Guidelines Sewing Room Production Management
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS • • • • • • • • • •
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Process Flow Process Planning Factory Capacity Planning Concept of Industrial Engineering Department Product Analysis Balancing Production Follow Up Maintenance Guidelines Cost Control and Incentive Plan Quality Procedures in Sewing Area
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PROCESS FLOW The process flow starts once the order / fabric commitment is received and the product development department hands over the file to production merchandiser and ends when the goods reach the buyers. The entire cycle involves all activities directly or indirectly related to procuring of materials, planning and monitoring of the order. A brief outline of the procedure is as below:
RECEIPT OF ORDER
PREPARE DETAILED T&A
FABRIC ORDERING
TRIM ORDERING
FABRIC PO, PI, LC
FIT
TRIM PO, PI
FIT APPROVAL
PILOT YARDAGE INHOUSE ALL DEPARTMENTS ADVISED OF THE T&A
CYCLE
INSPECTION SHRINKAGE TEST
BULK IN-HOUSE
SIZE SET & SEALER SAMPLE APPROVAL BULK IN-HOUSE
INSPECTION TEST REPORTS
INSPECTION TEST REPORTS
PRE-PRODUCTION MEETING PILOT RUN APPROVAL
BULK CUTTING SEWING FINISHING PACKING
AUDITS DONE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF PRODUCTION, TOP/PRS SAMPLES SENT TO BUYER AS PER REQUIREMENTS.
FINAL AUDIT SHIPMENT OF GOODS
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PROCESS FLOW: •
RECEIPT OF ORDER o o
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PREPARING A DETAILED T&A o
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Receipt of an order means final confirmation of the order from the buyer. Since, this is the final confirmation it is done by means of a legal document called a PO (purchase order) or an FC (fabric commitment) PO (purchase order) – this is a legal document stating the quantity, delivery, price, style no, buyer, vendor details. On receipt of a PO it is very important that the merchandiser checks all details and confirms that they are correct like – quantity, delivery date, price, style no, style description, color no & reference if mentioned, shipment mode, shipment port, vendor address, buyer address. FC (fabric commitment) – fabric commitment is a legal document confirming that the buyer will be buying the said quantity of a particular fabric. A garment style no need not be mentioned on this document as it is a commitment only for buying fabric. This kind of a legal document is used by the buyer when there are very probable chances of change in the style or the same fabric is being used in a number of styles and the buyer has still not decided on the quantity to be purchased in each of the styles. Hence in such a situation the buyer gives a block booking for fabric. Once the order is received four different activities are started off simultaneously. These activities are – preparing a detailed T&A, Fabric Ordering, Trim Ordering, fit cycle and sample approvals.
Preparation of a detailed time and action (T&A) calendar is very essential in production merchandising. The reason being, large no of activities have to be followed up for each order and a merchandised may be handling large number of such orders and hence it is essential that all activities are listed. This minimizes the risk of missing out any of the activities. Hence while preparing a T&A one should list down as many activities as one can think of which are essential in smooth running of the order. A detailed discussion on T&A is done later in this module. This T&A is prepared by the merchandiser in consultation with all the concerned departments such as – sourcing (fabrics & accessories), production, and quality assurance, logistics. Once the T&A is finalized the same should be circulated to all concerned departments. Another important aspect of the T&A is fixing the responsibility. Along with finalizing the date by which a particular activity has to be completed, the merchandiser should also mention the name of person who is responsible to complete the activity by that time.
FABRIC ORDERING
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This activity involves ordering of fabric with the mill. The important points to be taken care of during this activity are: Accurate computation of the requirement. This is essential to ensure that during bulk production the materials do not fall short nor are they in access and there are leftovers after the order is shipped. An accurate calculation of material requirement can be done if the BOM (bill of materials) as provided by the buyer in the specification sheet is studied thoroughly. Apart from just ensuring that the quantity is correct the BOM also helps in checking that all materials required in completion of the order are ordered and nothing has been missed out. Selecting the best vendor for materials in terms of quality, price and delivery. The fabric order is places by the merchandiser by means of a purchase order. The purchase order should list down the following very clearly – Name & Reference no of the article Quality description of the article Quantity Price Delivery date Quality parameters as required by the buyer Payment terms Pilot yardage requirements if any The mill sends a PI (Performa invoice) confirming the details as mentioned in the PO. In case of any changes required in the PO the same are also mentioned in the PI. The mill also provides its bank details on the PI so that the factory can work out the payments. There can be various kinds of payment term agreements between the buying and the selling parties as below – Some %c of payment in advance, the balance at sight – example, 20% advance, 80% at sight. This means that 20% of the total value of goods is paid in advance, the balance 80% is pain once the goods are received by the buyer (factory). This payment can be done by means of DD (demand draft), cheque or TT (telegraphic transfer) LC (letter of credit) – in this payment mode the banks of both parties are involved. The buying party (factory in case of fabric) opens up a LC with its bank and the same is transferred to the mills bank. On acceptance of the LC by the mills bank, this becomes a legal contract between the two parties. Once the goods are dispatched the mill submits the dispatch details (Invoice, packing list and Air way bill details) in its bank and get the payment for the goods. The mills bank then approaches the factories bank and gets its payment from the same. The factories bank then gets the payment from the factory. The LC once made, a copy of the same should be called in by the merchandiser and studied to make sure all details as mentioned are correct. The details to be looked at are:
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Name & Reference no of the article Quality description of the article Quantity Price Delivery date LC expiry date Pilot Yardage – pilot yardage helps is ascertaining any problems that may come in the bulk yardage. The mill processes the first 100 – 200 yardage to ensure that the same meets the quality, color parameters as laid down by the customer. This helps the mill in taking corrective actions to eliminate any defects or problems. On the other hand the factory also requires yardage to complete all the pre-production processes such as sample approvals, size set etc. This pilot yardage helps the factory in making all the pre-production samples. Also the factory does fabric inspection and fabric shrinkage test to have an idea of how the bulk fabric will behave. At this stage if factory observes any problems in fabric behavior the same is immediately conveyed to the mill so that the mill can take corrective action. Next, prior to bulk fabric shipment the mill dispatches fabric shade bands, fabric inspection report and fabric test report. Fabric inspection report – this is generally a third part inspection done by buyer nominated inspection company like ITS, MTL etc. The most common and used method of inspection is the 4-point system. In this system every defect is given a point between 1 to 4 based on the nature of the defects. A maximum of 4 points per yards of fabric can be allocated. Fabric having more that 40 points per 100 square yards is considered to be reject. Different customers have different point levels depending upon how premium the brand is and also on the nature of the fabric. For example: a man made fiber should have lesser defects that a natural fiber and hence acceptable points level for polyester is kept lower that that of cotton. Fabric shade band – the mill segregates the fabric on the basis of shade and makes a shade band. In general a maximum of 3 shade bands are acceptable by customer, however this can again vary from customer to customer. The customer evaluates the different shades by means of a grey scale rating as acceptable. Fabric test report (FPT – fabric performance test) – yardage from bulk is sent to the nominated testing laboratory such as MTL, ITS for testing the physical and color parameters of the fabric as required by the customer. The testing laboratory also provides a wash care instruction for the fabric, which essentially means the best washing conditions for the fabric. Fabric shrinkage report – the mill tests 10% of the fabric to confirm that the fabric adheres to the specifications as laid down by the customer. For example if the customer accepts +/- 3% shrinkage, fabric having 5% shrinkage is rejected. The determining the shrinkage the fabric is
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tested as per the best washing conditions advised by the testing laboratory on the fabric test report. Once fabric passes through all the above tests and inspections it is shipped to factory. The factory again checks the fabric on 4-point system and also checks the shade bands and also does fabric shrinkage test to confirm that they adhere to the requirements of the buyer. With regard to fabric inspection, factory generally inspects 10% of the fabric, in case there is a problem the factory goes on to inspect 100% of the fabric. For fabric shrinkage test – different procedures have to be adopted for ascertaining the shrinkages for a washed and a non-washed style. In case of a non-wash garment testing 10% of the fabric is sufficient to determine the shrinkage that needs to be included in the pattern. The fabric is washed based on the recommended wash care instructions in the FPT. In case of a washed garment, 100% fabric should be tested for shrinkage. The test is done as per the wash recipe. Once all rolls are tested, the rolls are segregated as per the shrinkages and different patterns are made to incorporate the shrinkages. Factory then also checks the fabric for shade banding, compares the same with the once sent by the mill and if found acceptable sends one sent out to log the same with customer. Once the buyer confirms that the shade bands are ok, the fabric is ready to be cut.
TRIM ORDERING A similar process as done for the fabric is done for trims. The factory can call in trims for sampling and these are called as PROMO TRIMS.
