placed into one large polybag does not require a warning statement. If not possible to verify the

thickness of individual unit polybags, the inspector shall provide a comment on the report.

7.14 If packaging discrepancies are observed, the inspector shall provide a

comment describing the discrepancies. Place inspection REJECTED for this.

7.15 50% RULE: Is utilized if an inspection passes, but one defect type is equal

to 50% or more of the allowable defects. State in the comments section on the report the reason the 50% defect rule was utilized and includes a

description of the defect type found. Multiple defects must also be

considered when determining if the 50% rule applies (in the example below, some of the 11 holes may have been part of multiple defects). Bon

Ton must comment and approve acceptance of the 50% rule prior to shipping.

Example:

AQL = AC: 21 RE: 22

Inspection results:18 major defects

11 of the 18 defects are holes (11 is greater than 50% of the allowable defects “21”) Action: Inspection is placed on hold because 11 defects are

greater than 50% of the 21 major defects allowed. 7.16 Inspector must identify all defects by applying a piece of colored tape or

appropriate marker on the garment, near the defect.

7.17 Upon request, Inspectors will send, by express courier, representative

defect samples (repetitive or otherwise noteworthy) from each rejected inspection. These will be shipped, via express courier, to the following:

Attention: Kevin Clancy

THE BON-TON STORES, INC. 10th fl

310 West Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53203

7.17.1 Whenever defect samples are sent to BON-TON after an

inspection, a copy of the handwritten, draft report must be

included with the shipped sample/s. In the event the draft report is not written in English, it must still be included, but in addition,

must be faxed, for translation, to the Bureau Veritas Regional Coordination Center responsible for that inspection. Either an

(English) copy of the draft report or the final report must, be faxed

or e-mailed to the Bon-Ton within one business day of the inspection.

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Fax#: 414-347-5278

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. E-mail: [email protected]





7.17.2 Samples sent to BON-TON must be packaged and shipped by the Bureau Veritas inspector. If it is absolutely necessary to ship the package from the factory, the packages must be sealed with

Bureau Veritas tape by the inspector. If Bureau Veritas tape is not available, the inspector must close the box, write their signature overall/every seam on the box, or apply their Bureau Veritas inspector stamp (chop mark), and cover the signature (or stamp/chop mark) with clear tape.

8.0 MEASUREMENTS All points of measure for each style should be measured. If all measurements are not taken

another inspection will be required.

8.1 Vendors will supply measurement specifications to Bureau Veritas for each

inspection assignment. A Bon-Ton approved measurement guide (how to

measure), for each assignment, must also be provided to Bureau Veritas for forwarding to the Bureau Veritas Regional Coordination Center and the inspector.

8.2 Measurements are to be checked on 10% of the sample size but a

minimum of 3 garments per size.

8.3 All measured garments must also be inspected for quality defects.

8.3.1 If one garment has a quality defect and a measurement defect, this is to be listed on the report as a multiple defect. Indicate on the measurement chart which measured garment also had the quality defect.

8.4 If a measurement is an exact spec, place a check mark (√) in the space. If

the measurement is not exact spec but still within tolerance write down

number, if spec is out of tolerance write down number and circle it, the actual measurement must be reported.

8.4.1 All out of tolerance measurements defined by Bon-Ton as critical

are recorded in the 2.5 AQL as a major defect. The balance of measurements taken during the inspection that are found to be

out of tolerance will be defined as non-critical and recorded in the

4.0 AQL as a minor defect.

8.4.2 Vendor must provide Bon Ton approved tolerances and identify any measurements that are classified as critical on the

specification. The Bureau Veritas inspector will be required to pay particular attention to that concern and provide specific comment on the report describing the findings regarding that concern.

8.4.3 If critical measurements are not identified on the clients

specification, Bureau Veritas will follow the critical measurements outlined in Appendix C of this manual in addition to any published dimensions on the production or packaging (i.e. Home)




9 DEFECT LABELING

9.1 All defects on a garment must be tagged. If there is more than one defect

on a single garment, this is considered a multiple defect and should be listed as a multiple defect on the report. The garment is only counted as

defective once.

