Production strategies & systems for Garment manufacturing

The garment industry is undergoing enormous change which ends up in increased pressures on retailers and apparel manufacturers. Both retailers and manufacturers are challenged to compete, not just in terms of price, but also in delivery times and services offered. Recently, the apparel industries are market driven. To meet market demands and generate profit, firms must fully utilise their resources and successfully expand their productivity. The demands of today's market require the flexibility and fast throughput implied to quick response (QR) strategies. Consumers' demand for timely fashion, quality and value has made the manufacturers think of their production strategies. Production strategies The four identified production strategies are: Flexible Manufacturing Strategy This strives to be responsive to consumer demand for small orders and short lead times. Flexible Manufacturing Strategy means the capability to quickly and efficiently produce a variety of styles in small production runs with no defects. Industry adopting this strategy should effectively use the new technology and resources. In simple words the manufacturing firm adopting this strategy will operate with the flexibility needed to meet the demands of its consumers and the inherent ability to adapt immediate changes in the apparel market. Value-Added Manufacturing Strategy This is a quick response strategy that focuses on eliminating any unnecessary operations or handling that do not increase the value of a product which will lead to delay in production. The rationale of this strategy is that each operation performed on a style should add value. Operations such as inspection, bundling and sorting warehousing requires extra time, handling and personnel but the activities do not add any value to the product. Any industry which adopts value added environment needs to evaluate processes and find more efficient ways to produce a product. Agile Manufacturing Strategy Agility is the dynamic ability of the firm to strategically use change as a vehicle to grow in the new markets, with new products and to develop new competencies. it requires an openness to change and flexibility to purse change. The real strength of an agile manufacturer is its ability to anticipate consumer needs and through innovation lead the emergence of new products. Mass Customisation The goal of mass customisation is to produce products that can be made-to-order rather than made to plan. Products life cycle are short and the strategy requires processing single orders with immediate turn around. Considering the complexity of many apparel products and the number of processes that a style may require, the equipment, skills, information and the processes must be highly integrated. This may involve single ply cutting, single piece continuous floor manufacturing and integral information technology. Apparel consumers will soon have the opportunity to have garments fully customised including style, fit, fabric and trim wit delivery direct to their home in a few days at a price similar to the mass produced garments. Body scanning technology will be the basis of custom fit. A combination of computer aided design, single ply cutters, team based assembly will facilitate shipping the garment the same day it is ordered. Mass customisation will reduce the risk associated with trying to anticipate consumer demand months ahead of point of sale to the ultimate consumer. Production systems Another characteristic of the apparel manufacturer in the conceptual framework is the production system. An apparel production system is an integration of material handling, production processes, personnel, and equipment that directs work flow and generates finished products. Apparel manufacturers are adopting several types of production systems and the product characteristic is highly related to the type of production system. The best apparel production will depend on the mission and policies of the manufacturing firm as well as the capacities of the personnel engaged in the production departments; it also depends on the volume of production. Three types of production systems commonly used in mass production apparel are: Each system requires an appropriate management philosophy, materials handling methods, floor layout, and employee training. Firms may combine or adapt these systems to meet their specific production needs. Industries may use only one system, a combination of systems for one product line, or different systems for different product lines in the same plant. Progressive Bundle System The progressive bundle system (PBS) as the name implies the bundles of garment parts are moved sequentially from operation to operation. This system, often referred to as the traditional production system, has been widely used by apparel manufacturers for several decades and still is today. It was reported by the AAMA Technical Advisory Committee that 80 per cent of the apparel manufacturers used the bundle system and also predicted that use of bundle systems would decrease as firms seek more flexibility in their production systems. Bundles consist of garment parts needed to complete a specific operation or garment component. For example, an operation bundle for pocket setting might include shirt fronts and pockets that are to be attached. Some firms operate with a standard bundle size, while other firms vary bundle sizes according to cutting orders, fabric shading, size of the pieces in the bundle, and the operation that is to be completed. Bundles are assembled in the cutting room where cut parts are matched up with corresponding parts and bundle tickets. Bundles of cut parts are transported to the sewing room and given to the operator scheduled to complete the operation. One operator is expected to perform the same operation on all the pieces in the bundle, retie the bundle, process coupon, and set it aside until it is picked up and moved to the next operation. Advantages: This system may allow better utilisation of specialised machines, as output from one special purpose automated machine may be able to supply several operators for the next operation. Small bundles allow faster throughput unless there are bottlenecks and extensive waiting between operations. Disadvantages: It is driven by cost efficiency for individual operations. As the operators perform the same operation on a continuing basis, and are compensated by piece rates become extremely efficient at one operation and may not be willing to learn