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FIT / SAMPLE APPROVAL While fabric and trim ordering is happening, simultaneously the sample approval procedure is also underway. The moment a style is selected it goes to the tech department for fitting. Here models wear the samples and they are evaluated in terms of fit, construction, measurement. The buyer then sends out comments, which are called as fit comments. In case another sample is requested the factory makes the same incorporating the comments and send again to buyer. This process is called fit cycle. Different customers have different no of fit cycles.
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PP SAMPLE Once the fit sample is approved the factory makes a PP (Pre-production) sample. This can be called by different names such as sealer sample, green tag sample etc. This sample is sent out the buyer for final approval and once approved becomes the final sample on the basis of which entire production is
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made and audited. This is the most important sample and one should take care that everything on this sample is correct as this then b ecomes the standard. •
SIZE SET Once PP sample is approved the nest step is to make a SIZE SET. All the fit samples and the PP samples are in the medium size, now the medium size is graded into the different sizes as per the purchase order. The basic purpose of size set is to ensure that grading between sizes is correct.
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PRE- PRODUCTION MEETING In this meeting everybody concerned with the style sits together to make sure that everybody is on the same page and understands the product. Hence, this meeting has the merchandiser, production in-charge, cutting, finishing, fabric in-charge, line supervisor, pattern master, sample master etc. All tentative problems are discussed and solutions sought to execute the order smoothly.
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PILOT RUN Once pre-production meeting is done the factory does PILOT RUN. Factory cuts 100 – 200 garments based on the order quantity. The pilot run is done on the assembly line and is aimed at ensuring that the operators of the assemble line understand the required quality levels. This is very essential since all sample prior to the pilot run (fit samples, PP & size set) are made in the sampling unit. Once PILOT RUN is approved the factory goes into bulk production. In line and interim inspections are preformed during the production process to ensure that the final product quality meets the required quality level. Once 80 – 90 % of the goods are packed a pre-final audit is done. This helps in taking corrective action if required before the final audit. Generally since the final audit happens very close to the shipment date, the pre-final gives factory a chance to amend problems if any. The last is the FINAL AUDIT. This is the last checkpoint before shipment. All aspects (packing, packaging, measurement, construction & visuals) are evaluated. Once the garments adhere to the required quality standards in all the parameters the shipment is passed and then the shipment is moved to the logistic team. Now the merchandiser interacts with the logistic department, takes the shipment schedule and sends the same to the customer.
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PROCESS PLANNING Introduction The ability to meet increasingly stringent delivery commitments while also maximizing profits is critical to any company's success in today's global business environment. Every season, fashion/apparel companies must continually design and develop new lines and collections to keep retailers interested and spur consumer sales. Being able to meet delivery dates and quickly respond to market trends is critical, increasing the need for more accurate forecasting, planning and scheduling. These goals can only be achieved if a company recognizes the critical role played by planning and scheduling in the manufacturing and distribution processes. Poor planning costs money orders are delayed, priority orders are overlooked, sales and customers are lost, and the level of obsolescent inventory increases. Effective planning relies on rapid, accurate and up-to-date information, efficient communications and the ability to make fast and informed decisions, as well as to realistically predict the outcome of those decisions. The planning process can be broadly divided into 2 heads: Macro level planning – Factory capacity planning • • Micro level planning – Detailed planning of each order / style. (Time & Action Calendar, Material planning, Sample room planning)
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FACTORY CAPACITY PLANNING This is a very important tool and helps in decision making while confirming an order. By planning the capacities of the production facility, the merchandising division comes to know the exact production slot available before confirming an order. The label on a denim pant says “Made in Pakistan” but it is quite possible that the fabric came from China, Zippers and trims came from Hong Kong and the cutting, sewing, finishing, inspection & packing happened in Pakistan. When several organizations across countries have to work together to produce a single garment, co-ordination of production schedules becomes a necessity. The real challenge lies in planning production schedules in a manner that allows reasonable utilization of factory at all given point of times. It is not only the garment manufacturing units that need to plan the factory capacities, but also the fabric and trim suppliers in order to deliver the goods on time. This coordinated planning should also be flexible to respond quickly to unforeseen changes and that is the most difficult challenge. Thus Capacity planning helps in: •
Decision making – confirming the order delivery dates.
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Optimum utilization of resources – ensuring that the factory is adequately utilized throughout the year. This is very important as it helps in bring down the costs. For example take this case – A manufacturing unit which employees salaried operators, does not have adequate work for 2 months of an year and has more that capacity bookings for another 2 months of the year. So the months when there are not enough orders, the company has to still pay the wages of the operators & also the months when there are more than capacity orders, the unit has to run on overtime to meet the delivery dates. In both cases the cost of operations increases.
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Easy visualization of effects of delay OR preponement of one order on the subsequent orders.
How to plan factory capacity?
The most common question is how do we plan and calculate capacity when the company does multi style products? The answer is – a factory capacity should be planned in a manner that it is independent of styling. Hence production capacities for all styles have to be converted into a common unit of measurement, which is TIME. The following parameters have to be calculated to ascertain the factory production capacity.
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• •
SAM for a garment – Standard Allowed Minutes for a garment Factory efficiency Levels
SAM and Factory Efficiency Level calculation • • •
SAM is the total time taken by a 100% efficient operator to perform a particular job / operation. The Industrial Engineering department by means of Time & Motion study calculates SAM. Once SAM has been calculated the operator efficiency level is determined. This can be illustrated by the below example:
SAM of a operation Total available time Total no of SAM’s produced Efficiency
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= 2 minutes = 8 hrs shift x 60 minutes = 480 minutes = no of operations done in 8 hrs x SAM of the operation = 150 x 2 = 300 minutes = (Total SAM’s produced / Hours Worked) x 100 = (300 / 480) x 100 = 62.5 %
Similarly line efficiencies can also be calculated. In this case the total available hours are calculated and this include the hours worked by operators and helpers in the line. By combining the efficiencies of all lines in a factory, the Factory Efficiency is ascertained. The below example illustrates how the calculation is done.
Style SAM No of Operators No of helpers Total available time
Total garments produced Total SAM’s produced
LINE 1 A 20 minutes 60 15 75x8x60 36000 minutes
LINE 2 B 30 minutes 40 10 50x8x60 24000 minutes
1200 1200 x 20 24000 minutes
500 500 x 30 15000 minutes
Hence, Total available time for the factory = 36000 + 24000 = 60000 minutes Total SAM’s produced by the factory = 24000 + 15000 = 39000 minutes = (SAM’s produced / Available minutes) x 100 Factory Efficiency =(39000/60000) x 100 = 65%
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The Factory efficiency is calculated on a daily basis and over a period 3-6 months the Average Factory Efficiency is determined from the data collected. This Average efficiency is then utilized for calculation of factory production capacity.
Explaining the same with the help of below example: A 500 machine factory employees a workforce of 600 people (operators & helpers). The factory on an average works for 26 days in a month, 8 hours shift per day. The average factory efficiency as calculated over a period of time is – 60% From the above details we can calculate – Total available time
= 600 x 26 x 8 x 60 = 7488000 minutes
Productive time
= available time x efficiency = 7488000 x 60% = 4492800 minutes
Hence FACTORY CAPACITY
= 4492800 minutes
No of garments that the factory can produce
= Capacity / SAM of the garment
Based on the above calculation Factory Capacity can be determined for any product, if the below information is available: • SAM of the garment • Average Factory Efficiency • Total workforce Working hours / shift / day •
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CONCEPT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT Production is an organised activity in a manufactured organisation. The industrial engineering department has to decide about a systematic production system to generate customer satisfaction. The objective of having an industrial engineering department is to replicating best practice methods on each operation. Time standard developed for each operation will be the base for incentive payment and must be accurate to defined 5% tolerance level. The industrial engineering department role and responsibilities are defined on the following notes along with a standard form set. Department Specification a)
Overall Responsibility
To maximise the overall efficiency of the manufacturing functions through the provision of an effective, appropriate and timely work study and industrial engineering service and maintenance of an ideal production environment. b)
Key Tasks
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Product Analysis • • •
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Determine the optimum method of construction to achieve required finished product efficiently. Establish the operation sequence (Operation bulletin). Specify the equipment type and work aids to be used.
Production Planning
Production planning is an essential prerequisite to production control. It involves management decisions on the resources that the firm will require for its manufacturing operations and selection of these resources to produce the desired goods at the appropriate time and at the least cost. Production planning is defined as, "“the technique of foreseeing or picturing ahead, every step in along series of separate operations, each step to be taken in the right place, of the right degree and at the right time, and each operation to be done at maximum efficiency.” Production planning provide a line for effective, balanced flow of product, incorporating line and individual (operation) productivity standards.