9.2 Inspector must be consistent when using terms to describe defects.

9.3 Defects must be marked with colored tape.

9.4 Each defective garment must have an orange, self-adhesive sticker attached with defect(s) circled on the tag. The sticker must be on the

garment, not on a plastic bag. The garment information only has to be completed on the garments sent to the Bon-Ton. The garments remaining at factory only need the report tracking number and date, in addition to

the defects circled on the orange tag. The defects marked with colored tape and major or minor circled on the garments (this can be

accomplished by attaching a defect sticker to every defective garment as it

is inspected, circling the defect and circle “major” or “minor” on the

sticker). All samples of defects of Failed Inspections should be sealed by inspector and kept at the factory for one (1) year or as released by Bon Ton. No sealed boxes should be compromised.

9.5 Defect Identification – The inspector must make certain that all

information on the defect sticker or card sent with a defect sample is labeled identically to the information on the report.

10 REPORTING

10.1 Upon completion of the inspection, the report and inspection findings must

be reviewed with an authorized factory representative. Every defect must be shown to the factory representative

10.1.1 Following the review of the report and inspection findings, the factory representative will be asked to sign the inspector’s draft

copy of the report. If the representative refuses to sign, print the

person’s name on the report and state that he/she refused to sign.

10.2 The inspector shall fax the report to the inspection coordinator at their

ULVS regional coordination center.

10.2.1 The Bureau Veritas regional inspection coordinator shall review

the report for accuracy and correct content and then forward it to the appropriate U.S. project/program coordinator within one

business day after the inspection is completed.

10.2.2 The U.S. project/program coordinator will forward the report to

the Bon-Ton.




11 DEFECT CLASSIFICATION

11.1 Major and minor garment and fabric defects are listed and classified in Appendix D. The Bon-Ton must advise Bureau Veritas of any additions

or modifications to Appendix D.

11.2 Inspections conducted on children’s garments must take into account safety concerns. Therefore, any pieces including buttons, snaps or other

attachments that are loose or not securely attached and can fit into the CPSC small part cylinder will be considered critical defects. NOTE: This does not ensure compliance to federal regulations.

12 RE-INSPECTIONS

12.1 Re-inspections are to be scheduled and conducted only when the shipment

has been 100% sorted and reworked and 100% packed and sealed for shipment. A complete inventory list of carton numbers shall be provided in advance of the re-inspection.

12.2 No re-inspection may be scheduled on the same day as the first inspection

unless specifically requested by the Bon-Ton. The factory or vendor cannot

request a re-inspection.

12.2.1 Only if a program is vendor driven may a re-inspection be

scheduled at the request of the vendor.

13 CANCELLED OR TERMINATED INSPECTIONS

13.1 The Bureau Veritas Regional Coordination Center must be notified a

minimum of one business day to the scheduled inspection to cancel or

postpone an appointment. Additional advance notice may be necessary if the inspector is required to travel to the inspection location.

13.2 If timely advance written cancellation notice is not received by the Bureau

Veritas Regional Coordination Center responsible for the inspection, the Bon- Ton or other responsible party will be billed for one full man-day and

all travel and out of pocket expenses incurred. If timely notice is provided

to Bureau Veritas, there will not be a charge

13.3 If an inspection is started and, at the request of a factory representative or agent, the inspection is stopped prior to completion, this shall be considered a terminated inspection.

13.3.1 The inspector shall record all inspection findings observed up to

the point of termination.

13.3.2 The inspector shall obtain from the factory representative or agent,

the reason why the inspection was stopped and record this in the comments section of the inspection report. Comments must also

include the total number of samples inspected at the time the

inspection was aborted. The name of the person who stopped the




inspection shall be reported and the factory representative shall

sign the hand written report.

13.3.3 Bon-Ton or other responsible party will be billed accordingly for one full man-day and all travel and out of pocket expenses incurred.

14 TESTING

14.1 If applicable, upon receipt of a testing request form from Bon-Ton, the

Bureau Veritas Regional Coordinator will determine the required number of samples needed, per size, color, and style. The Bureau Veritas Regional

Coordinator will obtain this information from the appropriate Bureau Veritas laboratory that will conduct the testing. The Bureau Veritas Regional

Coordinator will instruct the inspector to randomly select the required

samples and arrange for the samples to be shipped to the appropriate Bureau Veritas laboratory. The Bureau Veritas Regional Coordinator will

forward the appropriate BUREAU VERITAS testing request form to the Bureau Veritas laboratory that will perform the testing. Note: Bureau

Veritas will name and assign a technical services representative who will

review the testing reports.

