What is a PP Meeting
A Pre-Production Meeting is a short meeting held before a new style goes into mass production. It brings together IE, production, quality, maintenance, merchandising, and sometimes the buyer. The goal is to identify risks and align on the plan.
Why It Matters
Many problems on a new style can be prevented with a 30-minute meeting. Without a PP meeting, the line learns by trial and error, which wastes 3 to 5 days of ramp-up.
What is Discussed
SMV and operation breakdown. Critical operations. Machine requirements. Skill requirements. Quality standards. Potential risks. Sample approved. Fabric availability. Timeline.
Practical Example 1 — Basic Style
New T-shirt with 20 operations. PP meeting identifies that the side seam operation is critical. Skill matrix shows only 2 operators are expert. Plan: train 2 more before production starts.
Practical Example 2 — Complex Style
New jacket with 45 operations. PP meeting reveals 3 new machines needed. Maintenance orders them 2 weeks ahead. Line is ready on day 1.
Practical Example 3 — Fabric Issue
PP meeting reveals that navy fabric will be 5 days late. Production plans to start with white first. Buyer is informed.
Practical Example 4 — Quality Risk
PP meeting reveals that this fabric is prone to puckering. Quality team prepares a checklist and trains inline QC in advance.
Who Attends
Line supervisor. Line IE. Quality head. Maintenance head. Merchandiser. Production manager. Sometimes the buyer's QA.
How to Run It
Schedule 1 to 2 days before line start. Use a standard agenda. Show the sample. Review SMV and critical operations. Discuss risks. Document actions with owners and dates. Follow up in the next daily meeting.
Common Mistakes
Skipping the PP meeting. Too short or too long. No sample available. No actions documented. No follow-up.
When to Use It
PP meeting is held before every new style, no exceptions.