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Planning Procedure
The end product of production planning efforts is the formulation of production plans. The plans are formulated in light of specified future period. The plans are to be implemented in the light of the estimated cost and agreed policies The policies are farmed in the light of planning techniques and strategies, which have been developed for particular plan. The important steps in production planning are: 1)
Demand forecasts: The production planning function is geared to the estimated demand for the products. The demand forecasting represents and anticipates level of demand and it also reflects pattern of the demand. If seasonal or other kind of symmetry can be predicted, production can be planned to take advantage of the predicted pattern of the demand.
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Specification of production requirements:
Though demand forecast provides the bases in production planning, it is not every thing in production planning. The demand forecast must be converted in to a specification of production requirements. The forecast demands are adjusted as under while planning the actual production: a) b) c)
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On the basis of available production capacity, the forecast demand is put on the calendar schedule. Reasonable allowances are made for possible errors in forecast. The deficiency or surplus of the existing production capacity is ascertained in the term of the machine capacity and labour cost. A schedule of materials requirements is prepared. While deciding the quantity of materials due consideration is given to seasonal advantage, cost of excess inventory carrying, cost of stock outs etc.
Performance Development
Apply industrial engineering techniques to develop the performance of teams and individuals by motivation and organisation. This goal is achieved by working together with the production department to build the production capability.
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Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineering is a key part of a project. One of the basic functions of engineering is to get facts. These facts may be in form of a time study, the engineer has made or cost report the engineer has designed. So we can say that the basic need for engineering is the need for management information. The industrial engineering is very useful in: a) Standardisation
You can appreciate the need for standard convocations in managing your department. Think of confusion that would result if each operator on a job performed his or her work differently from anyone else. Suppose quality specifications changed every day so that what passed yesterday rejected today. Effective supervision is impossible without standardisation of methods, equipment; and conditions. Engineering helps to standardise. b)
Production Scheduling
In order to run your department efficiently, you need a firm schedule of production. Suppose there was no way of knowing how more work your section could handle. Do you think that there would be much of that someone could guess exactly right as to how much work to load in? Of course not! In order to schedule work accurately, someone needs to know how long it takes to go through each operation. Engineering data helps to make this decision. c)
Fair Payment of Employees
In order to pay employees fairly, we need to know the value of the work they produce, Since part of engineering function is to measure work. d)
Prevention of Chaos
Any attempt to run a department without standardised conditions, without a production schedule, and without fair payment to the employees is doomed to chaos and failure. So main functions of engineering are: . a) Develop detailed production methods, from detailed manual moments to major decisions on technology.
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b) Documents all the methods using manuals, computer based system as appropriate. c) Justify all changes based on analyses of the work content in the operation, taking account of skill requirements -
Operator training
Support the operator training and recruitment function with AAMT documentation, including targets and controls. AAMT involves the systematic training -
Maintenance
Ensure that the incentive scheme, production methods, production equipment and work places, work-studies and time standards are effectively and rigorously maintained. Proper maintenance leads to better capacity utilisation of same asset, avoiding thus the investment in addition facilities. So far industries has a tendency to neglect maintenance function, thinking it be a not so important job, however necessary. it has been taken just for granted. The two dimensions to maintenance are preventive maintenance before breakdown and maintenance after the breakdown happens. Though preventive maintenance reduces the number of breakdowns. We have to take consideration the cost of failing to prevent. Maintenance is a sort of quality control problem, but as applied to standard of service expected of the machine. Plant maintenance is important and inevitable service function of an efficient production system. It helps in maintaining and increasing the operational efficiency of plant facilities and thus contributes of the revenue by reducing the operating cost and increasing the quality of quality of the production. Regardless of the type incentive plan used, to be to be successful the following must hold true: -
It easy for the operator to understand and to calculate his or her pay. The plant must have an adequate incentive between the base rate and the minimum rate. Off standard time (machine delay, waiting time, sample time etc.) must not affect incentive earnings.
To make the incentive plant effective, it should be up to date and properly maintained.
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Work study is defined as a technique that embraces method study and work management which are employed to ensure the best possible use of human and material resources in carrying out the specified activity. The main objective of work-study is to improve productivity of men, machine and material. Better production methods is the prerequisite for reducing the work content and involved primarily the unnecessary movement on the part of materials or operatives by substituting good methods for poor one. So maintaining good methods in the department for continuous improvement in productivity is the important task for the engineering department. Standard time has been defined as `the total time in which the job should be completed at standard performance’. Standard time express the total time a job will take at standard performance, i.e., work content, contingency allowance for delay, unoccupied time, and interference allowance, where applicable. The standard time for each operation should be standardised according to conditions and maintained in the engineering department. -
Continuous Improvement
Continuous review production methods to identify and take cost save opportunities. Constantly monitor operator performance against time standard and targets and take action to improve performance and eliminate causes of under performance. Give some targets to operators tell them about the target clearly and check their performance against the target, give continuous feedback to the operator about his or her performance. It will take very important part to motivate an operator.
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PRODUCT ANALYSIS Product Analysis consists of Determining the optimum method of construction to achieve required • finished product efficiently. • Establishing the operation sequence (Operation bulletin). • Specifying the equipment type and work aids to be used. Documents used for the product analysis is
Operation Bulletin
Operation bulletin is a documented form of sequence of operations in a product. It contains all the information about the machine required and the total no. Of operations, total no. of operator required.
Operation bulletin contains the standard times for each op eration.
Operation bulletin also contains some other parameters as follows:
Output (pieces per day) Target efficiency Minutes per day Total standard time Total no of work places
In simple way we can say that operation bulletin is a record of Equipment type Machine attachments Workplace engineering aids Standard time for each operation It can be extended to include
Hourly/ period targets for each operation Manpower Requirements Equipment Requirements
It should cover all operations that can be directly related to single unit of a product e.g.
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Spread and cut Sew including manual operations Finish and pack
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The operation bulletin is a fundamental planning tool used for many functions such as
Capacity planning Methods engineering Line planning Performance measurement Manpower planning Investment appraisal Incentive payment Factory loading
The operation Bulletin should be developed at the earlier stage of product development.
Method Description
In order that the operation selected for method study may be visualised in the entirety, with a view to improving them by subsequent critical analysis, it is essential to have means of placing on records all the necessary facts of the existing method. There may be different way to method description such as charts & phonographic or electronics methods of recording etc. Hand charts are especially useful when work is confined to a single workplace and consist of the use of the hands and arm as in our case. A two-handed process chart is made of two columns in which are recorded the movements of the left hand and right hand respectively. Activities are interrelated by the spacing between the movements of each hand so that simultaneous movements by both hands appear opposite each other. Movements of two feet if any can be recorded by making two additional columns. A sample of two-handed process chart is given below:
Quality Specification
Quality is an asset, which may be offered to the potential customer of a product. There are two aspects of quality, which contribute to the ultimate quality of the product. The intrinsic quality intended in the design that is the quality of design is the first aspect, which is acquired at the sampling stage and depends on the type of materials used, specs specified by the buyer, method of production, knowledge of the design and skill level of the person.
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The degree to which this quality is achieved in production that is the quality of conformance is the second aspect. Here quality specs of the buyer and experienced gain at the sampling stage play a important role in maintaining the quality. Important is that quality specs should be defined in such a way that each one could understand it better way. Specifications should include all technical parameter, and performance specifications.
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BALANCING Balancing is a subject that relates to every decision taken on the production floor. It is a very important topic that we will cover in detail. What is a balanced production system? It is a system where you meet the production expectations and you can find the same amount of work in process in every operation at any point in the day. To be able to achieve this is extremely difficult. If we choose to have balanced inventories at the end of every day that will prove to be a reasonably difficult challenge. How do you keep all operations producing at the same rate? Well this is very difficult since operator’s skills vary. We are able to balance using Utility operators that “fill holes” in production. We also try to keep operators at the expected level of production or higher if possible. How do we start balancing the production line? Well we can start by determining how many operators for each operation are needed for a determined level of production. After this we need to determine how much WIP we need to anticipate production problems. KSA recommends a 1-hour inventory level for each operation. A good range would be from 30 min to 120 min inventory level. Any variation outside this range should be avoided. A variation of this magnitude signifies an unbalanced line and should be looked into immediately. We balance the production line for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons are: • •
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Keeping inventory costs low results in higher net income Keeping normal inventory levels lets the operator work all day long giving him/her the opportunity to earn more money by increasing his/her efficiency Keeping the line balanced let’s the supervisors improve other areas because they can use their time better Balanced production keeps prices low which turns into repeat sales Balanced production means better production planning.
