How to Make WIP Report in Garment Production 2026?

Smart WIP Reporting for Garment Production in 2026—A Complete Guide

Recently, developed a WIP (Work-in-Progress) report for a garment factory producing high-fashion dresses for the international market. Producing such garments requires significant manpower, especially in the hand-repair process. Within the repair section, there are multiple sub-processes, including:

• Hand repair

• Checking of repaired pieces

• Alteration of hand-repaired pieces

• Checking of altered hand-repaired pieces

In this production environment, the factory needed process-wise and sub-process-wise WIP data to efficiently manage daily production and to keep the cost per garment under control. This report helps monitor work at each stage, identify bottlenecks, and ensure smoother workflow while maintaining profitability.

In many factories, manual records are maintained for each piece—tracking who performed the hand repair, when the piece was issued to the repairman, and when it was completed. While this system records individual pieces, it doesn’t provide real-time WIP (Work-in-Progress) data at different processes.

I recently worked on creating a WIP report to replace this manual piece-by-piece recording and had an insightful discussion with the factory manager. During this process, I learned some valuable points that I’ll be sharing here.

I’m curious—how do you prepare production in your factory? Do you have a method for creating a garment production WIP report? I understand that not everyone produces the same type of product, but most of you must have a system for tracking WIP for your items.

The reality is—you cannot ignore WIP reports. Whether you like it or not, you need one. WIP represents the work that needs to be completed, and it’s essentially money lying idle on the factory floor. Proper WIP management ensures smooth production, reduces bottlenecks, and helps maintain profitability.

Production WIP

Production WIP (Work-in-Progress) refers to the volume of work that is currently in process within production. For example, sewing line WIP represents the total number of semi-stitched or unfinished garments present on the line.

This includes garment pieces that have been cut and loaded onto the line but have not yet been completed. These semi-finished garments are distributed across various workstations along the line, waiting to move through the subsequent production stages. Monitoring WIP is crucial for understanding workflow, identifying bottlenecks, and ensuring timely completion of production orders.

In an earlier post, I shared the formula for calculating WIP levels in the cutting, sewing, and finishing sections:

• Cutting WIP = Total cut quantity − Total quantity sent to sewing

• Sewing Line WIP = Total pieces loaded to the line − Total pieces completed

• Finishing Room WIP = Total received from sewing − Total pieces packed

Technically, these calculations are correct. However, the timeline for measurement is not defined. For example, “total pieces loaded to the line”—is that for today, week-to-date, or month-to-date?

If you calculate WIP based on week-to-date loading, the assumption would be that at the start of each week, all garments are completed and the line begins with zero WIP. In reality, clearing out every line completely on a weekly or monthly basis is often not feasible.

So, how should WIP be measured accurately in garment production processes? Read the explanation and formula below for a more practical and realistic approach.

WIP Calculation Formula

The WIP of a sewing line can be calculated using the following formula:

Sewing Line WIP = (Total garments loaded today + Previous day’s WIP balance − Today’s line output)

To calculate WIP on a selected date, you need to record three key pieces of data:

1. Production loading quantity (garments loaded onto the line today)

2. Production output quantity (garments completed today)

3. Previous day’s WIP quantity (closing balance carried forward)

The same principle can be applied to other sections such as cutting and finishing.

Production recorders can maintain the previous day’s WIP in their daybook, which then becomes the opening balance for the current day. This closing balance is carried forward for everyday WIP calculations, ensuring continuity and accuracy.

While physical registers are useful for recording daily production data, they are not sufficient for analysis or management reporting. A WIP report should be generated automatically and made accessible at any moment, enabling better decision-making and real-time monitoring of production processes.

WIP Report

We used the factory’s real-time production tracking system database to generate a WIP report in Excel. Below is an example of such a report:

WIP Report Template

Work In Progress (WIP) Report Template

Factory/Department: ______________________
Report Date: ______________________
Prepared By: ______________________

1. Summary

2. WIP Details by Process

3. WIP Summary by Operator

4. Delayed or Problematic Items

5. Notes / Observations

Instructions for Use:

1. Update regularly: Record pieces as soon as they enter or leave a process.

2. Operator tracking: Always mention who is handling the piece.

3. Status: Use terms like In Progress, Completed, Delayed, On Hold.

4. Remarks: Note any issues, rework, or delays.

In this report, the WIP for both the cutting and sewing sections is included. It also shows the till-date total production quantity, which is optional and can be included based on management requirements.

If your data is stored in an SQL database, you can fetch it and create a customized production WIP report using Pivot Tables or other reporting tools. This allows flexible reporting and real-time monitoring of production processes.

Note: Excess WIP on the shop floor at any stage is undesirable for several reasons, including increased handling, higher inventory costs, and workflow inefficiency. Below, I have explained 7 ways to reduce WIP in bottleneck operations to improve production efficiency and reduce unnecessary costs.