How to Source Apparel from Bangladesh Without Losing Control
A control-focused guide covering supplier selection, sampling, production oversight, compliance scope, and shipment readiness for RMG.
Content
This guide explains how buyers can maintain execution control when sourcing ready-made garments (RMG) from Bangladesh—without relying on assumptions, informal assurances, or constant on-site presence.
Purpose of this guide
To help procurement and sourcing teams design a sourcing approach that preserves control across supplier selection, sampling, production, compliance scope, and shipment readiness—especially under time, volume, or margin pressure.
Why control is lost in apparel sourcing
Loss of control rarely happens suddenly. It usually develops through a sequence of small, unexamined assumptions—often triggered by volume increases, compressed timelines, or undefined compliance expectations.
Control starts before supplier selection
- Assess supplier capability against this specific order—not reputation
- Understand capacity allocation under peak load
- Clarify subcontracting practices and triggers
- Identify who controls production decisions on the floor
The limits of samples in RMG
Samples confirm design intent and workmanship, but they do not reliably validate line behaviour, quality consistency across shifts, or subcontracting behaviour under pressure.
Key limitation
Samples confirm intent. They do not confirm execution under bulk conditions.
Using pilot orders to regain visibility
Pilot orders allow buyers to observe real execution before full exposure—how production is allocated, where timelines strain, and how quality and documentation behave under pressure.
Defining compliance scope explicitly
- Which standards apply to this order
- What evidence is required
- What is verified vs assumed
- What is explicitly out of scope
Production-phase control points
- Production start confirmation
- Line allocation visibility
- Early inline quality observation
- Subcontracting transparency
- Pre-shipment readiness review
Shipment readiness is part of control
Shipment delays and documentation errors are execution failures—not logistics accidents. Control includes verifying completion status, packing alignment, and documentation consistency before dispatch.
Key principle
In RMG sourcing, control is achieved through defined scope, early visibility, and documented checkpoints—not trust alone.
Document control
Where this guide refers to verification, it should be read as verified per engagement: scoped, time-bound, and documented for a specific order, pilot, or oversight request—not as a standing supplier status.
Need a scoped version for a live order?
This resource is still being prepared. If you need a version of this structure applied to an active or planned order, we can scope it per engagement.