1

BANGALORE UNIVERSITY

Capacity planning of sewing department & Idle time reduction A Project Report submitted in partial fulfillment of the Sixth Semester course in B.Sc (Fashion & Apparel Design) By JITHIN.G.S Reg No. 07WVS71058 Under the guidance of
VEENA K. THIMMAIAH ASST PROFESSOR

Army Institute of Fashion and Design

ITI, B Area, Doorvaninagar, Bangalore-560016 June - 2010

BANGALORE UNIVERSITY

Army Institute of Fashion and Design

ITI, B Area, Doorvaninagar, Bangalore-560016

CERTIFICATE This is to certify that JITHIN.G.S, bearing Register No. 07WVS 71058 has satisfactorily completed the dissertation work titled Capacity planning of sewing Department & Idle time reduction submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of Bachelor Degree in Science of Fashion and Apparel Design by the Bangalore University during the academic year 20092010.

Mrs. Veena K. Thimmaiah

Asst Professor
Army Institute of Fashion & Design, Bangalore-560016

Mr. N.S.Srinivasan
Head of the Department, Army Institute of Fashion & Design, Bangalore-560016

Dr. Prof. H.L.Vijaya Kumar

Principal Army Institute of Fashion & Design Bangalore-560016 Name of Examiner 1. 2. Signature with Date

DECLARATION I hereby declare that the project report titled Capacity planning of sewing Department &Idle time reduction was conducted by me at Army Institute of Fashion and Design, under the guidance of VEENA K. THIMMAIAH. I declare that this project or part has not been reported elsewhere. This project is being submitted to the Bangalore University for the partial fulfillment for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Fashion and Apparel Design.

Place: Bangalore Date: 25.05.2010

Name: JITHIN.G.S Reg No. 07VWS71058

Capacity planning of sewing department & Idle time reduction

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
At the outset, we must thank all those who have helped in some way or the other and bestowed their blessings. I would like to express my gratitude to our beloved principal Dr H.L Vijay Kumar sir & H.O.D Mr. Srinivasan sir for extending a great support in completing this project. I would like sincerely thanking Mrs. Veena K. Thimmaiah (my guide) who helped me at every stage of this project. Without mams support, it would be impossible to finish this project. I sincerely would like to express my gratitude to Army Institute Of Fashion Design Library and Mr. Prakash Sir, who supported me at every stage of this project with required study materials. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the Faculty, staff & my friends of Army Institute Of Fashion & Design, who gave me the inspiration to complete this project. I sincerely express my thankfulness Mrs. Keerthi (Human resource department, Texport Syndicate) and all other staffs of Texport Syndicate, who enriched me with knowledge to complete this project.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Abstract Introduction Review of literature Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Summary & Conclusion Suggestions / Recommendation Bibliography

INDEX

Sl No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Table of Figures / Charts / Graphs Page No 1. 1 Fig 2.1 Fig 3.1 to 3.4 Fig 4.1 to 4.3 Fig 5.1 to 5.3 Fig 6.1 to 6.10

INTRODUCTION
The apparel industry is a broad- based global system of merchandising, marketing, producing, and distributing. Business success is dependent on meeting customers need. Apparel professional seeks levels of apparel performance and quality suited to price limitations , cost structures , product standards, profit goals, target customers needs and

wants however, beliefs in co-relation among price, performance, quality may be faulty assumptions in todays apparel market. Biggest challenge Indian garment manufacturers facing today are to meet delivery expectations and price pressures from foreign buyers. Garment manufacturing industry is quite complex with numerous factors contributing towards it. Garments are highly seasonal goods. Every season has new styles (items). This makes demand forecasting a big challenge given that relevant demand history is not available. Each style has sizes; dimensions, colours and fabric attribute that lead to numerous SKUs for single style. This demands to deal with huge amount of styles and operations. Supply chains of medium to big players in this industry are truly global wherein sourcing of fabric and sub-mats & trims is done from different countries (mostly China, Korea, HK, India etc), manufacturing happens in different countries(China, India, HK, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Caribbean etc) and products are shipped to and sold in big markets such as America, Japan, Europe etc. In few cases even manufacturing of one garment happens in different countries due to what we call governments threeRs - rules, regulations and restrictions. Overall demand and supply lead-time here is one of the longest compared to that in many other discrete goods industries. The outerwears you are wearing today might have been conceived in development studio 1.5 to 2 years ago if it is a new style. Garment manufacturers are actually in business of selling factory capacities and not selling garments. Production capacity management is thus a key in meeting buyers expectations in terms of delivery and price. With help of advanced Collaboration Systems available in the market, big brands and retailers follow VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory)and CPFR (Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment)model to reduce the investments in inventory & transaction costs by sharing latest forecast and sales data with vendors and relying on them to replenish the inventory on regular basis. This adds to complexity, as not all customers of a firm want to follow this model. But engaging in VMI and CPFR model with retailers gives manufacturers competitive advantage over similar suppliers due to potential of long-term relations and shared vision to fulfilled end user demands.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Grace I. Kunz says that Production along with marketing, merchandising, operations, and finance-is one of the essential functions in apparel manufacturing. Apparel