a new operation because it reduces their efficiency and earnings. Individual operators that work in a progressive bundle system are independent of other operators and the final product. Slow processing, absenteeism, and equipment failure may also cause major bottlenecks within the system. Large quantities of work in process. This may lead to longer throughput time, poor quality concealed by bundles, large inventory, extra handling, and difficulty in controlling inventory. Unit Production System A unit production system (UPS) is a type of line layout that uses an overhead transporter system to move garment components from work station to work station for assembly. All the parts for a single garment are advanced through the production line together by means of a hanging carrier that travels along an overhead conveyor. The overhead rail system consists of the main conveyor and accumulating rails for each work station. Carriers are moved along the main conveyor and switched to an accumulating rail at the work station where an operation is to be performed. At the completion of an operation the operator presses a button, and the carrier moves on to the next operation. Most unit production systems are linked to a computer control center that routes and tracks production and provides up-to-the-minute data for management decisions. The unit production system transports all the pieces of one complete product through the manufacturing process. An addressable product carrier takes all the pieces of one entire unit (ie, for trousers - backs, fronts, pockets, etc) through the different steps of production. Operations are performed at individual workstations. The end result is a cost-efficient product, processed from pieces to completion. Workflow in Unit Production System Load all the pieces in a product carrier The product carrier with the pieces will be routed through the different operation steps At every machine/operation the patented chain will position the product ideally Completed the product arrives to an unloading station. The empty product carrier returns to the loading station. Advantages: Improved lead times - less Work In Process. Improved space utilisation, Increased productivity Throughput time in the sewing room can be drastically reduced. Direct labor costs are reduced Indirect labor costs may be reduced by elimination of bundle handling and requiring fewer supervisors. Improved production and quality monitoring. Reduced space utilisation. Improved ergonomics. Disadvantages: Highly expensive - buying equipment and Cost of installing Specialised training for the system. Modular Production System A modular production system is a contained, manageable work unit that includes an empowered work team, equipment, and work to be executed. The number of teams in a plant varies with the size and needs of the firm and product line. Teams may be used to perform all the operations or a certain portion of the assembly operations depending on the organisation of the module and processes required. Before a firm can establish a modular production system, it must prioritise its goals and make decisions that reflect the needs of the firm. With a team-based system operators are given the responsibility for operating their module to meet goals for throughput and quality. The team is responsible for maintaining a smooth work flow, meeting production goals, maintaining a specified quality level, and handling motivational support for the team. Team members develop an interdependency to improve the process and accomplish their goals. Interdependency is the relationship among team members that utilises everyone's strengths for the betterment of the team. Workflow in Modular Production A Modular Production System operates as a Pull System, with demand for work coming from the next operator in line to process the garment. Wastage is normal, and workflow is continuous and does not wait ahead of each operation. This increases the potentials for flexibility of styles and quantities of products that can be produced. Workflow within a module may be with a Single-piece hand-off, Kanban, or Bump-back system. If a single-piece hand-off is used, machines are arranged in a very tight configuration. As soon as an operation is completed the part is handed to the next operator for processing. Operations need to be well balanced as there is usually only one garment component between each operation. Some modules may operate with a buffer or small bundle of up to ten pieces of work between operators. If a small bundle is used, an operator will complete the operation on the entire bundle and carry the bundle to the next operation. An operator may follow a component or bundle for as many operations as they have been trained or until the adjacent operator is ready to assume work on the bundle. A Kanban uses a designated work space between operations to balance supply with demand. The designated space will hold a limited number of completed components (two or three) in queue for the next operation. If the designated space is full, there is no need to produce more until it is needed or the space empties. This limit builds up of product ahead of the next operation. When the space is full the operator can assist with other operations that may be slow. The bump-back or TSS (Toyota Sewing System) approach was developed by the Toyota Sewn Product Management System and is probably the most widely used type of team-based manufacturing. It is a stand-up module with flexible work zones and cross-trained operators. Operators may be cross-trained on up to four different successive operations. This enables operators to shift from operation to operation until the next operator is ready to begin work on the garment. The operator needing work steps to the beginning of the zone and takes over the processing at whatever point it is in the production process. The operator who has been relieved of the garment will then move back to the beginning of the work zone and take over work on another garment. This approach enables continuous work on a garment and allows each operator to perform several different operations. This arrangement frequently uses a 4-to-l ratio of machines to operators. Advantages: High flexibility Fast throughput times Low wastages Reduced absenteeism Reduced Repetitive Motion Ailments Increased employee ownership of the production process Empowered employees Improved Quality Disadvantages: A high capital investment in equipment. High investment in initial training. High cost incurred in continued training