15 INVOICING

15.1 Bureau Veritas will invoice the vendor for each in-line and each final inspection at the agreed to man-day rate plus appropriate out of pocket expenses, such as transportation, communication, shipping, hotel and meals when overnight stays are required; and other specifically identified expenses required to conduct, document,

and complete the inspection and report.

15.2 Re-inspections will be conducted upon receipt of confirmation from Bon-Ton and

will, likewise, be invoiced to the vendor at the agreed to man-day rate plus out of pocket expenses.




APPENDIX A Click below link

Inspection Booking Form.doc

APPENDIX B

Inspection%20Booking%20Form.doc


The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. GARMENT INSPECTION

PROCEDURES


APPENDIX C

CRITICAL MEASUREMENTS (Major Defects)

Tops

Neck Stretched: A minimum neck stretch measurement must be provided by the

Bon-Ton for garments that require pulling over the head.

Neck Width Collar band – button to button hole Across Shoulder Chest / Bust from 1” below armhole (unless otherwise specified) Sweep Body Length from HPS (unless otherwise specified) Sleeve Length Sleeve Opening Arm Hole/ Arm Hole Depth

Bottoms

Waist Relaxed Waist Extended (if elastic waist) Hips or seat from 8” down from waist (unless otherwise specified) Thigh from 1” down from crotch (unless otherwise specified) Front Rise Back Rise Leg Opening ( also for swim Liner)

Inseams: Check for difference in length when the inseam is closed by snaps or buttons. If top and bottom of snaps are not perfectly aligned, some unevenness in length from front inseam panels to the back. The tolerance must be provided by the Bon-Ton.

Dresses

Neck Stretched: A minimum neck stretch measurement must be provided by the

Bon-Ton for garments that require pulling over the head

Neck Width Across Shoulder Chest/Bust from 1” below armhole (unless otherwise specified) Sweep Body Length from HPS Hip 8” down from waist (unless otherwise specified) Sleeve Length Arm Hole/ Arm Hole Depth

Skirts

Waist Relaxed Waist Extended (if elastic waist) Hips or seat from 8” down from waist (unless otherwise specified) Length from waist Sweep

Any other measurement will be considered Minor defect.




APPENDIX D

CLASSIFICATION OF DEFECTS

Defect Definitions Defects are classified into three main

categories: - (1) Critical Defects

(2) Major Defects

(3) Minor Defects The classified defects can then be divided into three sub-categories: - (a) Material Defects

(b) Production Defects

(c) Packaging Defects

For a clearer understanding of how to classify defects, the following definitions are taken from the the ANSIZ.1.4- 2008 Critical Defect “A critical defect is a defect that judgment and experience indicate is likely to result in

hazardous or unsafe conditions for individuals using, maintaining or depending upon the product.”

To simplify, a critical defect usually contravenes legal requirements, particularly safety legislation.

It is important to understand that the detection of just one critical defect will fail the shipment. Major Defect “A major defect is a defect, other than critical, that is likely to result in failure or to reduce materially the usability of the unit of product for its intended purpose.” In simple terms, a

major defect is likely to result in product failure, either initially or within a short period of time.

A major defect will result in the end-user rejecting and returning the product.

Minor Defect

“A minor defect is a defect that is not likely to reduce materially the usability of the unit of product

for its intended purpose.” In other words, a minor defect may cause some end-user dissatisfaction but may not cause the end user to reject and return the product. List of Defects

The lists of defects and their classifications on the following pages are intended as a guide. Sound judgment and experience are important factors in deciding whether the defect renders

the item “Second Quality”.




Defect Classification Lists – Woven Fabric Defects MAJOR MINOR

Burl Mark - A distortion caused by removing a thick slub or waste

yarn with a “burling tool”. The defect appears as an open space in the fabric.

X

End out - A missing warp yarn caused by yarn breaking and loom continuing to run. The defect appears as a thin line.

X

Fly - Small fibers spun into the yarn during spinning.

X

X

Hole - Caused by broken yarns in either warp or weft direction.

X

Jerk-In - An extra piece of filling yarn jerked part way into the fabric by the shuttle. The defect appears at the selvage.

X

X

Knots - Where two ends of yarn have been tied together.

X

X

Reed Mark / - Resulting from a bent reed wire which causes the Open Reed warp ends to be held apart and expose the filling yarn. The defect appears as a fine lined thin place in the warp direction.

