Karigar management: who has which piece, and what is due first
How a boutique tracks its karigars — work given to each, deadlines, piece-rate pay and outside job work — without a notebook or a hundred WhatsApp messages.
VirtueTailor3 min read
The short answer
Karigar management means knowing, for every karigar, which pieces they hold, what is due first and what they have earned. Give each piece to one named karigar on the order, let karigars see and move their own work on their phone, and record piece-rate pay as work is done. For karigars outside the shop, record what was sent, to whom and when it is due back.
"Who has the green blouse?"
Work handed out by word of mouth, deadlines in the owner's head, pay worked out from a notebook at the end of the month. One karigar is overloaded, another is idle, and a bridal piece is found unstarted two days before the wedding.
Every piece has a name on it
- Each piece given to one karigar
- Karigars see their own list, by due date
- One tap to move work to the next stage
- Workload visible at a glance
- Piece-rate pay from the work done
- Outside job work sent and received
Give each piece to one person
The first rule is simple: every piece has one karigar's name on it. In VirtueTailor the owner or manager assigns each garment on the order. The cloth carries a QR label, so the piece in hand and the piece on the screen are always the same.
Let karigars see their own work
Each karigar gets a login on their phone, in their own language. They see the pieces given to them, with measurements, design photos and voice notes, in order of due date. They do not see prices or bills. When a piece is done they move it on — and the owner sees it without asking.
See the workload before it becomes a problem
The production board shows every piece by stage, and who holds it. One look shows who is overloaded and which urgent piece has not started. Move work before the deadline, not after.
Pay by the piece without arguments
Many karigars are paid per piece. When the pay is worked out from the pieces they actually finished in the app, pay day is a number both sides can see, not a debate. Shops can pay by month, by piece or both, with payslips from the same record. More on attendance and pay.
Karigars outside the shop
Maggam, aari and embroidery are often sent to outside karigars. Record what went out, to whom, the agreed rate and the date it is due back, and mark it in when it returns. Nothing is lost between the shop and the unit. See tracking outsourced job work.
Questions
What is karigar management?
Keeping track of the craftspeople who stitch and embroider for a boutique: which pieces each one holds, their deadlines, their workload and their pay — inside the shop and for outside job work.
Is there an app to track karigar work?
Yes. In VirtueTailor each karigar has a phone login showing only their own pieces, in their language. They move work along in one tap and the owner sees every piece on one board.
How do I calculate karigar piece-rate pay?
Count the pieces each karigar finished in the period and multiply by the rate for each kind of work. When that count comes from the app, both the owner and the karigar see the same number.
Try it in your own shop
Free to start. Our team will help you bring your customers and measurements in.