It is very important that all supervisors put balancing the line in their daily plans every day. There are 3 rules for balancing:
1) Have at least ½ hour of WIP for each operation 2) Solve problems before they become any larger 3) Meet production goals by keeping every operator working at their maximum capacity Gen-Prom (UNDP)
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Balancing Tools:
There are a number of tools that can be used for balancing. These are applied according to the plant’s needs. The most basic ones are Production Sheets, the Daily production report, the inventory levels by operation and the Production Boards. Items to take into account when making balancing decisions: 1) You should meet production goals a) Using Regular operators b) Using utility operators c) Using temporary transfers 2) Work flow must be constant through all operations 3) Avoid Overtime 4) Determine Human Resource needs a) b) c) d) e) f)
Operators required at 100% Capacity of actual operators Actual operators equivalent to need in (A) New operators to train Utility operators Cross training
5) Balance the Human Resources 6) Know how much work is needed for each operation 7) Check absences daily 8) Assign Utility operators based on absences 9) Update Daily Production report every two hours 10) Make balancing decisions every two hours and check them to the production manager
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The Balancing Matrix When
You need to
The operation can produce more than the Keep the operators where they are but goal but right now you have accumulated remove some of them when the inventory inventory in front of the operation. level is back to normal. If there is only one operator then have him reduce the inventory to a normal level and meet his/her quota then put him to work on another operation. The operation can regularly produce more Remove resources and place them in other than the goal and the inventory is at a operations normal level now. The operation can regularly produce more Move some resources from the current than the goal and the inventory is currently operation to a previous one. below its normal level. The operation has the required capacity but Make sure that the operators are working at inventory is high at this point full capacity and transfer some resources to this operation temporarily The operation regularly meets the quota set Do nothing. This is your ideal situation. by production and the inventory is at a Keep the operators working at full capacity normal level and the inventory at a normal level. The operation has required production but (Something is causing the limited supply to at this point inventory is at a lower than this operation.) You should transfer normal level resources to the previous operation but examine it to find out what is causing the imbalance. The operation has low production and the (This is a bad but not unusual situation) inventory is high Transfer resources to this operation and make sure the operators are at full capacity doing a bundle by bundle follow-up. The operation has low production but the Transfer resources to this operation but inventory is at a normal level make sure the operators are at full capacity doing a bundle by bundle follow-up. The operation has low production but the (Something is causing the limited supply to WIP is lower than normal this operation.) Investigate the previous operation but transfer resources to this one so that the next operation is not affected
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OUT PUT
HIGH
LOW
The Balancing Matrix
Transfer OUT after WIP is normal
Transfer IN temporarily
Transfer IN + BBB Follow-up
Transfer OUT now
No Change
Transfer IN + BBB Follow-up
WIP
Transfer OUT to Transfer OUT to previous operation Temporarily + previous Study previous operation operation
Transfer IN + Study previous operation
LOW
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PRODUCTION FOLLOW UP "Follow up" means that someone "checks and Stays with" something until the desired results have been achieved. Many worthwhile plans and projects have failed because someone did not follow up. So for the purposes of this training, follow up means to stay on top of something until the desired results are achieved." In an apparel plant, the supervisor's concern for follow up is related to operators performance. The desired situation is to have all operators performing at or above the 100 percent level. However, this is not usually the case. In order to move towards the desired state, follow up is required. Relating back to the capacity study sample, the over lock operator showed a capacity of 96 percent. However, one fact that was unknown at the time of the study was that during the prior week, she had a capacity of 116 percent. Her capacity dropped 20 percentage points from one week to another. Why? The answer to this question cannot be answered until follow up occurs, at which time someone will find out what is going on with the operator. The most widely used operator follow up is bundle by bundle follow up, which will be discussed In the following section.
Bundle by bundle follow up: Bundle By bundle follow up, usually performed by an engineer or follow up technician, consists of watching an operator while she performs her operation on several bundles. It could occur for three or four bundles, or could last as long as a full day or even a week. During the follow up, the operator is timed to see how long each bundle takes to complete. This time is then compared to the piece rate installed by the engineering staff. Not only is each bundle's time compared to the engineered standard, but the total production time for all bundles watched during follow up is compared to the allowed time engineering has figured the operator should take. During observations, any problems or difficulties should be noted. Talking with the operator is a good way to find out how things are going, as is watching several operators performing the same operation. Anything the operator does especially well or especially poorly should be noted, as this information can be used later.
Uses of operator follow up: There are a number of uses for operator follow up: 1. Improve Performance (Motivate) In many cases, operators are not producing as much as they can. They have no particular
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problems, but are just not giving it the effort to be a 100 percent operator. Follow up in this case is a matter of motivation. The person doing the follow up should not only show the operator that she can do well, but should also make her want to continue to do well. Most people who are capable will perform well under follow up. And once they have performed well for several days or a week (or maybe more) they get used to this type of performance (and earnings) and then tend to stay there. 2. Prove Job Quotas Perhaps the most common use of follow up (at least by engineers) is to prove a new quota. In other words, the quota will be proved if the operator performs well when compared to the new quota. Very often operators have a psychological resistance to change. It is essential to get the operators to overcome this psychological barrier, and that can be done through follow up and showing the operators that changes can be made satisfactorily. 3. Spot Troubles Occasionally, there seems to be no logical explanation as to why an operator is not performing. Follow up in this case can uncover problems that need to be solved such as machine delay, work flow, small bundles, too much personal time, etc. Other forms of follow up:
The bundle by bundle form of follow up is the best for operators who have the capacity to perform at 100 percent because it can yield quick results. There are several other forms that are useful in bringing operators up to full capacity: 1. Hourly - set hourly goals and check hourly 2. Two Hour - set two hour goals and check 3. Four Hour - set four hour goals and check 4. Eight Hour - set eight hour goals and check It is extremely important to check back when the time period is up and reassign goals based on performance during the previous period. Daily Production Report
The DPR is a tool that let’s the supervisor: • Have an accurate perspective of the situation of his/her throughout the day. • Make well-informed balancing decisions based on production goals. • See if the section is ahead or behind set goals throughout the day. The DPR is a production summary that includes the following information:
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• • • • • •
General data (date, section) Operations in section Operator names Production data Production goals Efficiency
Work In Process (WIP)
IP is made up of all garments and their parts that are not completely finished. For example a bundle of shirts that has everything attached but has no bottom hem. We can measure WIP in Units or in units of time. For example, if we know that an operation X takes 0.5 minutes per unit to process and we have 5 bundles of 12 units each then we have 30 minutes of WIP for that operation (5 X 12 X 0.5). In some factories you can find some operations that have days of inventory waiting to be processed! This is unacceptable for many reasons. There are two cost areas that can be reduced if WIP is controlled: • Investment in inventory Inventory is money invested in raw materials. When we don’t move the goods through the plant quickly we are affecting cash flow directly. •
Ability to reduce the production cycle By having low inventory between operations, garments usually have less waiting time and go through the production cycle in less time. Large inventory levels between operations keeps goods waiting longer to be processed. This increases the overall throughput time. Low throughput time permits better co-ordination between sales and production. It also permits a quicker turnaround on which improves cash flow. Low cycle times give manufacturers the ability to handle multiple styles.
Clients are looking for manufacturers that can meet production schedules, that can handle multiple styles, and since they want to invest as little as possible in inventory, manufacturers that can handle low inventories. Only factories that work with low WIP will be able to sell their services. Managing WIP: 1) Production planning This requires planning from marketing and sales to determine what will sell and what needs to be produced and when. This provides the basis to determine how many operators and machines will be needed.
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2) Trims control Trims are buttons, zippers, labels, thread, elastics, and so on. A cut should enter the production line only when someone has verified that all the trims needed are available. An updated inventory of trims should be kept. A missing label could halt a 12,000 unit cut. Holding the 12,000 units in inventory is not acceptable and could lead to other problems.
3) Production Build-up Careful consideration should be given to loading the production lines. If you feed into the line more product that can be processed you will overload the line with work that will just sit stagnant. 4) Balancing Even if you load the line based on its capacity, you might find the inventory accumulating due to an unbalanced production. Absenteeism and turnover can greatly affect the line’s balance. A change in style and bad cutting are two other factors that can put a line off balance. To keep a line balanced you need information on the inventory levels. To help regain balance in an unbalanced situation you can use Utility operators, operator transfers and overtime. 5) Cut Flow Control
In order to keep control over WIP and to keep the cycle times low you need to have cuts go as close as FIFO as possible. For this reason strict control must be placed on the tracking of cuts as they flow through the production floor.