production involves the conversion of materials (input)

into

completed,

salable

garments

(output). The demands of todays market require the flexibility and fast throughput implicit to Quick Response (QR) strategies. Regardless of the production strategy, three factors impact the planning and management of the conversion process. Throughput volume, throughput time, and work in progress are measures of productivity and production capability. According to Ruth E. Glock, Industrial Engineering is defined an approach applied to all factors, including human factor involved in the production & distribution of production and services. Further this paper discusses the various basic works of the industrial engineers and the importance of it in achieving the good productivity and improved efficiency. It involves specifically the functions of production and distribution. As a whole the industrial engineering is the part of apparel engineering to find out the logical way s of to do something. The time required to do it, and the way to measure the result. Time study and motion study are the two steps of finding the best way to do a job and timing to find out how long it takes. The time study helps to get correct quotas and price rates. For costing, man power planning, machine requirements, production planning etc A.J.CHUTER 1988,1985 This introductory text for supervisors and students of clothing production management sets out the fundamentals of quality control and fault prevention, work study, effective supervision, training, balancing, ergonomics, layouts and planning and control. It covers the syllabus of a variety of clothing courses, but is highly appropriate for managers. According to Henry ford Continuous improvement is not about the things you do well that's work. Continuous improvement is about removing the things that get in the way of your work. The headaches, the thing that slow you down, thats what continuous improvement is all about. Taiichi Ohno in his book Toyota Production System stated that the preliminary step toward applying system is identifying waste completely. He then described the seven types of waste in a manufacturing system: overproduction, time on hand (waiting), transportation, processing, stock on hand (inventory), movement, and making defective products.

Harld Carr and Barbara Ltham, 1988, 1994 The second edition of this standard work on the subject explains the process of modern clothing manufacture and describes the equipment used to carry them out.

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Ruth

E.

Glock,

Apparel Manufacturing helps student to understand the

concept of Apparel Manufacturing, Product Development, Dimensions of Apparel Management & focus on production which involves Production strategies, work flow, apparel production systems, work study & ergonomics. According to Kim and K.P Johson (2003) In any experimental study one of the most interesting as well as most important phases is a direct comparison of its results with those of former studies. Ernie Smith says Many people think about cutting heads, reducing the work force or cutting inventory. It is about gaining market share and being prepared to enter in or create new markets. Gini Stephens Firing Says manufacturers and retailers respond to fashion leaders and follower in their product development and merchandising. Then try to establish a particular merchandising identity with the various consumer groups. Designer collection provides for the fashion leaders while the majority of manufacturers provide merchandise for fashion followers.

MATERIALS & METHODS

IDLE TIME REDUCTION IDLE TIME

It is that part of attendance time when the worker has work available but for various reasons

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does not do it. When one describes a machine as idle, it is an objective statement regarding its current state. However, when used to describe a person, idle typically carries a negative connotation, with the assumption that the person is wasting their time by doing nothing of value.

OBJECTIVE:
To identify causes of occurrence of idle time in cutting, sewing and finishing department and calculate the approximate percentage of the same.

METHODOLOGY:
Direct observation: observing the production process in cutting, sewing and finishing department on a daily basis to note the frequency of occurrence of various idle times. Direct interaction: in order to understand the cause behind the emergence of the particular idle time or breakdowns, direct interaction with the concerned operators and related people were made. Time study: to record the time span elapsed during each idle condition, its approximate duration was recorded.

The various causes of idle time have been broadly classified under three major categories: Poor planning - includes insufficient feed of material, delay in resource allocation, ineffective marker making, batch setting, line balancing, miscommunication within department, shift change delay etc.

Operator inefficiency includes low skill of operator, supervisors interruptions, sitting idle, extended breaks, rework, etc.

Machine breakdown includes needle breakage, electrical difficulties, machine failure, power failure etc IDLE TIME IN CUTTING DEPARTMENT: Observation time 24 hrs (8 hrs x 3 days) Average strength 129 @ 92% attendance

Idle Time S. No. 1. Causes (in hh:mm:ss) Poor planning 105:12:00

Contribution (in %) 56.79

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2. 3.