X

Slub - A short, thick place in the yarn or an extra piece of yarn woven

into the fabric.

X

X

Soiled Filling - Filling or warp yarns soiled by dirt or grease.

X

Thin Place - An area across the fabric width with less picks or lighter filling than that normal to the rest of the fabric.

X




Defect Classification Lists – Knitted Fabric Defects MAJOR MINOR

Barre - Resulting from uneven yarn, uneven tension or yarns

with differing dye affinities. The defect appears as irregular, horizontal streaks.

X

Birdseye - Unintentional erratic tucking caused by a malfunctioning needle. The defect usually appears as two small distorted stitches side by side.

X

Dropped Stitch - A stitch is not formed because of a malfunctioning needle.

The defect appears as holes or missed stitches.

X

Hole - Caused by a broken needle.

X

Needle Line - Distorted stitches caused by a bent needle. The defect

appears as a vertical line.

X

X

X X

Press-off - Where fabric fails to knit and either falls off the machine or the

design is completely disrupted or destroyed. Bad press-offs

usually start a new roll of fabric.

X

Run - Unformed stitches caused by a broken needle. The defect

appears as a vertical line of unformed stitches. X

Slub - Caused by a thick place in the yarn or by lint getting onto the

yarn feeds.

X

X

X




Defect Classification Lists – FABRIC FINISHING DEFECTS MAJOR MINOR

Bowing - Usually caused by distortion of fabric during finishing. The woven filling yarns, or course rows in knit fabrics, lie in an arc across

the fabric width on stripes, plaids or patterns.

X

Bowing - Usually caused by distortion of fabric during finishing. The woven filling yarns, or course rows in knit fabrics, lie in an arc across the fabric width on solid colors and with an agreed standard

X

Color Out - Caused by color running low in the reservoir on the printing machine. The defect appears as blank patches in the print pattern

X

Color Smear - Caused by the color being smeared during printing. The defect

appears as blurred edges and distortion to pattern.

X X

Crease Mark - Caused by fabric folds during finishing process. The defect appears as a crease line which cannot be pressed out

X

Pin Holes - Caused by pins holding the fabric out to width during finishing process. The defect appears as holes along the selvage in the finished product

X

Pin Holes - Caused by pins holding the fabric out to width during finishing

process. If the pin holes are not visible in the finished product.

X

Print out of Register - Caused by print rollers being out of synchronization.

The defect appears as pattern distortion. X X

Scrimp - Caused by fabric being folded or creased during printing.

The defect appears as areas which are not printed.

X

X

Print out of Register - Caused by print rollers being out of synchronization. The defect appears as pattern distortion.

X X

Scrimp - Caused by fabric being folded or creased during printing. The defect appears as areas which are not printed.

X

Water Spots - Caused by fabric being left too long before drying. The defect appears as blotches or spots of different colors

X




Defect Classification Lists – Production Defects MAJOR MINOR

Cutting Defects Grain Line - a) Component parts cut off-grain or on wrong grain.

X

b) Component parts cut on inverted or opposite grain on pile, nap,

one way design fabrics. c) Any component not cut according to specified stripe or pattern matching requirements.

X

X

Size - Component parts not cut to correct pattern size.

depending on degree of variance from pattern and on tolerance allowed.

X

Drill Holes - Drill holes, used to locate position of pockets, end of dart etc. which will not close or are exposed after setting pocket etc.

X

Notches - Notches cut too deep to be contained within the seam allowance and are exposed as a hole after seaming.

X

Fusing Defects

De-Lamination - Also bubbling, both caused by incorrect fusing cycle, temperature or use of incompatible fusible. Must also ensure de-lamination does not occur after following care instructions.

X

Strike Through/ Strike Back Caused by use of either incompatible fusible or incorrect fusing cycle.

X

Fabric Discoloration- Caused by incorrect fusing.

X

Construction Defects

Fabric - Substitution of fabric other than specified.

X

Components - Substitution or omission of any component part.

X

Color Deviation - Substitution or poor match of color or pattern

compared to approved swatches and lab dips.

X

X

Shading - Mis-matching of panels and components or garments

within a set.

X

Soiling - a) Any conspicuous oil mark, spots, stains or soiling. b) Any rings or marks left after removing spots, stains or oil.

c) Any visible ink, pencil or chalk mark.

