Case Study: Custom Merino Wool Fabric for a Medical Textile Buyer in South Africa

Merino Wool Fabric for a Medical Textile Buyer in South Africa

A Medical Textile Buyer approached us with a merino wool fabric requirement for the South Africa market. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive freight and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.

The challenge

• MOQ that was quoted per colourway rather than per style
• Cartons packed to the factory ratio instead of the buyer's size ratio
• Lead time quoted without the plating or dyeing sub-process

What we specified

How it was resolved

1. We rebuilt the specification around Brass and locked the tolerance before bulk.
2. The finish was moved to Nickel-Free Electroplating after strike-off tests showed better durability.
3. A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
4. Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
5. Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.

Result

• 50,000 pieces delivered inside the 4-week window.
• Unit cost held within 2.0% of the original quotation.
• Inspection-related rejection stayed under 1.0%.
• The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.

What we would repeat

Fix the specification count early. Adding variants after production starts is the most expensive change a client can request.

Planning something similar?

Share the programme details and we will propose two alternatives — one optimised for unit cost, one for lead time — and let you choose.