Case Study: Custom Tencel Lyocell Fabric for a Military Supply Contractor in South Africa

Tencel Lyocell Fabric for a Military Supply Contractor in South Africa

A Military Supply Contractor approached us with a tencel lyocell 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

• A trim that passed sampling but failed in-line because it was never cycle tested
• MOQ that was quoted per colourway rather than per style
• A zipper puller that broke under pull test at the warehouse

What we specified

How it was resolved

1. We rebuilt the specification around Recycled PET and locked the tolerance before bulk.
2. The finish was moved to Sandblasted Finish 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

• 2,000 pieces delivered inside the 6-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?

If you are comparing suppliers, send us the spec they quoted against. We will quote the same spec and show you where the difference sits.