Operator inefficiency Machine breakdown

65:08:00 40:31:00

35.82 7.39

Table 10.Showing Contribution of Each Factor in total idle time

Chart 21 showing contribution of each factor in total observed time \

1. CAPACITY PLANNING

The CAPACITY is defined as to know the actual working capability of the available resources which includes the machinery and the man power. The knowledge of the capacity helps in fixing up the targets and allocating the resources for the completion of the target at the given date. This planning is termed as CAPACITY PLANNING. The planning is done as per the available resources but there is always a reduction in the produced than the target fixed.

1.1 REASONS FOR LOW OUTPUT

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1. 2. 3. 4.

Absenteeism Poor work methods (affects performance & efficiency) Low operator performance Poor operator utilisation

5. Style change is not itself a cause of lost output, it can cause all or some of the above.

1.2 ON STANDARD TIME

That time the operator spends on measured work earning Standard Minutes.

1.3 OFF-STANDARD TIME

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. That time the operator spends on un-measured work. Should be reported on Labour cost control sheet Waiting for work Machine breakdown Unmeasured work operation not yet allocated SMV. Sampling Repairs (not own) Paid average (for balancing) Under re-train Indirect work covering for supervisor Supervisor/manager should be targeted to stay within budget

1.4

MEASURED WORK:
1. 2. That work to which a standard measure (SMV, SAM) has been applied. Example of measured work that may be classified as off-standard.

An operator may whilst learning a new operation be taken off standard for payment purposes but will still be contributing SMS as the operation they complete will have SMV applied.

1.5 SMV/SAM
1. Standard Minute Value (S.M.V.) is the time allocated through work measurement for an operation to be completed at a 100 rating. 2. Standard Allocated (Allotted) Minute (S.A.M.) is an S.M.V. + any policy allowances added.

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1.6 OPERATOR PERFORMANCE

Primarily a measure of the effectiveness of the individual operator = SMs earned on standard x 100 Time spent on standard Sometimes referred to as Pay performance as it is usually measured within an incentive scheme

1.7 OPERATOR UTILISATION

A measure of how well the supervisor manages to keep the operators on-standard = Time on-standard x 100 Time attended

1.8 EFFICIENCY
A measure of how well the section/factory is run. = SMs earned Time attended. A measure of both the operator and the supervisor x 100

Incorporates elements of operator performance & utilisation into the single measure. Results & Discussion

PRODUCTION CAPACITY TEXPORT SYNDICATE AT STITCHING DEPARTMENT 2.1 OBSERVATION

Style Followed: Bottom with two front & back pocket with coin pocket Style No: #M-1309

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2.2 Order details: A. Buyer : MOTHERCARE B. Machine : 1. Over lock machine 2. Single Needle Edge Cutter 3. Single Needle Lock Stitch 4. Double Needle Lock Stitch 5. Button Sewing 6. Button Hole . C. Number of machines used : 1. O/L- 6 2. SNEC-2 3. SNLS- 31 4. DNLS- 6 5. Button Sew- 1 6. Button Hole- 1 7. Flat Lock - 1 . D. No. of Workers: 63 1. Operators:48 2. Helpers: 08 3. Checker: 03 4. Ironer: 04

Operation Breakdown of Bottom With Two Front And Back Pocket With Coin Pocket And Sam Calculation Sheet: S No. Operation SAM (std. mints) Flap Section 01 02 03 Mark for r/s flap Deco stitch flap Att velcro to flap 0.374 0.328 0.622 1 1 1 H/Table SNLS SNLS No. of operators Machine Type

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04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

R/s flap R/s flap E/s flap T/s flap Stay stitch flap Att yoke Top stitch yoke Hem pkt mouth Crease pkt Trim pkt Mark & set pkt Att pkt to back Att pkt to back O/l back rise Top stitch back rise Checking(Back) Hem coin pkt Att coin pkt to facing O/l facing Att facing to front Att facing to front Mark for front

0.314 0.315 0.388 0.695 0.492 Back Section 0.489 0.424 0.364 0.657 0.263 0.423 0.314 0.315 0.268 0.282 0.205 Front Section 0.189 0.269 0.485 0.349 0.350 0.328

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

SNLS SNLS SNLS SNLS SNEC SNLS SNLS SNLS Iron Table H/table H/Table SNLS SNLS 3T OL DNLS I/Table SNLS DNLS 3T OL SNLS SNLS H/Table

26 27 28 29 30

Deco stitch @ front Att pkt bag to front Cut & turn pkt bag Top stitch pkt bag Tack pkt bag top &

