Quality template

Defect Tracking Sheet

A log of significant defect findings with style, line, location, quantity, cause group, root cause, action, owner and status, so every problem is tracked to closure.

What this template does#

The defect tracking sheet is a simple log of significant quality problems. Each row is one finding: a repeated defect on a line, a failed inspection point, a customer complaint. It records what happened, how many garments were affected, which cause group it belongs to, the root cause, the action and who owns it, until the item is closed.

Over time, the cause group column shows where most problems start: machines, materials, operators, methods, environment or measurement.

When to use it#

  • For defects that need more than an immediate repair: repeated defects, defects above your trigger level, or findings from audits and final inspections.
  • As the running list reviewed in the weekly quality meeting.

Daily routine defects on the line are recorded in the inline inspection sheet and DHU report instead.

How to complete it#

  1. Log the finding with date, style, line, defect, location and quantity.
  2. Assign an owner immediately.
  3. Investigate using root cause analysis and record the verified root cause and cause group.
  4. Record the action and update the status as it progresses.
  5. Close the item with a date only after the defect has stopped recurring.

Using the log#

  • Filter by cause group to see where to invest effort.
  • Filter by defect type to find problems repeating across lines or styles.
  • Link larger items to a formal CAPA.

Common mistakes#

  • Logging the symptom as the root cause.
  • Items left open for months with no owner follow-up.
  • Closing items without checking that the defect stopped.

Download formats#

The Excel workbook contains drop-down lists for cause group and status. The CSV contains headings only.

Field guide

FieldWhat to enter
Date, style and line or areaWhen and where the defect was found.
Defect and location on garmentName the defect using your standard defect list, and where it appears.
Quantity affectedNumber of garments or panels affected.
Cause groupMachine, material, operator, method, environment or measurement, from a list.
Root cause and actionThe verified cause and the action taken to remove it.
Owner, status and closed dateWho is responsible, whether the action is open, in progress or closed, and when it closed.

Related guides

Quality & DefectsHow-to3 min read

Root Cause Analysis for Garment Defects: A Practical Method

Repairing defects fixes garments; root cause analysis fixes the process. A step-by-step method for garment factories using defect data, the 5M categories, fishbone diagrams and 5 Why, with a worked example on open seams.

Quality & DefectsGuide3 min read

CAPA in Garment Factories: Corrective and Preventive Action

CAPA is the process for recording a problem, removing its cause and preventing it elsewhere. What corrective and preventive actions mean, the steps of a CAPA, a filled example, and how to keep CAPAs from becoming paperwork.

Quality & DefectsGuide4 min read

Sewing Defects: Types, Causes and Prevention

An overview of the sewing defects that cause most repairs and rejections, grouped by stitch, seam and assembly problems, with the usual causes and where to look first.

Quality & DefectsGuide3 min read

DHU (Defects per Hundred Units): Formula and How to Use It

DHU counts defects per hundred garments checked. The formula, how it differs from defective percentage, a worked example from end-of-line checking, and how to turn DHU data into action on the line.

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