Book excerpt: The role of quality assurance is to ensure that once a specification has been agreed, every product and every production run meets that standard. The Fundamentals of Quality Assurance in the Textile Industry describes how quality professionals in the apparel industry coordinating with overseas factories can ensure excellence. The author explains what tools are required and how to manage products from style conception to finished production and the methods used to track and evaluate samples and production at each stage of the critical path. This book reinforces the concept that quality assurance must become an integral part of the business and details crucial procedures that have been adopted internationally.