0.310 0.424 0.608 0.437 0.444

1 1 1 1 1

SNLS SNLS Iron Table SNLS SNLS

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bottom 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Att w/b Tack @ w/b ends Mark & sew button hole Close pkt bag Top stitch pkt bag Ready stitch double fly O/l double & small fly Join front rise Top stitch front rise Checking(Front) Trim loop Prepare loop Crease inner w/b panel Crease outer w/b panel Top stitch w/b Match bundle Join in seam O/l in seam O/l in seam Top stitch in seam O/l side seam Deco stitch side seam Hem bottom Hem bottom Att w/b 0.414 0.525 0.400 0.436 0.286 0.283 0.205 Loop & W/B Section 0.210 0.214 0.408 0.409 0.373 Assembly Section 0.289 0.444 0.189 0.189 0.385 0.680 0.470 0.330 0.331 0.228 0.228 0.461 0.251 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 H/Table SNLS 3T OL 3T OL DNLS 5T OL SNLS DNLS DNLS SNLS SNLS SNLS Button hole 1 1 1 1 1 H/Table F/L Iron Table Iron Table SNLS 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 SNEC SNLS SNLS 3T OL SNLS DNLS I/Table

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56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 Total

Mark & sew button sew Mark & cut elastic Tack for close w/b Close w/b Mark for loop att Att loop to bottom Att loop to top Final checking

0.284 0.405 0.400 0.493 0.578 0.545 0.545 0.450 24.234

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 64

Button sew H/Table SNLS SNLS H/Table SNLS SNLS I/Table

Note: SAM is taken from GSD 2.5 RESULTS: SAM (at 100% efficiency) = 24.23 std. mins SAM (at 80% efficiency) = 30.29 std. mins. Total pieces produced/day/line (at 100% efficiency idealistic situation) = 1009 Total pieces produced/day/line (at 80% efficiency) = 807 = Target Actual No of pieces produced/day/line (an average no.) = 400 AS PER TARGET According to the SAM (at 80% efficiency), The Efficiency of the line= (400 / 807)*100=49.5 % And the Production Loss = 807 400 = 407 pieces According to the SAM (at 100% efficiency idealistic situation), The Efficiency of the line= (400 / 1009)*100= 39.64%

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And the Production Loss = 1009 400 = 609 pieces 2.6 INFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LINE: 1. The operation No.04, 05, 15, 16, 48, 50, 51 and 60 in time study sheet, respectively were proving to be major bottlenecks in the line. 2. On the other hand the operation No. 17, 20, 21 and 39 in time study sheet, respectively)were being carried out at a very fast pace. 3. There is a need to utilize the best operator to the fullest at bottleneck operations so as to maintain the WIP. 2.7 OBSERVATION 2: Bottom with two front & back pocket with coin pocket Style No: #M-1302 2.8 Order details: A. Buyer : MOTHERCARE B. Machine : 1. Over lock machine 2. Single Needle Edge Cutter 3. Single Needle Lock Stitch 4. Double Needle Lock Stitch 5. Double Needle Split Bar 6. Button Sewing 7. Button Hole 8. Flat Lock Machine . C. Number of machines used : 1. O/L- 6 2. SNEC-1 3. SNLS- 21 4. DNLS- 11 5. DNSB- 3 6. Button Sew- 1 7. Button Hole- 1 8. Flat Lock - 1

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. D. No. of Workers: 63 1. Operators:48 2. Helpers: 05 3. Checker: 03 4. Ironer: 03

2.9 Operation Breakdown of Bottom With Two Front And Back Pocket With Coin Pocket And Sam Calculation Sheet: SAM S No. Operation (std. mints) Back Section 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Mark for tape pkt Hem pkt mouth Att Tape back pkt Att Tape back pkt Crease pkt O/l back yoke Top stitch yoke Att pkt to back Att pkt to back Att pkt to back O/l back rise Top stitch back rise Att lable back Checking 0.384 0.499 0.317 0.317 0.657 0.423 0.424 0.458 0.459 0..458 0.268 0.282 0.315 0.205 Front Section 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 H/Table DNLS DNLS DNLS Iron Table 5T OL DNLS DNSB DNSB DNSB 5T OL DNLS SNLS I/Table operators Type No. of Machine

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15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Hem coin pkt Att coin pkt to facing O/l facing Att facing to front Mark for front Att pkt bag to front Cut & turn pkt bag Close pkt bag Top stitch pkt bag