X

X X

Style - Substitution of style or features other than specified.

X



PROCEDURES


Defect Classification Lists – Seam and Stitch Defects MAJOR MINOR

Seam and Stitch Defects

Seam Type - Substitution of seam-type not previously approved. X

Stitch Type - Substitution of stitch-type not previously approved. X

Stitch Tension - Loose stitch tension or poorly balanced stitch resulting in seam grin

X

Tight stitch tension - Resulting in seam pucker. X

SPI - Stitches per inch more or less than specified stitches +/- 2

stitches per inch. X

SPI - Stitches per inch more or less than specified stitches +/- 1

stitch per inch. X

Thread Type / Size - Use of monofilament thread or non-specified thread type

X

Thread Color a) Use of non-specified thread color or mis-matched thread color.

X

b) Looper or bobbin thread color not matching top stitching color

UNLESS SPECIFIED. X

Sewing Defects

Broken Stitch a) Unacceptable in a functional or decorative seam.

X

b) A single broken stitch in a non-functional seam. (e.g. merrowed

edge on an open-pressed seam) X



PROCEDURES


Sewing Defects MAJOR MINOR

Skip Stitch

a) A single skipped stitch in a stitch type which will unravel (usually a

chain stitch).

X

b) A single skipped stitch in a lockstitch seam PROVIDING THE THREAD IS NOT BROKEN.

X

Seam Repair a) Conspicuous or poor seam repairs affecting

appearance or serviceability. X

b) Seam repair not sewn stitch on stitch with stitches at each end overlapping by a minimum 3 stitches in 10 SPI count and without

back stitches at each end.

X

Open Seam - Caused when the sewing operator does not catch all plies of fabric into the seam.

X

Burst Seam - Caused by either broken stitches or poor joining within the seam

X

Cracked Seam / Cracked Stitches - Any seam or line of sewing

which does not fully extend with the fabric without cracking / popping stitches.

X

Back Stitching - a) Thread break or ends of stitching not securely back stitched

(except when caught into other seams).

X

b) Over stitch or back stitch not sewn stitch on stitch and out by

more than 1/16”. X

Run-Off on edge stitching or top stitching. X

Conspicuous Stitching; stitching over-runs X

Over-Run - garment which is not intended over 2 stitches X

Over-Run - garment which is not intended up to 2 stitches X

Top Stitching - Top stitching not straight or not parallel. X X

Raw Edges - Unfinished hems or seams with raw edges which will

fray. Felled seams where fabric is not folded into seam and caught into stitching.

X

Seam Pucker - Any seam distorted by twisting, roping, pleating, puckering or stretching which affects the appearance.

X



PROCEDURES



Uneven Seam - Seam lengths uneven in excess of ¼. X

Unrelated Seam - Any part of garment caught into an unrelated seam or operation.

X

Waste - Any waste sewn into the outside of the garment or visible

when the garment is worn. X

Stay Stitching - Any stay stitching not completely concealed or

removed e.g. at sleeve cap. X

Needle Damage - Any needle chews or holes which could develop

into fabric damage. X

Collar

Points - a) Variation in collar points. over 1/8” difference. X

Fabric - b) Incorrect distribution of fabric between top and under collar causing under collar to roll out; or excess fullness on top collar.

X

Balance - c) Balance of collar out, collar looks twisted / distorted when fastened

X

Darts Size - a) Not identical in size, length or angle. Over 1/8” difference

X

Stitching - b) Stitching line crooked and not tapered correctly causing end of dart to nipple / dimple.

X

Drill Holes - c) Drill holes exposed after stitching. X

Pockets

Reinforcement - a) Corners not reinforced by either back stitching or bar tacks.

X

Size / Shape - b) Paired pockets not uniform in size and shape Over

1/4” difference. X



PROCEDURES



Location - c) Misaligned, hi / lo pocket placement. Over 1/4” difference.

