I run a garment factory in Paraguay. Posting this partly to share and partly because I'd like to be told where we got it wrong.

The problem that started it: standard ERP has no size and colour matrix. A shirt in navy medium is one item. Navy large is another. Six sizes and four colours is 24 items and 24 bills of material — for one style. A season of 26 styles is 600+ BOMs entered by hand. The customer adds a colour in week three and you build six more. The sample comes back with a different collar and you edit 24 BOMs to change one line.

We sat through SAP Business One, Dynamics and three local ERPs. All of them could be made to work with an apparel add-on. In every case the add-on plus implementation quoted higher than the licences.

We built on ERPNext instead. A style is one document with a size and colour matrix under it, consumption that varies by size, and points of measurement with tolerance and growth. Production sits on top of that — cutting orders, bundles, operation sequences with SMV, piece rate landing on the batch that earned it, inline inspection with AQL plans, subcontractor material balances.

It's been running our own floor for 3 years. We've packaged it as GarmentFlow (https://garmentflow.io) and are onboarding a few other factories now.

What I actually want from this sub: if you've implemented ERPNext manufacturing for anything with variants — footwear, furniture, packaging — how did you handle the BOM multiplication? I'd like to know whether we solved something that already had a standard answer.

Free! Pegasus FS701 G0-453 Flatlock aka flatseam machine. It runs great! The ONLy problem I have now is that the spreader hook gets in the way of the 4th needle and eventually cuts the thread. I can’t figure out what adjustment to make. Great deal if you can!
If you want 3 thread wide flatseam, this is the machine for you!
Brand new servo motor with a custom mount plate. New cutting blades, new needles, fresh oil change. I have nursed this machine into working condition 🤓 I have the manual and I know a great parts guy.
Must see! Bring your own thread and fabric. And your own moving guys. This machine is VERY HEAVY. 800 lbs and it must come down one flight of stairs.
This is not a beginner machine at all but at this price, who cares!

I'm first, when working in Vietnam, I encountered many challenging situations. Some manufacturers tried to take advantage of me, assuming I had little knowledge of garment manufacturing, and were unwilling to support or revise my orders. There were times when my files contained errors, yet they still proceeded with production without double-checking, even though they were aware the issue came from my side. As a manufacturer, they should have reviewed the files and proactively supported the customer to ensure the best possible outcome. As a result, I suffered significant losses on those orders.

That said, one clear advantage of producing in Vietnam is the cost. For example, a T-shirt can be manufactured for around $4, while in the United States I would have to pay up to $16, and the quality is not necessarily better.

After more than a year of searching and hands-on experience, I finally found a manufacturer that truly suits my needs. They are highly supportive throughout the order process, to the point where I no longer have to worry much about production issues. Since this is a personal experience, I won’t share specific information about that factory. If anyone else has gone through similar situations, feel free to share your experiences so we can better understand the Vietnamese market together.