0.189 0.269 0.442 0.699 0.328 0.424 0.507 0.414 0.525

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

SNLS DNLS 3T OL SNLS H/Table SNLS Iron Table SNEC SNLS SNLS SNLS 3T OL

24 25

Tack pkt bag top & bottom

0.444 0.438

Lock and Turn double fly 26 O/l double fly & small fly 0.522

27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Att zipper to double fly Top sew fly with zipper Att and edge stitch J fly Attach zipper to J fly Ready stitch double fly

0.291 0.224 0.504 0.431 0.400

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

SNLS SNLS SNLS DNLS SNLS SNLS DNLS I/Table F/L Iron Table SNLS 3T OL

0.222 Join front rise Top stitch front rise 0.263 Checking Loop & W/B Section Prepare loop Crease inner & outer w/b panel Top stitch w/b Assembly Section O/l in seam 0.292 0.561 0.302 0.414 0.205

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39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 57

Join in seam Top stitch in seam O/l side seam Deco stitch side seam Hem bottom Hem bottom Att w/b Tack @ w/b ends Mark & sew button hole on inner w/b Mark & sew button sew on inner w/b Mark & cut elastic Tack for close w/b Close w/b Insert elastic to inner w/b Attach elastic @ w/b Mark for loop att Att loop to top Attach label @ back

0.444 0.385 0.680 0.470 0.330 0.331 0.501 0.400 0.284 0.251 0.405 0.400 0.493 0.405 0.451 0.563 0.626 0.318

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

SNLS DNLS 5T OL SNLS DNLS DNLS SNLS SNLS Button Holes Button sew H/Table SNLS SNLS H/Table SNLS H/Table SNLS SNLS

SAM (at 100% efficiency) = 23.57 std. mins SAM (at 80% efficiency) = 29.46 std mins. Total pieces produced/day/line (at 100% efficiency) = 1073 Total pieces produced/day/line (at 80% efficiency) = 858 = Target Actual No of pieces produced/day/line (an average no.) = 450 AS PER TARGET According to the SAM (at 80% efficiency), The Efficiency of the line= (450/858)*100= 52.44% And the production loss= 858 450 = 408 pieces According to the SAM (at 100% efficiency idealistic situation), The Efficiency of the line= (450 / 1073)*100= 41.93% And the Production Loss = 1073 450 = 623 pieces 2.12 OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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MATERIAL HANDLING TIME IN ATTACHMENT POCKET TO BACK IS HIGH.

Solution: A single helper is on 3 operators. There must be an increase in the number of helpers at the critical points. THE LINE HAS UNBALANCED SKILL DISTRIBUTION.

Solution: More experienced operators and helpers should be assigned to the line. This is a typical case of a rating imbalance problem. Workers with high rating should be moved in to perform most of the critical operation 2.13 Calculation of Stitching Capacity

SAM(at GARMENT TYPE 100%efficiency) Idealistic situation Polo T-Shirt With Rib Collar Bottom with two front & back 23.57 pocket with coin pocket Dress Bottom with two front & back pocket with flap with coin pocket Bottom with front and back 14.97 pocket Table 5 - Stitching capacity No. of Machines: 1. 2. 3. Over lock Machine = 40 Flat lock Machine = 20 Single Needle Machine = 105 24.23 11.26 8.0

SAM (avg. assumed at 80%efficiency) 10.0 29.46 14.07

30.29

18.71

2.14 ABSENTEEISM: %age of absenteeism = 14.2

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2.15 EFFICIENCY: Average of the workers efficiency is = 52% 2.16 CAPACITY = No. of mins worked x No machine x efficiency. SAM

2.17 STITCHING CAPACITY

Efficiency Polo T-Shirt With Rib Collar Bottom with two front & back pocket with coin pocket Dress Bottom with two front & back pocket with flap with coin pocket Bottom with front and back pocket Table 6. Stitching capacity 600 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 Chart 7. 400 200 0 1187 950 483 1166 1009 933 807 490 400 1073 858 450 1500 1200 590

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Graphical Representation of Stitching Capacity Polo Shirt TBottom with Bottom Dress Bottom withwith front and two front & back back pocketpocket with flap with coin pocket

With Rib two front & C ollar back pocket with coin pocket

At 100%effi ciency At 80% efficienc y

PRODUCTION LOSS
Garment Type At 100% efficiency At 80%efficiency (Target Set) 910 Polo T-Shirt With Rib Collar 623 Bottom with two front & back pocket with coin pocket Dress Bottom with two front & back pocket with flap with coin pocket Bottom with front and back pocket Table 7. Production loss 705 467 676 609 443 407 408 610

Chart Title
1000
900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100
Production loss