Under 1/4" difference

X

X

Drill Holes - d) Drill holes not covered by pocket placement. X

Size/ Shape- Paired pockets not uniform in size and shape. More

than 1/4" difference X

Pocket Flaps

Size / Shape - a) Paired pocket flaps not uniform in size and shape; *over 1/4” difference

*less than 1/4" difference

X

X

Opening - b) Pocket and opening not fully covered by pocket flap. X

Alignment - c) Misaligned / Crooked pocket flap placement;

*more than 1/8" out of line

*less than 1/8" out of line

X

X

Location - d) Conspicuously not centered over pocket. X

Fabric - e) Incorrect distribution of fabric between top and under flap

causing under flap to roll out; excess fullness on top flap. X

Facings

Roll Out - a) Facings too full and rolling out or bubbling. X X

Tight - b) Facings too small and pulling or causing hiking. X X



PROCEDURES



Plackets

Top Edges - a) Top placket lower than bottom placket at neckline /

top edge. *more than 1/4"

*less than 1/4"

X

X

Bottom Edges - b) Bottom placket longer than top placket at

hemline/lower edge. *more than 1/4"

*less than 1/4"

X

X

Alignment - c) Top and bottom placket misaligned at front edge. * more than 1/8”

*less than 1/8"

X

X

Location - d) Front placket off-center in excess of 1/4”. X

Sleeves

Setting - a) Set into wrong / opposite armholes. X

Balance - b) Incorrect setting into armhole causing sleeve to be out

of balance and pitched too far forward / backward. Sleeve pitch is essential in the fitting of jackets

X

Length - c) Sleeve lengths varying by more than 3/8”. X

Alignment - d) Misalignment of sleeve / underarm seam (cross-over /

tie-in) in excess of 3/8”. X



PROCEDURES



Sleeve Cuff - Plain Hem

Size - a) Left and right cuff widths must measure the same.

*Over 1/8" difference


X

X

Size - b) Cuffs not uniform in size and shape.

*Over 1/8" difference


X

X

Fabric - c) Incorrect distribution of fabric between top and under-cuff causing under cuff to roll out, excess fullness in top cuff.

X

Attachment - d) Seam closure causing ‘step’ at cuff in excess of 1/8”. X

Waistband

Alignment - a) Misalignment of waistband over and underlap at fastening.

*more than 1/8"

*less than 1/8"

X

X

Width - b) Uneven width

*more than 1/8"

*less than 1/8"

X

X

Belt Loops

Location - a) Missing or misplaced. X

Angle - b) Slanted / Set at an angle crooked.

*more than ¼

*less than 1/4"

X

X



PROCEDURES



Attachment - c) Not securely attached. X

Width - d) Width not as specified. *more than 1/8"

*less than 1/8"

X

X

Length - e) Length / Opening not as specified.

*more than 1/4”

*less than 1/4"

X

X

Seam - f) Open seam in belt loop construction. X

Trimming - g) Turnings of loop not fully trimmed. X

Pants

Alignment - a) Misalignment of crotch seams in excess of 1/4”. X

Size - b) Left and right leg hem widths must measure the same.

Plain Hemmed Legs:

*over 1/4" difference


X

X

Ribbed Cuffs:

*over 1/8" difference


X

X

Length - c) Leg lengths varying more than 3/8”. X

Seams - d) Twisted legs in excess of 1/2” outseam off from inseam. X



PROCEDURES



Hemming

Width - a) Uneven hem width in excess of 25%. X

Roping - b) Excessively roping / twisted or puckered hem. X

Skip - c) Any non-raveling skip on a blind stitch in excess of 1/2” X

Pick-Up - d) Blind stitch needle pick-up visible on face side. X X

Hemline - e) Uneven hemline. X X

Repairs

Repair / - Any repair / replacement not completely cleaned of all replacement threads or properly sewn.

X

Fastening / Trim Defects

Button or Buttonhole

a) Button style / size / quality not as approved. b) Broken / Defective button.

c) Missing / Extra button / button hole d) Button not securely sewn.

e) Buttonhole stitches cut or unraveling.

f) Buttonhole stitch bite too narrow, causing buttonhole to separate from fabric.

X X

X X

X

X

g) Incomplete buttonhole either uncut or stitches not complete.

h) Buttonhole too big / too small for button.

i)Button / Buttonhole alignment misplaced causing noticeable bulge. j) Button / Buttonhole alignment misplaced causing uneven closure at

top/neckline or bottom / hemline.

X X

X

X



PROCEDURES



k) Garment fastening the wrong way. l) Buttonhole not cut cleanly leaving ragged edges, long fabric

threads and fabric thread loops.

m) Fabric snags and damage caused by blunt knife / needle in buttonhole machine

n) Button / Buttonhole off center in excess of 1/8” o) Buttonhole gimp missing when specified.

