ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUPERVISOR SEWING ROOM SUPERVISOR
NISHANT KUMAR B.F. TECH- V | NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION FASHION TECHNOLOGY, JODHPUR JODHPUR
SEWING ROOM SUPERVISOR SUPERVISOR ’S ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Why the sewing room? Most of the supervisors in a clothing factory are in the sewing room. Often they will have received less formal training than those in other de partments such as the cutting room. Examples are chosen from the sewing room in order to make points in practical p ractical terms.
The supervisor’s job The first step is to see how the supervisors spend their working days and then to see if their priorities are right. Balancing would normally be considered to be the main area in which supervisors can influence productivity. Planning ahead is the keynote. The scheduling of work forms the next most important category. Quality control by the operatives is the way to achieve low quality costs and the supervisor’s role is to detect poor work quickly and then to take steps to correct the cause. The specialist staffs are there merely to assist in this. The operatives on the line are the means by which the supervisor gets results. An up-todate inventory of their skills, together with a determined effort to improve upon them, can do a great deal for section efficiency. The clerical aspects of a supervisor’s work cannot be neglect and it is also important for management to recognize reco gnize that the effectiveness of supervisors will owe a great deal to their relations with their operatives. These can only be a good if the supervisor works to keep them what way.
Supervisory duties The exact nature of the supervisor’s job will vary from factory to factory but an ex ample is provided so that a manager can construct a list appropriate to his or her unit. It helps to let people know exactly what you expect of them. As list prepared by a manager and one prepared by a manager and one prepared by a supervisor will often differ widely.
Factory routines A good factory routine provides a solid basis for achievement and goes a long way towards eliminating crises. Perhaps the most important aspect is the way that it ensures that regular contact occurs between the manager and all supervisors and that they are prepared for that contact in advance. Good communications are unlikely un likely to occur without it. Regular ‘objective’ and ‘attainment’ session, on a three-monthly three-monthly basis, are recommended.
Supervisor’s check list A summary of duties in this form is a good way w ay of establishing what the manager expects in the way of routine for the supervisors. It can be very useful for new supervisors. “GOOD SUPERVISORS AIM FOR THE GREATES OUTPUT AT THE AGREED QUALITY FOR THE LEAST COST”
The supervisor’s job Breakdown of responsibility
It is useful, as an exercise for supervisors, for them to keep a check on how ho w they spend their days. That Students can learn a lot by working with supervisors and then comparing the proportion of the time that each spends on the activities listed. This can then be compared privately with their effective3ness as defined by the production manager, together with indicators such as section efficiency, defects per 1000 standard minutes and absenteeism. Priorities
The proportion of the supervisor’s time which is devoted to each activity activity will depend upon many things, of which the two most important are the company production policy and the personality of the supervisor concerned. In most cases, how ever, the bulk of a sup ervisor’s time should be spent in overcoming or avoiding problems directly d irectly related to production and particularly in balancing the output of her team. The supervisor should be motivated to allocated time according to the needs of the job. Balancing
Senior management will select the production system, the degree of sectionalized working and the amount of work in process permitted. These in turn will influence the time that a supervisor should spend in ensuring that the line is and will spend more than half hal f their time in this activity. Much can be achieved by visual balancing but it is essential that written checks are carried out too. It is important that these are done at the agreed times, since the ‘supervisor’s balance sheet’ is a useful document for management only if they can rely on the accuracy of the information. Over-frequent Over-frequent checks will interfere with the supervisor’s other work and will lead to fictional account. One purpose of the regular check is to provide an opportunity for the supervisor to speak with every operative on the line. Capacity checks can also play a major part in improving individual output an also in balancing routine. Computerized balancing requires the same level of understanding of the balancing process but reduces the chore of regular checks.
