Pre-Production Meeting (PPM) Minutes Template
The pre-production meeting decides whether an order is ready to be cut. These minutes capture the approvals, material status, risks and owners so that the sewing floor starts with the same facts as the merchandiser and the buyer.
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Pre-Production Meeting (PPM) Minutes Template
Pre-Production Meeting Minutes
Factory: Sunrise Apparel Pvt Ltd Buyer: Northline Outdoor PO: NL-PO-88231 Style: NL-JKT-2217 Men's quilted shell jacket Quantity: 18,000 pcs in 4 colours Ship date: 2027-02-12 Meeting date: 2026-10-20
Attendees
Merchandiser, production manager, cutting manager, sewing line supervisors, quality manager, planning, buyer QA representative
Approval Status
Fit sample approved Rev 02. Pre-production sample approved with comments. Lab dips approved for 3 of 4 colours. Trim cards signed.
Readiness Check
| Item | Status | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric in house and inspected | |||
| Trims and labels in house | |||
| Pattern and marker approved | |||
| Line layout and operator skills | |||
| Special machines available | |||
| Packing material and cartons | |||
| Test reports submitted |
Risks and Open Issues
Wadding delivery 5 days late. Colour 4 lab dip pending. Taping machine capacity limited to two lines.
Action List
| No. | Action | Owner | Due date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 |
Release Decision
Buyer requirements for this meeting differ. Use this as a starting point and add any buyer-specific checkpoints. Minutes should be issued within one working day of the meeting.
Want readiness status pulled from your ERP?
We can review how material and capacity status could feed your pre-production checks.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the minutes
Fill in the order header and attendees before the meeting, then update approvals and risks while you talk. During the meeting, complete the readiness check and agree owners and dates in the action list. The release decision is the last step: the production manager and quality manager sign only when blocking items are closed or have a dated plan. Send the exported PDF to everyone the same day.
- Hold the meeting before cutting starts
- Bring approved samples to the table
- Name one owner per action
- Date every action
- Do not release with an unplanned blocker
What the meeting should settle
A good meeting covers sample and fit approvals, fabric and trim availability, pattern and marker plans, line allocation, quality plan with critical points, testing and packing. It is also where you agree what happens if the plan slips. Production release without answers on material and approvals is a frequent cause of late shipment, rework, and costly air freight.
Common mistakes and ERP notes
Meetings often end without owners, or approvals are verbal and not recorded. Record the approved sample reference and revision so that it can be traced later. In an ERP, the readiness items map to purchase order receipt status, inspection lot status and capacity plan. If the system shows material not received while the meeting assumes it is, resolve that gap before release.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who must attend a pre-production meeting?
At minimum the merchandiser, production, cutting, sewing, quality, planning and stores or purchasing. Buyer QA often joins for key orders. The aim is to have every function that can block cutting in the room at once.
When should the meeting be held?
After the pre-production sample is approved and the fabric and trims are in house, and before cutting begins. Holding it earlier leaves too many unknowns, and later means rework is already in the cut parts.
What if the order is not ready?
Record the blockers, owners and due dates, and set a follow-up date. Release in stages if the buyer agrees, for example cutting only the colours with approved lab dips, rather than releasing the whole order.
How long should minutes be kept?
Keep them with the order records for at least as long as your buyer agreement or audit scheme requires. They are useful evidence of what was approved, by whom, and when.
If production release depends on spreadsheets and chasing, we can review how readiness status could be pulled from your ERP before each meeting.
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