X

X

X X

X

Zipper - a) Color, length, size or quality not as approved.

b) Zipper tape exposed when fly is closed.

c) Fly fastening the wrong way. d) Right and left zipper tape not properly aligned resulting in hi / low

fastening or distorted appearance. e) Zipper tape stitched too loose or too tight causing noticeable bulge

when closed

X X

X

X

X

f) Missing / Insecure top or bottom stop.

g) Faulty slider or teeth / coil.

h) Impaired zipper operation through any part of its length.

X X

X

Snap Fasteners / Popper Fasteners / Stud Fasteners a) Style / Size / Quality not as approved.

b) Broken / Defective / Will not stay closed securely.

c) Components misplaced / incorrectly aligned causing noticeable bulge,

twist, distortion or pucker.

X

X

X

d) Missing / Extra fastening.

e) Components applied with incorrect pressure, gripping fabric too loose /tight causing fabric damage / detach from garment.

X X

Hook + Eye - a) Not securely attached, missing. X

b) Components misplaced / incorrectly aligned causing noticeable

bulge, twist, distortion or pucker. X



PROCEDURES



All Metal Fastenings. - Any corrosion, oxidization (rust), broken,

rough or sharp edges. X

Belts - a) Wrong size.

X

b) Incorrect components / components not as specified. X

Ornamental (e.g. Frog, Bow, Loop etc.)

Fastenings -

a) Color, size, style, quality not as specified / approved. X

b) Missing or not securely attached. X

c) Components misplaced, incorrectly aligned, conspicuously not

uniform in position. X

Drawcord - a) Style, size, color, quality not as specified or approved.

X

b) Not attached properly or not inserted correctly. X

c) Incorrect finished length. X

d) Ends of drawcord not treated / finished correctly to prevent pulling

back into tunnel. X

e) Eyelet missing, misplaced, poorly finished. X

f) Drawcord applied so that it will not run / pull freely. X

Pressing - a) Burn / scorch, shine / glaze.

X

b) Pressing omitted or poorly pressed. Garment distorted by improper

pressing. X

c) Seams not pressed open, not fully pressed. X

d) Lapels, collars, cuffs, hems not pressed. X

e) Pants pressed offseam from crotch to hem. if more than ½” X

f) Pants pressed off seam from crotch to hem. if less than 1/2”. X

g) Pressed-in creases when not required. X

h) Permanent crease line not extending full length. X



PROCEDURES



Measurement Defects

Measurements - Any critical measurement not within specified

tolerance. X

Measurements – Any non-critical measurement not within specified

tolerance

X

Miscellaneous Defects

Embroidery / Appliqué - a) Incomplete embroidery, insecurely attached appliqué.

X

b) Mis-alignment, incorrect placement. X X

Pocket Lining / Pocket Bag - a) Caught into unrelated garment part.

b) Lining showing on outside of garment. X

X

Show-through - Shadow show-through of component. X X

Odor / Smell - Any objectionable or offensive odor or smell. X

Mildew - Any mildew. X

Others - Any other obvious defect which will affect the appearance or use of the product.

X



PROCEDURES


Defect Classification Lists – Packaging CRITICAL MAJOR MINOR

Size -

a) Size marked on the package differs from the size marked on the item.

X

b) Sizes vary within a set. e.g. Top labeled ‘size 12’

packed with a skirt labeled ‘size 14’. X

Folding - Merchandise folded / packed incorrectly / not as specified, resulting in poor appearance.

X

G.O.H. - Merchandise packed incorrectly / not as

specified. X

Quantity - Quantity / Color / Size per box not as specified.

X

Carton Labeling - Box Label / Marking differs from

contents. X

Packaging - a) Packaging materials and dimensions not as specified.

X

b) Damaged carton / box. X

Labeling Defects

Country of Origin - a) Missing, incorrect or illegible.

X

b) Not caught completely or not sewn securely. X

c) Placement not as specified. X

Fiber - Composition -

a) Missing, incorrect or illegible. X



Warning Label - (e.g. Fire Warning, tracking label for kids etc.)