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MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES When a mechanic is called for help with a machine a procedure should be followed. Following an established procedure will reduce Machine Delay time, reducing the cost related to it. It will help the operator earn more money, and it will save the mechanic valuable time. Preventive maintenance checklist Requirements •
•
•
Library of Machine literature • Updated parts catalogue Adjustment instructions (instructions, user manual, etc.) • Plant notes for reference on past repairs and experience • Library material should be studied by maintenance personnel • Spare Parts • Well kept parts cabinet • Up to date registry of used parts, ordered and received parts • Maintain an adequate inventory of needles, bobbins, presser foots, feed dogs, throat plates and other necessary parts • Maintain an updated individual machine card • Off-Std time, Needles or parts that have been changed • Major repairs Borrowing parts from one machine to another is strictly prohibited • Maintenance shop and equipment Well kept and equipped shop • Appropriate tools and deposits • Adequate supply of sewing machine oil and grease • • Labelled and marked containers for different types of oil • Labelled containers with machine grease Chart on wall explaining what type of lubrication is needed for each machine, the • locations and the frequency to do it. • Labelled containers for used oil • Fire proof container for cleaning solvents • Adequate supply of dry compressed air for the repair shop as well as the sewing floor. • Safety regulations posted on wall
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Responsibilities Mechanic Daily: • • • •
Lubricate all machines specially if the operator cannot do it Check appropriate supply of air, oil, vapour, and electricity Check regularly used shop tools Report to the Executive any negligent action on the operator’s part
Weekly: • • • • • • • • •
Check all machines and remove with brush/air/tweezers all foreign objects when necessary (when using air to clean take care not to stain WIP with oil) All oil deposits should be free of foreign objects All machines should have the adequate oil level Order all necessary parts for adequate inventory Order and stock necessary needles and bobbins Review machine cards and report to manager any excessive use of parts, needles, or off-standard time Keep all used equipment functioning properly Keep extra equipment in working conditions ready to replace used equipment Keep all necessary shop supplies to adequate level
Operator Daily: • • • • • •
Remove all threads around the work area with a brush or with tweezers Clean excess oil from machine specially the needle point. Check all oil level meters Oil when necessary Turn motor off when machine not in use Leave a piece of cloth under the needle when machine is not in use
Executive Daily: • • • • • •
Check that operators are following their daily maintenance responsibilities Make sure that all safety measures are being followed. Refill the needle stock box with the appropriate needles Place all broken needles in the appropriate container. DO NOT leave them in any other place. Check how much thread is being consumed and make sure it is not being wasted. Make sure all machines are threaded correctly and that the threads are not too close to the machine’s pulley.
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Mechanics Checklist •
Ask the operator or Executive what the problem is
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8. 9.
•
Possible answers: Needle thread breaking Bobbin or looper thread breaking All threads break Skipped stitches Stitch formation is unusual Needle breaks Irregular feeding of material shirring • stretching • feeding to the side • Oil leak on machine or over fabric Uncomfortable set-up for the operator • The pedal is not located properly • Presser foot lever is not located properly
Observe the operator sew one or two parts to verify problem
Before starting on the machine •
Check the type of thread being used and check for proper threading Adequate thread and needle type for the operation • Thread cone is placed properly (even level) over holder • Thread guides don’t produce any unusual friction to thread • Guides threaded correctly • • All tensioning plates threaded correctly • All needles/bobbins/loopers are threaded properly • Needle point is not broken
Watch the machine and evaluate its operation Silently softly and firmly at the maximum RPM’s • • Noisy, violently, vibrating at slow or high speeds Belts appropriately placed on machine pulley or motor pulley • Belt tension is too tight or too loose • • Thread stuck on pulleys or belts • Belt is broken or worn-out Belt is soaking in oil • Machine or motor pulley is loose or damaged • Pulley size is inappropriate (check RPM and check against recommended) • careful not to keep machine at high RPM’s or injuries can be expected
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Check lubrication • Check oil gauges • Check for leaks
Observe the operator’s position when sewing • Is the table’s height appropriate (at elbow level)? • Are the pedals in the right position? Check the motor adjustments • Clutch adjustments Pedal movement doesn’t engage machine • Machine engages too easily and abruptly (too little movement o f the pedal • Before opening the machine: •
•
• • • •
Verify that the needle is: • Located properly • Not bent • Not broken (specially the tip) • Not too sharp around the tip and eyelet Appropriate type for the thread and fabric being used • Check the machine for appropriate threading • Thread guides Thread pullers • Tensioners • • Needles Loopers • Spreaders • Clean all thread and oil from the sewing area Check the appropriate movement of the needle Check the presser foot, throat plate and feeders to see if they are working correctly Check if the minor adjustments have improved the sewing problem
Danger signals (Use all your senses) Look! • Excessive oil concentrated on one area of the machine • Unusual machine or motor movements Excessive threads, fabric rags around sewing area • Smoke • Listen!
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•
•
• • • •
Strange sounds like: Shaking/Vibrating • Crushing • • Thumps • Screeching The sound of the motor Excess speed • Dragging (too slow) • Low voltage • • Inadequate electric phase What the operator/Executive reports Air or vapour leaks Machines that remain on when not being used Security alarms, bells, whistles
Touch! To feel unusual vibrations in motors or engines • To make sure that the motor is turned off when not in use • • To feel unusual heat from the machines • To check worn parts for shaking or looseness
Smell! To see if there is smoke due to • • overheated metal • electrical insulation burned • Burnt oil • Burning thread Electrical parts on fire • Solenoids • Cables • Transformers • • Rectifiers • Unusual odours
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Machine Problems Checklist
The Operator can often help himself/herself when the machine is not working properly. The following list shows solutions to common problems. Following the advice can many times save the time wasted waiting for the mechanic. Problem
Solution
Upper thread keeps breaking
Top thread tension is too tight Machine is improperly threaded Thread is not placed through tension rings Thread is twisted in guide posts Broken or bent tension spring Thread is not placed through guides Needle bent or burred Bad cone of thread
Loosen the tension by one turn Check for proper threading Check for proper threading Check for proper threading Inspect the action of spring Check for proper threading Try a new needle Try another cone
Lower thread breaks
Bobbin spring is too tight Bobbin is not threaded properly Bobbin is too tight or warped Lint or threads in Bobbin case Lint or threads in hook Warped bobbin case
Loosen tension Check proper threading Try another bobbin Clean inside bobbin case Clean inside hook Check bobbin case/Try another one
Skipped stitches
Broken needle point Needle is not located properly Thread is not place through guides Thread is not place through tension rings
Try another needle Check needle placing Check for proper threading Check for proper threading
Irregular stitch formation
Knots on top
Tighten Bobbin tension or loosen upper (needle) tension Tighten upper tension Replace bobbin Check for proper bobbin case threading Clean tension rings
Knots on bottom Bobbin not placed properly Bobbin thread slipped from under tension Lint or threads in top tension
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Machine Adjustments All the standard rates for operations are based on a machine that can do so many stitches per inch and can do them in a specified time. For this reason all machines for the same operation need to have the SPI’s and RPM’s adjusted to a specified value. Having machines adjusted differently will not be fair to the operators. A machine’s SPI’s need to be checked often as they change depending on fabric and number of plies and it is also easy for the operator to change. RPM’s are not adjusted as often since they are a function of the pulley size and as long as the pulley is not changed the machine will remain within ±150 RPM. (although this may vary a little more depending on the belt) Handling machine delays
To be able to control the company’s costs it is necessary to identify them and identify the cause. For this reason the company keeps track of how much time the sewing machine delays the sewing time. This category is called Machine Delay (MD). During this time the operator is not able to work normally due to machine failure. For this reason the company will make sure he or she is not penalised in efficiency points. To be able to manage this cost category more effectively we have a set procedure: • •
•
• •
•
•
The operator informs the supervisor that he/she is having trouble with the machine The supervisor checks the machine make any quick adjustments to the machine if possible • Call the mechanic if necessary • Take the employee to a temporary location either to another workstation where he/she can continue with the work • If this is not possible then to another area where he/she will wait for the machine and mark the production • sheet with MD off-standard category The mechanic repairs the machine The operator returns to his/her workstation The operator sews a specified number of garments in front of the mechanic • If the machine is working properly then you mark the operator’s production sheet and put him/her back on standard time The supervisor moves the work back from the temporary workstation
Other related considerations • •
All workstations should be at (operator’s) elbow level All machines should always be ready to start work: Threaded correctly • • Connected Covered •
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Clean With Needle, bobbins, chairs and work-aids • All work-aids should be as approved and in good condition (no exposed splinters, screws, nails). All underbed trimmers, needle petitioners, stackers and other mechanical workaids should be working properly, if they are not they will be a source of machine delay and the operator will be working off-standard costing the company mone y. •
•
•
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COST CONTROL AND INCENTIVE PLAN Reduction in costs leads to improvement in margins, which keeps the manufacturer ahead in this competitive world. Let us take a look at the costing for a garment.
Element
% of Total Cost
Fabric
60-70%
Trims & Accessories
5-10%
CMP
15-30%
Others
5%
Total Cost of Garment
100%
Total Cost of Garment + Quota Cost* + Mark up = FOB
Main contributors to exceeding costs
There are two main areas that contribute to more than the expected cost of manufacturing. First, Costs related to personnel and second Costs due to inefficient material utilisation.
