Case Study: Custom Zipper Guard for a Military Supply Contractor in Kenya
Source:Fresh Sunflower Bunches /
Time:2026-09-18
Zipper Guard for a Military Supply Contractor in Kenya
A Military Supply Contractor approached us with a zipper guard requirement for the Kenya 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
- Lead time quoted without the plating or dyeing sub-process
- Reorders that quietly changed supplier and changed the hand feel
- A spec that lived in an email instead of a tech pack
What we specified
| Item | Zipper Guard |
|---|---|
| Client type | A Military Supply Contractor |
| Market | Kenya |
| Order volume | 100,000 pieces across 4 specifications |
| Base material | Nylon |
| Standard size | 9 mm Width |
| Finish | Powder Coating |
| Sampling rounds | 4 |
| Delivery window | 10 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | Sedex SMETA |
How it was resolved
- We rebuilt the specification around Nylon and locked the tolerance before bulk.
- The finish was moved to UV Printing after strike-off tests showed better durability.
- A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
- Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
- Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.
Result
- 100,000 pieces delivered inside the 10-week window.
- Unit cost held within 1.5% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 0.5%.
- 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.