PROCEDURES


Defect Classification Lists – Packaging CRITICAL MAJOR MINOR

Brand Label -



c) Sewn upside-down. X

d) Attached crookedly. if more than 1/4”. X

Attached crookedly if less than 1/4”. X

e) Attached off-center. if more than 1/4”. X

Attached off-center. if less than 1/4”. X

f) Placement not as specified. X

Size Label - Missing, incorrect, illegible. X

Care Label -

a) Missing, incorrect, illegible. X

b) Not caught completely or not sewn securely. Care

label must remain legible for the life of the garment X

Mismatched hangtag and garment labels X

Trimming and Pressing Defects

a) Attached threads on outside if longer than ¼ X

b) Attached threads on outside if shorter than ¼ X X

c) Attached threads on inside if longer than ½ X

d) Attached threads on inside if shorter than ½ X

e) Loose threads on outside or inside (judged based on

excessive or not) X X

Note: Includes button / buttonhole threads. X X

Pressing Defects judged on garment location, severity, and set production standard

Plymark Tickets - Plymark tickets in a conspicuous

location. X




Inspector will be provided Confirmation Sample of each style at the factory for use during inspection

Defect Classification Lists – Footwear CRITICAL MAJOR MINOR

Material Defects

a) Noticeable non-Confirming color (pre-finish) X X

b) Holes X

c) Material Defect-other X X

d) Substitute Material (uppers, linings, outsoles) X

e) Material Yellowing X

f) Air hole or Bubbles in material or outsole X X

Cleanliness

a) Dirt X

b) Stain Mark X

c) Glue Marks X

d) Mold X

Appearance

a) Wrinkling X

b) Lasting Crooked X

c) Damaged Upper/Lining X X

d) High/Low heel counter/boot shaft X

e) Color Bleeding - components and/or accessories X

f) Excessive toe spring or not enough toe spring X

g) Sockliner not properly inserted into shoe X

h) Sockliner incorrect size for shoe X

i) Sockliner missing X

j) Poor adhesive - separation of sockliner layers X

k) Uneven sprayed/inked edge X

l) Nap/Fabric direction mismatched within a pair X

m) Frayed edge X

n) Rocking sole X

o) Different length on upper X

p) Loose or uneven welting on sole edge X

q) Start/Stop point of sole edge welting not at inside quarter

r) Toe/Counter Chemical Sheet too soft/hard

X

X

s) Uneven top line X

t) Holes not punched properly X

u) Different width of tape/strap folding X

v) Consistence color between a pairs outsoles and uppers

X





w) Poor Trimming of rubber X

x) Untrimmed Threads X

y) Blooming outsole X

Stitching Defects

a) Broken stitches X

b) Skipped stitches X

c) Run-off stitching X

d) Uneven stitching X

e) Wavy stitches X

f) Insecure back stitching X g) Loose/poor stitch tension X

h) Missing stitches X

i) Unmatched join seam X

j) Excessive start/stop stitches X

k)Lining sponge (foam backing) drop because of poor placement

X

Seaming Defects

a) Open seam X

b) Puckered seam X

c) Pleated seam X

d) Twisted seam X

e) Misaligned seam X

f) Misplaced backtrack X

Accessories and Trimmings

a) Scratches X

b) Poor Plating X

c) Sharp points/edges X

d) Rust/corrosion X

e) Wrong type/finish X

f) Color discharge on accessories X

g) Zipper defect/malfunction X

h) Loose/missing beads, sequins, faux stones, ornaments, studs

X

i) Detached/Deformed ornament X

j) Press snaps difficult or too loose to fasten X

k) Poor sewing of decorative trim X





l) Lasting tape on gore not removed, preventing

function of elastic X

m) Elastic without sufficient memory X

n) Color bleeding on back of rubber X

Workmanship

a) Folds in lining X

b) Sole and upper of different sizes X

c) Poorly assembled sole X

d) Deformed shape sole X

e) Strap too short X

f) Protruding nails or pin X

g) Loose foxing X

h) Poor adhesive between upper and outsole X

i) Toe thong length different within a pair X




Bon-Ton Stores Vendor Confirmation

We acknowledge receipt of the Bon-Ton Stores Quality Inspections – Requirement &

Procedures.

We have read and understand the importance of the policies and procedures set forth

in the above document and agree to comply with them.

Company Name (Type or Print)

Company Officer’s Signature

(Type or Print Name Signed Above)

Title

Date

Please be sure to complete and sign this form and return to the below contact.

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.

310 West Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203

Attn: M i c h a e l D i C o c c o

Director, Quality Assurance

Tel: (414) 212-6793

Email: [email protected]