Costs Related to Personnel 1. Operator performance • • • • • •
Not using the best method Switching operators Equipment problems Excessive conversation Unnecessary absences from work Deliberate loafing
When the waste of time is intentional, it means the supervisor does not control his workers. When it is unintentional, it usually means the workers are not properly trained or supervised in methods, or the flow of production needs closer attention. Excessive conversation is a double waste of time. The supervisor must distinguish between a natural amount of conversation between workers, which is helpful to morale and good feeling, and excessive conversation, which is destructive to good discipline and morale. The wise
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supervisor does not frown on all conversation between workers, but does curb it if it becomes excessive. Do not change operators from job to job anymore than is necessary to avoid running short of work. Train and use utility operators, so that regular operators will not lose their efficiency on their regular operations. When capacity is excessive, transfer an operator so that the remaining operators will be balanced. The operator performance report shows the money spent on direct labour and the value received from direct labour. It measures the performance of the management & supervision in controlling these costs. It also measures the performance of the op erators.
Guaranteed Minimum Pay Amount paid to the R K P
Make-up Value of operator's work
Output Cost relationships
1. Efficiency
= Output / Input = SAH produced / Clock hours worked = Hours on standard / Clock hours worked = anything paid above piece rate earnings - e.g. Make-up, transfers,
2. Utilisation 3. Excess cost MD, OT premium 4. Excess costs can be reduced by: Increasing SAHs (Standard Allowed Hours) produced without increasing clock hours • worked • Reducing transfers (to operations where operators are paid an average earning rate). • Producing SAHs during transfers to the above operations Reducing (MD) Machine Break Down • Reducing OT (Overtime) •
2. Production flow
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• • •
Inadequate supply of work leading to the operators slowing down Drops in production because of absenteeism or other reasons Necessary supplies, equipment and information is not ready on time
Switch operators if and when required to maintain balance. Identify the bottleneck operation. Ensure that there is always feeding for this operation. A minute lost on the bottleneck operation is a minute lost on the entire line. All re-cuts and repairs should be made promptly, so that "cuts" will be completed on schedule and "boxing" will not be delayed because of incomplete assortments. Absenteeism and labour turnover also affect the flow of work. Anticipate "quits" as early as possible, so that someone else can be trained for the job before the quit occurs. Interview each operator who voluntarily quits; in order to obtain first-hand information on the reason. 3. Quality Producing bad quality costs money. It reduces the operator's performance. Some supervisors depend entirely upon general watchfulness of the work and workers to secure good workmanship - but often good workmanship is not enough. It is not sufficiently thorough to accomplish the necessary results. The supervisor should schedule time so that each operator's work gets checked, after having given special attention to the workers who are inclined to produce poor quality. When changes are made in materials, be especially watchful that folds, feeds, stitches etc. are proper with the new material. Sometimes the condition of equipment is a cause of poor quality. When the flow of work causes idle periods in the worker's time and she has time to think of things outside her work, the average quality of work is lower than when there is ample flow of work. Be especially watchful for poor quality when this condition exists. The supervisor's attitude towards the job will make a big difference. If his manner indicates that he is not concerned with the quality of an operation, the worker is not likely to be much concerned either. Ensure that a safe environment exists. Guard against workers adopting practices that are harmful to good order. These practices are often because of disregard by the worker of what she thinks is an unimportant work-rule. (Example - putting finished work, materials, thread etc. in some place other than the right place.) Continued neglect quickly forms a bad work habit. Constant vigilance will lead to the correction of such conditions.
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COST REPORTS A. Direct Labour Cost Reports
Before discussing how to control direct labour costs, we must be sure we all know what we are talking about, define some terms, and establish some benchmarks. The basic document we work from in looking for D.L. cost is a D.L. cost report. Some companies refer to this as an effectiveness report, a direct labou r analysis, a plant performance report, etc., your company refers to it as manufacturing cost anal ysis. Regardless of what you call it, all D.L. cost reports contain the same basic information. Purpose of report is to show the money spent on direct labour and the value received from direct labour. Director Labour-Pieceworkers Cost report measures the performance of pieceworkers. It also measures the performance of management and supervision in controlling these costs. B. Terminology and Cost Areas
1. Pieceworkers (Direct Labour) 2. Piecework dollars 3 . Excess costs - Make up - Machine delay - Transfers - Overtime premium 4. Percent excess 5. Base rate 6. SAH-Time value of piecework earnings 7. Clock hours 8. Standard hours 9. On-standard efficiency 10. Plant and section efficiency 11. Cost/unit produced C. Cost Relationships
1. Efficiency = output: input SAH produced: clock hours worked Clock Hours - SAH produced = loss (positive or negative) 2. Utilisation (direct labour) = Hours on-standard Clock Hours
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3. Excess Costs - anything paid above piecework earnings. Make-up, MD, transfers, OT premium. 4. Efficiency impact on profit Excess cost impact on profit 5. Relationships between efficiency and excess costs. a. Increase efficiency by increasing standard without increasing clock hou rs b. Transfers should produce standard $ if possible. c. Decrease excess costs by reducing M-U. d. Decrease excess costs by reducing MD. e. Decrease excess costs by reducing transfers. f. Decrease excess costs by reducing OT.
SUPERVISORY COST CONTROL
The control or non-control of departmental costs is reflected in every action a supervisor takes. This season will point out the areas of cost control a supervisor can affect - the following session will cover the specific techniques that can be used to insure a satisfactory cost performance.
A. Major Areas of Excess Costs (Direct Labour) Make-up, overtime, transfer can be directly related to operator performance and intelligent handling of production flow by supervisor. Achieve high operator utilisation through Operator Performance Supervising Methods •
•
•
•
•
Understand thoroughly the best methods to use on each operation, and see that the workers use them; See that the trainer and I. E. technician do not overlook anyone. Know the possibilities and limitations of the machines used, and see that proper speeds, stitches, etc., are used. Insure the machine is set up properly prior to sewing/assigning operators. Methods have been standardised and these standard practices should not be changed without a corresponding change in the piecework standard. When methods are changed, make certain that all operators are instructed properly and follow-up to make certain that the instructions are followed. If the change is extensive, get a trainer to give the instruction and follow-up, so that they will be more complete. Where changes in design of the product occur, operations and methods should be worked out and approved on one or two bundles before the remainder of the cut is put into production. This method will often save a Bottleneck in production later.
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Waste of Time
The greatest waste of all is the waste of time, because it wastes machines and lowers the productive capacity of the department. Some of it may be intentional, deliberate loafing, excessive conversation or unnecessary absences from work. Much of it however is unintentional-time, which is improperly used, resulting in more time and energy being consumed than is necessary for the amount of work being produced. When the waste of time is intentional, it means that the supervisor does not control her workers - and when it is unintentional, it usually means that the workers are not properly trained or supervised in methods or the flow of production needs closer attention. Excessive conversation is a double waste of time because it also wastes the time of the worker being “visited”,,. The supervisor must distinguish between a natural amount of conversation between workers, which is helpful to morale and good feeling and excessive conversation, which is destructive to good discipline, and morale. The wise supervisor does not frown on all conversation between workers, but does curb it if it becomes excessive. Production Flow Maintaining Production •
•
•
•
•
•
See that there is an adequate supply of work between each two operations, to keep operators from slowing down or waiting for work. Watch for "drops" in production on each operation because of absentees or other reasons, and immediately take the necessary steps to bring it back to normal before the following operation is affected. "Switch" operators if and when required to maintain balance. Anticipate "unbalance" and take countermeasures to assure maximum production without transferring operators, if possible. (This calls for compromises, as you usually cannot achieve both. You must decide if "switching" her to another job where you sacrifice efficiency and increase "make-up" - or working overtime on the operation behind schedule - or asking for permission to cross-train more "operators".). See that necessary supplies, equipment and information for jobs are on hand before they are needed. Keep informed as to the work schedule for your section and see that it is stored in the proper bins before it is needed. All recuts and repairs should be made promptly so that "cuts" will be completed on schedule and swiping of finished garments will not be delayed because of incomplete assortments.
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•
All bundles must be complete.
When production is excessive, transfer the appropriate operator to other work so that the remaining operators are assigned so that there will be sufficient work and the opportunity to keep their earnings up to normal (with discretion towards moving trainees and the effect of transfers on performance). Do not change operators from job to job any more than is necessary to avoid running short of work - train and use relief or utility operators instead, so that regular operators will not lose their efficiency on their regular operations. Keep in close touch with the trainers and technicians concerning the progress of learners, fitting the learner's increase in production into your plans. Make certain that all workers get full credit for any lost time that occurs, but make sure that they go back to work as quickly as possible so that lost time will be held to a minimum. See that anyone transferred to other work or working on unmeasured work uses the best methods and extends a reasonable effort. This rule applies to utility operators, shiftees and retrainees. Parts to be sewn should fit without having to be cut, trimmed or stretched by the operator. Any need for trimming or stretching should be reported to the quality manager.