Delivery
A production schedule is a vital if delivers are to be made on time. A simple wall chart on which production days are shown will often be adequate to mark the progress of orders and to indicate deadlines. On the shop floor the first and the last bundles in an order should be noted by the supervisor and reported daily as a check on progress. Supervisors should be told when to expect work and the date by which the last bundle must be completed, in order that the delivery date can be achieved. A written schedule for each week should be issued in advance. Quality
The achievement of consistent quality is the required level should be the supervisor’s aim. Records of rework, repairs and rejects enable the manager and supervisor to monitor this activity and to take corrective action before too much defective work has been produced. The information must be presented simply in such a way that it can be3 easily analyzed. Complicated mathematics are counter-productive in this field although long-term monitoring of trends may be treated in a more sophisticated way. It must be read and used on a regular regular basis rather than whenever a quality drive is on. It must be read and used on a regular basis rather than whenever a quality drive is on. It must be seen to be used. Anticipation of defects d efects by noting likely causes has also a part to play. Operative skills
Supervisors are as good as the operatives o peratives who work for them. Their achievement in balancing can only be as good as their knowledge of the skill inventory, with p lans for increasing the operator performance on normal tasks and for enc ouraging versatility. It is the mark of the effective supervisor, who should be encouraged to regard it as a source of pride. The initial labour allocation for a section to cope with a style will be agreed with management but the supervisor should be alert to changes in conditions and to possible improvements in the efficiency of the section. Suggestions for change s hould come from the supervisor upwards and should preferably be for improvements in section efficiency – efficiency – more more garments from fewer people. Method analysis is useful when operatives appear to be producing less than would be expected from their efforts. Once defective methods have been identified then retraining is possible. The supervisor must anticipate labour turnover and plan for replacements. Equ ally vital is the need to make new operatives feel at home and to bring them as soon as possible.
Training
The demand for good training comes co mes naturally form the desire of a supervisor to improve the efficiency of the section. A separate training section can be useful in training new starters and retraining operators to correct their methods or to acquire new skills. ‘on the job’ instructors may be available to assist the supervisor in overcoming training problems on the production line. If supervisors do not agree with the methods of the training specialists they must never say so to trainees but discuss the matter honestly and privately with the specialists themselves. In this way the respect of the trainee for both supervisor and instructor can be maintained. E ven skilled operatives can be improved with tactful coaching and although the cooperation of the specialists should always be sought, the final responsibility for the training of op eratives rests with the supervisor. Clerical
Very few people like paper-work and since it is , of itself, nonproductive, we must keep it to a minimum. But if it is to be done it is better that it is well done. Inaccurate checks, carried out at the wrong times, are harmful. For example, where there is a daily d aily coupon sheet, it must be verified and initialed by the supervisor, before it is handed into the payroll office. The next day, when it is returned with the performance recorded and comment on any significant change to the operative. If at all possible, queries should be answered the same day. Welfare and other activities
Supervisors should be encouraged to regard the welfare of operatives as their responsibility. After all, the supervisor knows them best and by helping them with their problems, can establish a good working relationships. Nevertheless, the personnel officer and factory nurse as useful aides and not as rivals. Their assistance should be sought with anything that is time-consuming. Up to 10 10 percent of a supervisor’s time may usefully be spent talking with operatives on matters not strictly related to production. Studies have shown that this is essential for the friendly co-operation which marks a successful section.
Sample of a list of supervisory duties Production
Planning
Planning the allocation of the operatives within the section, in order to balance throughput. Ensuring that cut work, garment from another section, thread and trimmings are ordered, with adequate notice and checks on delivery. Recommending people for transfer to other tasks or asking for additional operatives, in order to maintain manning levels. Preparing a chart showing the potential output of each of the operatives for various jobs.
Quality
Checking that work is produced within quality tolerances. Inspecting some of the work passed by the examiners, correcting them as necessary and informing the quality manager of major problems. Reporting excessive no. of cloth defects and poor quality from other parts of the factory. factor y.
Operatives
Recruitment and discharge
Asking for labour when the need is known, so that replacement can be planned
Enquiring as to the reasons for resignations and reporting the facts.
Induction
Giving information to trainees on the garment made and how they are manufactured
Introducing new employees to the section, factory facilities and rules.
Ensuring that new starters know the safety rules and obey them.
Training
Noting the training needs of the operatives. One or more skills for ordinary ordinary operatives must be agreed with management on the skills inventory
Giving instruction, as required, and reporting on the p rogress made.
Controlling the trainees on the line.
Liaising with the training center on trainees destined for the line.
Utilization
Moving operatives about, in order to maintain the section at its highest efficiency. Discussing with management, on a daily basis, the movement of people to and from the section in order to cope with absenteeism. ab senteeism.
Discipline
Working within the factory disciplinary procedures
Dealing with lateness, absenteeism and over-extended breaks.
Making sure that the members of the section are familiar with the company rules and seeing that these are obeyed. Making recommendation to management on suspension and discharge.
Safety
Understanding the applications of the factories act
Allowing only safe working practices
Checking that all machinery in the section is in safe working order or has been checked by a competent person.
Sending injured people to the first aid assistant.
Advising management when to contact the fire brigade or the hospital.
Labour relations
Dealing with the personal problems of the section, as far as possible, and passing on to management only those where help is required.
Reporting all possible causes of industrial unrest.
Passing on to the responsible person any official union complaints.