At 100% efficiency At 80% efficiency At Target Set Polo T-Shirt Bottom with W ith Rib Collar two front & back pocket with coin pocket Dress Bottom with Bottom with two front & front and back back pocket pocket with flap with coin pocket

Chart 18. Graphical Representation of Production Loss

IDLE TIME REDUCTION

STUDIES: QUALITY ANALYSIS JOB SATISFACTION

OBSERVATIONS:
Major defect such as bowing in the fabric sourced, led to the increase in inefficient time utilized in laying (in order to match checks / stripes), marker alterations and relaying. Miscommunication between spreaders and supervisors sometimes led to the spreading of fabric not required at the time. Mixing up of rolls of fabric of varying widths issued from the fabric store to the cutting department led to unnecessary delay in spreading as uneven widths cannot be laid together in the same lay. Last minute alterations in the marker in order to make it compatible with the spread lay width. Improper quality practices giving rise to increased level of re-cutting and re-fusing. Delay in manual marker making due to unavailability of marker maker. Space constraints for spreading fabric to achieve projected targets due to less number of spreading tables available.

SUGGESTIONS / RECOMMENDATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Labour turnover can be minimized by using effective incentive schemes and also if feasible by making the operators sign a bond to work for a specified period of time. 2. By encouraging the operators through proper counselling absenteeism & lateness can be reduced. 3. Proper planning will increase the effectiveness of any method adopted. 4. In-line inspection will minimize repair work as well as reduce the number of rejects. 5. Pre-production planning and constant supervision can prove to be useful in avoiding machine delays. 6. Using work study as a tool will raise the productivity of the plant by reorganization of work. It ensures that no factor affecting the efficiency of an operation is overlooked. 3. EFFICIENCY VARIATION OF LINE At 100% worker Sl. At Target(set at 80% of Garment Type No. worker efficiency) situation) Polo T-Shirt With Rib 1 Collar Bottom with two front 2 & back pocket with coin pocket 3 Dress Bottom with two front 4 & back pocket with flap with coin pocket 6 Bottom with front 40.73 50.89 39.64 49.50 42.02 52.51 41.93 52.44 39.33 49.16 efficiency(idealistic

and back pocket

Efficiency is indirectly proportional to the SAM of the garment

6 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 0
At 80 % of w or ke r eff ici en cy
At 10 0 % wo rk er eff ici en cy (id ea list ic)

Polo T-Shirt Bottom with With Rib Collartwo front & back pocket with coin pocket

Dress

Bottom with two front & back pocket with flap with coin pocket

Bottom with front and back pocket

Chart 19. Efficiency Variation of Line

C am p ariso n
SAM Production(in 10) Efficiency

91 70.5 60.9 39.64 24.23 11.26 14.97 40.73

62.3 41.93 23.57 8

67.6

39.33

42.02

Polo T-Shirt W ith Rib Bottom with two D ress Collar front & back pocket with coin pocket

Bottom with two Bottom with front front & back pocketa nd back pocket with flap with coin pocket

Chart 20 SAM vs. Production Loss vs. Efficiency of Line

4.

CONSTRAINTS IN CAPACITY PLANNING:

The industry does not have a fixed labour. So it is difficult to know the actual efficiency of the workers.
1. 2.

Also the absenteeism varies from day to day as the labour is contracted. This makes it impossible to actually calculate the capacity of the departments.

3.

4. Time study carried out is not the actual calculation of the time required for each garment. 5. It is actually less because it does not include the time required for inspection and

checking which are also added up in the garment time (SAM).

5. OBSERVATIONS:
1. The efficiency graphs of both the lines show that there is a low efficiency during

morning time as all workers are coming from home so there is some laziness and break from their daily operation. 2. 3. There is a sudden rise in the efficiency during the last 2 hours before lunch as they The efficiency graphs of both the lines show that there is a little bit of drop in the are working continuously same operation in continuous flow. efficiency after the lunch time which is due to laziness after lunch in comparison to efficiency before lunch. 4. But towards the end there is a big increase in efficiency as all worker are in continuous flow of work and all want to finish their target work so they move to their home in the evening. 6. PROBLEMS OBSERVED AND SOLUTIONS

Stitching Department:
The major problems identified in the assembly lines are listed below in order of their priorities to be attended. We would suggest that the problem with the top most priority be attended first followed by the next so that we can find a solution to all of them in an organized manner.

Problem: The first problem which leads to an inefficient production is the lack of proper balance in the assembly lines. An improper balance results in wastage of man power, time and energy as most of the operators stay idle due to lack of work.