B. Other Areas of Cost Control Supervising Quality
Top management of a plant can set up certain standards of quality, but they must be applied to the work and maintained by the supervisors. A supervisor has the responsibility for good workmanship. Under usual conditions, the quality of workmanship should take-up most of a supervisor's time. Just as the quality of a worker can be measured by the quality of her work, the quality of a supervisor is measured by the quality of work produced in her section. Watchfulness is the keynote of good quality. Some supervisors depend entirely upon general watchfulness of the work and workers to secure good workmanship - but often general watchfulness is not enough. General watchfulness is not sufficiently thorough to accomplish the necessary results. •
•
Schedule your own time so that each operator's work gets checked, after you have given special watchfulness to the workers who are inclined to produce work of poor quality. When changes are made in materials, be especially watchful that folders, feeds, stitches, etc., are working properly with the new material.
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•
•
•
When the flow of work causes idle periods in the worker's time and she has time to think of things outside her work, the average quality work is lower than when ample flow of work is coming through. Be especially watchful for poor quality when this condition exists. Sometimes the poor condition of machines or equipment is the cause of poor quality. Checking of machines should be done regularly and often enough to maintain them in good condition. The supervisor's own attitude toward the job will be a big influence. If her manner indicates that she isn't much concerned with the quality of an operation, the worker isn't likely to be much concerned either. Waste of Materials
•
•
•
•
There should never be any waste of power, light, heat, oil, water, threads, pins, needles or any other supply. Proper storage facilities for some of these items and watching to see that these facilities are used will help to conserve them. Surplus accessories such as bindings, hooks and eyes, elastic and straps should be returned to stock and not allowed to accumulate in bins or workboxes at the machines. Recuts should be used sparingly and should be kept locked up when not being used. Review recut ordering procedure. When stitching must be ripped out, the supervisor should see that the method used will not tear or cut the part.
Work Force
It is important that the supervisors continually look ahead and foresee the relation between the number of workers needed at present and those needed for future production. •
•
Anticipate the need for more workers due to changes in design or production requirements and take the necessary measures to provide them as far ahead of time as possible so that they will be properly trained when needed. The supervisor should report possible “quits" to the production manager as soon as she learns of them so that measures may be taken to train someone for the job before the quit occurs.
Labour turnover is an important element in maintaining an adequate working force. Careful thought should be given to the subject and it's effect on the cost of operating. •
Interview each worker who voluntarily quits; in order to obtain First-hand information as to the reason.
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•
Be careful in exercising your authority to discipline or discharge workers.
On the other hand, remember that everyone is not suited for this type of work. Be able to detect the Square pegs" and do not waste time trying to fit them into round holes". These workers are the ones, who in spite of everyone's efforts including their own, develop to about 75 percent and then stop. Discussing such problems with your assistance and supervisors will bring out the facts and help you arrive at the best decision. Conditions •
•
•
See that fans, light, heat, etc. are properly regulated at all times for the comfort of the workers. Restrooms, drinking fountains, etc. must be kept clean and sanitary. Aisles and spaces around the machines should be kept clear, and equipment and bins should be cleaned regularly. Good housekeeping can't be accomplished “with a lick and a promise, nor can you have it by a Good cleaning once in a while." It requires constant attention to the little details. You must secure the co-operation of the workers -- work through them -- set a good example for them to follow. Guard against workers adopting practices that are harmful to good order. These practices are often due to thoughtfulness -- or to disregard by the worker of what she thinks is an unimportant work rule. She will begin to put finished work, materials, thread, etc., in some place other than the right place. Continued neglect quickly forms a bad work habit. Constant vigilance by the supervisor will lead to the correction of such conditions before habits are formed. It will be easier to do so then, and it will not put as severe a strain upon good working relations between the supervisor and her workers.
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INCENTIVE PLANS A. The Use of Incentives
An Incentive plan is to recognise through pay, a fair days wage for fair day's work. An incentive plan is simply a means of paying a person based on his or her individual efforts and abilities. Another way to say this that each person is paid according to his or her performance. In most cases we automatically think of incentive pay being based on the amount produced, but this does not always hold true. In some cases quality is the basis of an incentive plan. In other cases it might be material utilisation. There are different incentive plans for supervisors but the common factor in all plans is that pay is based on performance of some type. Incentive pay is very much a part of life. How many times have you heard stories about men born into poverty eventually becoming millionaires? There is little argument about the concept of incentive plans for determining pay. Most people agree that people who perform the best should be paid the most. But every incentive plan has to have some yardstick to measure performance against, and it is in this area that disagreements often arise. For production workers the yardstick is often the quota for the job performed, and there are constant arguments as to whether or not job quotas are correct. The alternative to an incentive plan is to pay everyone a straight hourly rate regardless of performance. The morale of those who were normally high performers would certainly be hurt if they see lower performers receiving their same rate of pay. The incentive to work hard would be severely hurt if each person was paid the same thing each hour regardless of how well he did. We can agree that incentive plans are a fair way to pay employees and they are far superior to straight time work as an influence on productivity. B. What Incentive Systems to use
1. Key Points Where does it get out of makeup? • When does it pay base rate? • At what point does it break even with a regular straight incentive plan? (Split plans • will always break even at double the guarantee if using 50 percent as base). 2. Easiest way to see the relationship of various pl ans is to graph them.
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C. Types of Incentive Plans
Now that we've talked some about the ideas behind incentive plans, let's look at some specific examples of how different types of incentive systems are used in ou r industry. Regardless of the job done in setting the standard, an engineering installation will not succeed if the incentive system is not right. Straight Incentive
2.00
100% Incentive Factor does not affect grading. We are simply using a lower production standard in lieu of a higher base rate. One reason for this is the low minimum to base spread. Modified Incentive Systems
1. Jump Base On a jump base system, operators earning less than 100 percent have their earned hours multiplied by one base rate, and those above 100 percent receive a higher base rate. This creates an incentive for operators close to, but below 100 to "get up there." It also causes operators who ran 102 percent on Monday and have a streak of bad luck on Tuesday, knocking them to, say 87 percent, to feel - "What's the use of working hard on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday can't possibly make up the loss sufficiently to get into the jump bonus class." Most jump base plans use 100 percent as the jump point. This is not inherent in the plan since the jump could take place at any point.
The increase in pay is usually a fixed amount (e.g., Rs.5 or Rs10 per hour)
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33.0 22.0
100 %
Jump base plans are not used too often today. The usual practice today is to simply adjust the base rate both above and below 100 percent.
2. Fifty / Fifty Split Incentive Non-repetitive operations are subject to greater swings in conditions than are repetitive operations. For this reason, we usually recommend a form of split incentive. Many non-repetitive operations occur in cutting groom and warehousing installations. These operations are normally covered by multivariable rates. Use of a split incentive will dampen the swings in performance caused by changes in conditions on these operations. Fifty/fifty refers to the manner in which the operator will be paid: 50 percent of base pay plus 50 percent of all coupon dollars earned.
22.0 11.0
100 % 3. Modified Split Incentive Operator is paid on split incentive, but is paid straight incentive for a portion of her performance. (Typical example is from 100% to 120% on straight). One word of caution: The standards must be developed accurately regardless of the incentive plan to be used. The split is only used to compensate for conditions which vary widely. The
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use of a split incentive is never justification for sloppy rate setting. 4. Transfer Incentive Plans Whenever an operator has to be transferred from her regular operation, she can be paid at Average, Minimum, or at Base. What is lacking in all three of these plans? Answer: Incentive pull. It is desirable to keep peop le on incentive as much as possible. Some jobs will have to be paid at minimum, average, or base, depending on whether she has been transferred for company convenience or for her convenience. Example: Assume base rate is Rs1.75/hour. If an operator averages 105 percent on her regular operation, her average rate of pay will be Rs1.84 per hour. If this woman is transferred on Tl (60.50 plan) and performs at 80 percent, the results will be: 60% of Rs1.75 = Rs1.05 40% (half of 80%) of Rs1.75 = Rs0.70
D. Supplementary Plans
1. Some form of the above may be useful during periods of change or retraining. After the change is past, return to straight incentive. 2. In high style jobs, because of many changes, it may be necessary to use a supplemental plan all of the time. E. Diminishing Bonus
Various forms of diminishing bonus are sometimes used for transfers or for retraining purposes. Examples are 65/50 for a fixed period of time, then 60/50, etc. Others are +15 percent, +10 percent, and +5 percent to pay. We will discuss retraining bonus in greater detail when we are considering ways of motivating operators during follow-up. F. Key Points in Incentive Systems Discussion
1. Remember that any incentive system will be only as good as the administration of the system. Install controls so that plan does not get out of control. 2. Our object is to protect earnings - not overprotect.
