Specifications and the Decisions Behind Them

In daily production work, specifications play a central role.
They are the shared reference point between designers, buyers, and factories, and they often contain very detailed information—labels, compliance notes, testing requirements, packaging instructions, and various documentation rules.

From the outside, a well-prepared specification can look complete and precise.
However, once production begins, it is not unusual to find that some of the most important points on the production floor are not clearly written in those documents.

Details such as fabric grain direction, stitch density, seam allowance decisions, or small construction choices are sometimes left open.
They may be assumed, implied, or simply not considered at the early design stage, especially when timelines are tight or development is handled remotely.

This does not mean those details are unimportant.
In reality, they often have a direct impact on quality, efficiency, and consistency during production.

What it does mean is that someone still has to make those decisions before sewing actually starts.

In practice, this responsibility frequently falls on the people preparing or reviewing the specifications on the factory side.
They are required to interpret what is written, identify what is missing, and decide how to fill in those gaps in a way that remains faithful to the intended product.

This process is rarely about adding extra rules or overcomplicating the design.
More often, it is about reducing uncertainty on the production floor.

When missing points are clearly defined in advance, communication becomes simpler.
Operators spend less time stopping to ask questions, fewer corrections are needed after samples are made, and the overall workflow tends to move more smoothly.

From this perspective, a good specification is not only a document that lists requirements.
It is also a practical tool that translates design intent into actions that can be repeated consistently at scale.

This is something we are constantly reminded of through daily work.
Long before a specification is finalized, many of the most important decisions have already been made—sometimes consciously, sometimes without much discussion.

How clearly those decisions are captured often determines how smoothly a product is actually made.