Solution: The solution suggested is a detailed study of each assembly line and identifying

bottlenecks which leads to the imbalance. Corrective measures should be taken which may include changes in the line, the number of operators doing a certain operation or necessary

changes in the position of machines in the line.

Problem: The second most important problem identified was the frequent machine breakdown. Thread breakage, malfunctioning of machines, etc result in a lot of idle machine time which is waste of time and man power. Solution: We would suggest that every production floor should have at least two persons assigned especially to meet such demands. These personnel should be skilled to identify and handle any kind of problem associated with the machines.

Problem: The third problem which needs to be taken care of arises because of some undisciplined operators. There are certain operators who need to be watched and instructed regularly. These operators not only lead to wastage of time but also contribute to bottlenecks at certain operations. Solution: Although there are separate supervisors assigned to each assembly line, the workers are not performing well and spend most of the time chatting and moving around. In order to meet such problems, a strict supervision is a must. The operators must be encouraged to perform well in order to meet the daily targets set.

Problem: There are situations when an improperly done operation creates problems with all the other operations which follow. Solution: Its not practical to do quality checks after every operation so the helpers who assist the operators can identify such defective pieces and keep them separately so that they do not hinder the flow of work in the line.

Problem: The last but certainly not the least important problem which needs to be attended is power failure. Although power failures do not usually last longer than 3-4 mins, but the frequency with which it occurs makes it an important issue. If a power failure occurs 4-5 times a day, it leads to lot of idle time. Solution: There should be an alternative source of energy to meet the problem of power failures.

Problem: Sometimes worker spends unusually high time in judgment-Solution: Operator should have clear idea about the quality standards. More than once it was observed, that operator is checking each and every piece for quality. In case of any doubt regarding quality, concerned person should be called. Operator, himself should not judge each and every piece. If an operator with a rating of 100 or more is assigned to the bottleneck operations then the problem of bottleneck may get solved to a great extent. Problem: In case of machine breakdown- It has been observed that during breakdowns, even minute ones like needle breakage, thread change etc. the operator wastes a lot of time. Solution: A tool kit between every two operators so that they can tackle small problems without waiting for the mechanic. The operators should be trained to foresee machine failures about to occur and they should be responsible to for the maintenance of the machines. The operators should be provided with a set of needles at the beginning of a style and after the set is over, he should enter the records himself OBSERVATIONS: Major defect such as bowing in the fabric sourced, led to the increase in inefficient time utilized in laying (in order to match checks / stripes), marker alterations and relaying. Miscommunication between spreaders and supervisors sometimes led to the spreading of fabric not required at the time. Mixing up of rolls of fabric of varying widths issued from the fabric store to the cutting department led to unnecessary delay in spreading as uneven widths cannot be laid together in the same lay. Last minute alterations in the marker in order to make it compatible with the spread lay width. Improper quality practices giving rise to increased level of re-cutting and re-fusing. Delay in manual marker making due to unavailability of marker maker. Space constraints for spreading fabric to achieve projected targets due to less number of spreading tables available.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Quality of fabric should be given high priority at the stage of fabric sourcing to avoid unnecessary wastage of time and effort utilized relay and re-cutting operations.

Concept of pin-tables could be implemented to increase efficiency and reduce fabric wastage in case of checks and stripes.

Package file should be available at time by merchandiser and should be displayed at SOP board. Fabric rolls should be segregated both shade and width-wise while storing in cutting department and for further issuing for spreading.

IDLE TIME IN FINISHING DEPARTMENT:

Observation time 16 hrs (8 hrs x 2 days) Average strength 110 @ 94.23% attendance

Idle Time S. No. 1. 2. 3. Causes (in hh:mm:ss) Poor planning Operator inefficiency Machine breakdown 41:13:00 33:40:00 07:53:00

Contribution (in %) 52.28 42.71 5.00

Table 12. Showing Contribution of Each Factor in total idle time

2.49%

2.03% 0.48%

95%

poor planning operator inefficency machine breakdown efficient time Chart 23. Showing contribution of each factor in total observed time

OBSERVATIONS:
Insufficient feeding to the ironing operators from checkers. Time elapsed during shift change was more than the permissible limits.

Increased rework owing to improper attachment of labels in batches. Time wasted in sending pieces for alterations back to batches

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Shift timings should be such that no overlap occurs. A gap of half an hour could be implemented. Manpower used for checking pieces can be increased to reduce WIP. Target setting can be done by using the actual SAM value for a particular style.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS (3 days)

The contribution of each department in the total idle time is represented in the following pie chart:

Chart 24. Showing contribution of each department in total idle time

The observations indicate that: Finishing department is the most efficient amongst all. Main reason being the process life cycle being shortest when compared to cutting and sewing. Sewing department is the major contributor in idle time. Its causes are batch setting and semi-skilled operators.