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G. Single Base Rates Versus Variance Base Rates
1. Historically, apparel has been a one-base rate industry. The purpose of this topic is to try to stimulate discussion on the part of the trainees to determine their opinions on the subject. 2. Examples of two systems: Variable Base Rates I $1.70 II $1.80 III $1.90 IV $2.00 V $2.10
Single Base Rate: $1.90
What happens if two women of equal skill and ability come to work and job openings are available on Jobs I and IV? 3. One argument in favour of single base rate is that the Job IV woman has a more saleable skill if she moves to another plant. Characteristics of Good Incentive Plan
Regardless of the type incentive plan used, to be successful the following must hold true: 1. It is easy for the operator to understand and to calculate his or her pay. 2. The plan must have an adequate incentive between the base rate and the minimum rate. 3. Off-standard time (machine delay, waiting time, samples, etc.) must not affect incentive earnings. 4. The plan must be kept up to date. Incentive Plans in Apparel Industry
It is estimated that about 90 percent of the workers in the apparel industry are under some type of incentive plan. Ours is an industry that is still very much people controlled as opposed to machine controlled and because of this it lends itself well to incentive plans. The installation of incentive plans has produced benefits for both companies and employees. Benefits to companies: Improvement in operations through job analysis, Reduction in costs, Increased production per operator.
Some of the benefits to employees are: Increased earnings, Better job methods from job analysis, Higher morale, Greater interest in Job.
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In most cases the switch from time work to incentive pay enables the operator to make more money and the company to reduce costs. The reason for this is that when the work is the basis for pay, performance has generally proven to be about 65 percent of performance on incentive. Let's use a simple example to point this out. Let's say we have an operator performing a job that we have determined has a fair production standard of 450 pieces per day. This operator is paid Rs1.80 per hour on a straight timework basis. Using the experienced 65 percent guideline let's say she does about 293 pieces per day (65 percent of 450). The operator earns 9 hours X Rs1.80 = Rs16.20 per day The company pays Rs16.20 / 293 pieces = Rs.0553 per piece Let's now assume we put this job on incentive. Using a production standard of 450 pieces, we decide to pay Rs2.00 per hour for standard performance. The operator, who is a good steady worker, makes the standard and is paid Rs2.00 per hour. The operator earns 9 hours X Rs2.00 = Rs18.00 per day The company pays Rs18.00 / 450 pieces = Rs.0400 per piece Therefore, the operator makes more and the company produces more at less cost. Another genuine value of an incentive system is that there is motivation for the employee to beat the production standard and make more money. Still, the company benefits when this happens. Let's assume in our example another worker beats the production standard of 450 pieces by 10 percent. This means she produces 495 pieces (110 percent X 400) and she is paid Rs2.20 per hour (110 percent X Rs2.00). In this case: The operator earns 9 hours X Rs2.20 = Rs19.80 per day The company pays Rs19.80 / 495 = Rs0.0400 per piece Therefore, it doesn't cost the company any more money per unit for the operator to make more money. Key Pont in incentive system is to remember that any incentive system will be only as good as the administration of the system. Install controls so that plan does not get out of control. The objective is to protect earnings not overprotect.
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QUALITY PROCEDURES IN THE SEWING ROOM IN-LINE INSPECTION
During the production of garments the operator’s finished work is audited in an in-line inspection. A quality inspector moves from one operator to another at random inspecting a predetermined number of parts from a finished bundle. In-process inspector:
If the in-line inspector finds a defect in a part he is inspecting he should: • • • •
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Take defective part/parts out of the bundle Take part to the operator’s immediate supervisor Give the part to the supervisor to examine while inspector explains the defect found. Decide with the supervisor whether it is actually a defective part and if defective the supervisor should return the part to the operator. Go back to the operator and mark the bundle as rejected with a red card or cloth and fill in the appropriate paperwork for the inspection and mark the workstation with the quality banner to signal that follow-up bundles have not been cleared. Continue to the next operator selected randomly from the list of operators and perform the inspection based on the approved sampling plan. If an operator has a bundle rejected then all bundles coming from that operator are going to be checked by the quality inspector until three consecutive bundles are free of defects. At this point the red quality banner will be removed. Follow-up bundles are inspected in the same fashion (audit not 100% inspection) The quality banner helps the inspector remember to inspect the follow-up bundles from that operator and also helps the supervisor identify what operators are having quality problems. Make sure that the element of surprise exists when doing an inspection. Inspections should always be performed at random and should never follow patterns. Following a predetermined path in the line can hint operators you are going to inspect their work next. Inspect operators at random. Make sure that only the defined numbers of units are inspected. No more, no less. The units inspected should always be taken randomly from the bundle to ensure that the sample taken is representative from the bundle. Taking samples only from the top of the bundle is not correct and can give skewed results. The frequency at which the inspections are taken is vital. Spend only the necessary time inspecting a bundle so you can have a larger number of inspections daily.
Section supervisor:
The supervisor is responsible that the operators in his/her section perform adequately in their jobs. •
If a quality inspector approaches the supervisor with a defective unit he or she should:
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• • • •
Greet the inspector do not ignore him/her inspect the part according to the quality specifications if it is defective let the inspector know you understand it is a defective part and you are going to address the part with the operator. As soon as possible take the part to the operator and approach the situation appropriately: • • • • • • •
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Approach operator with defective garment Ask operator kindly to stop her work and pa y you attention Explain defect found and ask if she understands why garment is defective Make sure operator understands why it is defective Try to find out why the defect was created or why it was not detected at the workstation Restate the company’s commitment to quality Ask operator to inspect the current bundle for more defective parts and then repair all parts that are out of tolerance including the one found by the inspector. This should be done immediately. Stay and observe sewing method Make sure method is being followed
If necessary review the operator’s card with the operator to see if this was an isolated occasion or if it is a recurring problem. Try to motivate the operator to continue working with good quality. The supervisor leaves the operator repairing the defects. The supervisor should return after some time to make sure all work has been inspected and the defects repaired. Before the bundles continue to the next operation the supervisor should be sure that there are no defects in them. All bundles coming from that operator are to be checked by the quality inspector until three consecutive bundles are free of defects. If there are defects in the bundles following a rejection, you could say the supervisor is not doing a good job of ensuring quality in that operation.
100% INSPECTION
At the end of a section there will be an inspection made to all parts exiting the section. The inspections should be effective in identifying all defects in a garment. To ensure all seams and quality characteristics are inspected in a short period of time a defined inspection method should be followed. The inspection operators should have their forms filled out correctly. A good source of information to determine the quality performance of the section is the point of 100% inspection. The section supervisor should check the quality level at the point of 100% inspection periodically. From the 100% inspection forms the supervisor should analyze what are the 2 operators/operations with the highest defect frequency. For these operators/operations the
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supervisor should identify the type of defects found most often, the cause (machine/method), and the frequency at which the type of defects happen. With this information the supervisor should address the problems, correct the possible causes and make plans to prevent them. The inspection form is totaled 4 times a day so a supervisor can actually see the results of what he or she has done to stop defects. QUALITY DRILLS
The production supervisor is responsible of the operator’s work so it is of utmost importance that he or she has control over the quality level at which the operators produce. To prevent repairs and to ensure good quality there is a useful tool called “Quality Drill”. It is very effective in making operators quality conscious. During this exercise you confirm to the operator the commitment to good quality that the company has made and motivate him/her to produce with quality.
The procedure is the following:
1. Ask the operator to stop what he is doing and stand up. 2. Give the masking tape to mark defects 3. Ask the operator to inspect, based on the Quality Specification, the bundle in which he is working on, the bundle he has already finished, and the bundle he is going to work on next. This way the operator has the chance to see if the work he is doing is of good quality and also make sure that the work he is receiving from the previous operation is not defective. 4. Ask the operator to mark any part that is out of tolerance with the tape 5. Ask the operator to do it while standing up and when he or she is finished he should signal the supervisor that he is ready to have the results evaluated. 6. The supervisor makes sure that the instructions have been understood and then leaves to continue with the regular activities. 7. When the operator has signaled that he is finished, the supervisor returns 8. The supervisor then proceeds to inspect at random a number of parts of any bundle. If he is to find a defective part he should separate it and ask the operator why the part was not identified. If there are no defective parts found by the supervisor he turns to the operator and asks the operator to show him the defective parts he found. 9. If the operator has found no defects then the supervisor should select a part and ask the operator to explain why this part is of acceptable quality. The operator should be able to explain why based on the points described in the quality specification. 10. If defective parts have been identified then the operator should explain why they are defective based on the points described in the quality specification.
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