CALCULATIONS:
Total idle time S. No. 1. 2. 3. Department (in hh:mm:ss) Cutting Sewing Finishing 210:54:00 2152:54:00 82:47:00 (in hh:mm:ss) 2848:20:00 12672:47:00 1658:26:00 Total Time

Table 13. Shows the total observed time and idle time in all departments

For comparison purpose we have considered above data as the average observed time and calculated the contribution of each department in idle time.

CONCLUSION:
Idle time reduction is a continuous process. Improper planning plays a major role in contributing to idle time. Its causes are varied and many being unavoidable like batch setting, supervisors instructing operators, etc. Though it is difficult to eliminate idle time completely but it is possible to reduce it through controllable factors such as balancing, continuous feed of material, etc.

It has been found that operator absenteeism and quality control are the two major controllable factors in order to reduce idle time. Therefore, a study was conducted to achieve an in-depth understanding of the reasons behind these factors.

STUDY 1 Job Satisfaction

STUDY - 1

JOB SATISFACTION
So far, emphasis has been on the organizational needs. But unlike computers or cash balances, employees have feelings. For employees to be productive, they must feel that the job is right for their abilities and that they are being treated equitably. For many employees, the job is a major source of personal identity.

Satisfied employees are not automatically more productive. However, unsatisfied employees tend to quit more often, to be absent more frequently and to produce lower quality work than satisfied workers. Nevertheless, both satisfied and dissatisfied employees may perform equally in quantitative terms.

OBJECTIVE:
To understand the major causes leading to increased absenteeism amongst workers. To identify ways to improve satisfaction amongst employees.

METHODOLOGY:
Conducting a survey amongst the work force to establish the causes. Duration of study was 2 days. Sample size was 240 operators.

OBSERVATIONS:
Table showing the factors and their weight-age Highly satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied S. No. Factors (in %) 22.9 18.75 15.42 61.25 19.16 67.92 57.5 13.75 (in %) 77.08 84.58 25 29.25 26.25 (in %) 1. Salary 2. Bonus 81.25 3. Bank system 4. Interpersonal relationship 13.75 5. HR functions 80.83 6. Leave facilities 2.92 7. Welfare facilities 16.25 8. Work environment 86.25 Table 14. Number of employees interviewed is 240. FEEDBACK: Employees are given fair wages for the overtime (OT). Many are willing to work OT but are not getting chance. Salaries are credited directly to the employees bank account. As most of them are

not much educated, they find it inconvenient to stand in long queues and operate the ATMs. Work load is more and employees are unable to achieve the set targets.

Getting scolding from Supervisors, Assistant Production Managers and Floor Incharges is one of the main reasons for them to quit the job. Instrumental music is played for the employees. Some expressed their desire to listen to songs instead. Few preferred no music at all. Awareness programs conducted by the company at regular intervals greatly benefit the employees. The HR department is very co-operative and employees contact the personnel without any hesitation to get their problems solved. RECOMMENDATIONS: ATM of the concerned bank should be installed within the factory premises.

There is need for job rotation as employees get bored doing the same kind of job. Recreational facilities like sports, games, cultural programs and picnics should be

organized frequently.

OUTCOME
LEARNING OUTCOME
This period of 8 weeks enabled, to witness all the practical and realistic aspects of all the theoretical knowledge. This extensive exposure accentuated on the working of a garment unit and the functions of various people in an organization. These projects enabled us to work on low-key areas where there could be ample improvement and cope for learning. The Project was a learning experience in terms of gaining not only technical subject related information but also other labor, HR and psychological issues. This exposure enabled us to interact with people at various levels in an organization and we understood how each individual is important for the organization. We also realized the fact that a company is not successful only by increasing its profits but when it maintains a congenial and morally right work culture also. It is the people who make an organization a runway success and hence its the human factor which should be paid the utmost importance. Overall this Project has been a great learning experience for us in terms of professionalism and importance of time for the on time delivery of any deliverable.

BIBLOGRAPHY
Books referred:
Introduction to clothing product management (A.J.Chuter) Apparel manufacturing & sewn product analysis (Glock & Ruth E) Technology of clothing manufacture (Harold carr & Barbara Latham) Managing quality in apparel industry (Pradip V.Mehta & Satish) Introduction to WORK STUDY (ILO)

Sites referred:
www.texportsyndicate.com www.okley.com www.bsr.org/CSRResources/Environment/EnvResources.cfm www.gintex.com www.garmentcare.com