What is Lean Six Sigma?

Lean Six Sigma is a blend of two concepts: Lean, which is aimed at reducing waste by breaking down processes and segregating waste from value, and Six Sigma, which helps companies reduce process variation and errors by using quality and statistical tools. Together they help companies reap the benefits of faster processes with lower cost and higher quality.

Both the Lean and the Six Sigma methodologies have proven that it is possible to achieve dramatic improvements in cost, quality, and time by focusing on process improvement. Six Sigma is focused on reducing variation and improving process yield by following a problem-solving approach using statistical tools, Lean is primarily concerned with eliminating waste and improving flow by following the Lean principles and a defined approach to implement each of these principles. The financial savings companies such as Toyota, General Electric, Motorola, and many others have accomplished using these methodologies have inspired many other firms to follow suit. As a result, many companies have either a Lean or Six Sigma program in place. But, using either one of them alone has limitations:

Process Improvement: Focused on problem solving, aimed at eliminating the vital few root causes. It is most common to use the DMAIC roadmap: o Define - Select customer's critical-to-quality characteristics (CTQs). Define the process improvement goals that are consistent with customer demands and enterprise strategy. o Measure - Create a measurement system and validate the system. Measure the current process and collect relevant data for future comparison. o Analyze - Identify the sources of variation from the performance objectives. Analyze to verify relationship and causality of factors. Determine what the relationship is and attempt to ensure that all factors have been considered using one or more of the tools in the Six Sigma toolkit. o Improve - Discover process relationships and establish new and improved procedures. Improve or optimize the process based upon the analysis. o Control - Sustain the gain by implementing process controls. Control to ensure that any variances are corrected before they result in defects. Set up pilot runs to establish process capability, transition to production and thereafter continuously measure the process and institute control mechanisms. Process Design/Redesign: The creation of a new process to achieve exponential improvement and/or meet the changing demands of customers, technology and competition. It must handle totally dysfunctional processes and reengineer them. It is also known as Design for Six Sigma (DFSS). DMADV is the most common roadmap followed for DFSS: o o o o o Define - Define the goals of the design activity that are consistent with customer demands and enterprise strategy. Measure - Measure and identify CTQs, product capabilities, production process capability and risk assessments. Analyze - Analyze to develop and design alternatives, create high-level design and evaluate design capability to select the best design. Design - Design details, optimize the design, and plan for design verification. This phase may require simulations. Verify - Verify the design, set up pilot runs, implement production process and handover to process owners.

Six Sigma will eliminate defects but it will not address the question of how to optimize process flow. Lean principles exclude the advanced statistical tools often required to achieve the process capabilities needed to be truly 'lean'. Lean approaches work in the following categories and tries to reduce the non value added work. o Value Added = process steps that definitely create value for customer and the enterprise. o Non Value Added = process steps that create no value and can be eliminated (waste). o Business Value Added = process steps that create no value but are necessary. - Required for legal requirements, f

The difference between Lean and Six Sigma can be summarized as follows: Six Sigma = Reduced process variation Lean = Improved process flow What is Lean? In the practice of Lean, the focus is on breaking down processes to the bare bone essentials, hence the name lean. The Lean approach to waste is

that Non-value added is waste. Hence, the practice of Lean has as its central goal to segregate waste from value in processes, and eliminate the waste and non-value added. The typical method for practicing Lean is to do the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Identify Value Define Value Stream Determine Flow Define Pull Improve Process

The focus of Lean is on Process flow. Tools used for the practice of Lean are oriented to visualization, and include tools like Microsoft Visio

Maintenance Prevention designing or selecting equipment that will run with minimal maintenance and is easy to service when necessary. Predictive Maintenance - determining the life expectancy of components in order to replace them at the optimum time. Autonomous Maintenance involving production employees in the total machine maintenance process. Goes with 5S well. Preventive Maintenance using schedules or planned maintenance to ensure the continuous, smooth operation of equipment. Systematical Preventive Maintenance : tasks to be systematically performed on schedule Conditional Preventive Maintenance : tasks to be performed or not after scheduled checking Corrective/Reactive Maintenance Fixing an existing equipment when it breaks or loses its original performance

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Overseeing the production process, drawing up a production schedule; Ensure planned KPIs of efficiency and performance are met or exceeded. Ensuring that the production is cost effective; Ensure implementation and evolution of safety procedure. Monitoring the production processes and adjusting schedules as needed; Monitoring product standards and implementing quality-control programs; Implement and drive continuous improvement activities through implementation of change management process and best practices. Liaising among different departments, e.g. Suppliers, managers; Optimize resource utilization by implementation of an effective production organization. Working with managers to implement the company's policies and goals; Ensuring that health and safety guidelines are followed; Ensure coaching and development of resources to meet businesss objectives. Supervising and motivating a team of workers; Reviewing the performance of subordinates; Develop and track improvement in reduction of planned dh hours. Coordinate, set up and implement standard operating procedure for all production operations. Making sure that products are produced on time and are of good quality; Manage the adherence to prescribed procedures to ensure first pass quality meets or exceeds planned goals. Working out the human and material resources needed; Ensure prescribed line pm are completed timely. Ensure complete compliance to prescribed QMS, GMPs and 5S processes. Drafting a timescale for the job; Estimating costs and setting the quality standards; Track competencies of subordinates and provide leadership and development as required to achieve the objectives

How to improve productivity in Garment Industry How to improve productivity in Garment Industry - Garment industry as an intensive labor industry, means to produce one piece of product through many processes and involve many operators. Realizing this, as one of businessman in garment industry, we have to pay more attention on what we can do to maximize productivity of the labor. This time, i will review some things we can do to increase productivity in garment industry especially in sewing area. Sewing are is the main area in this industry. Many garment businessman called this area as they money maker because in this area the garment product is made become a finish good. Some points need more attention in increasing productivity in sewing area are: 1. Before starting a production process of an article of product, need to have a meeting with all department ie; merchandiser, production, QA, IE, PPIC and mechanic to discuss the article which will get into production so they all can do the preparation that will make the production running smooth and avoid mistake in production. 2. When this article is going to sewing process, it necessary to have it rechecked by each department related to line arrangement, machines preparation, product components preparation such as pieces of fabric, threads, embroidery, and other accessories, and all at one the result of sewing line layout and daily production target made by IE department based on data records taken and count

based on time study. 3. After the article down on the sewing line, regularly control must do especially on the beginning of production because many problems come up in this time, usually from quality, machines setting, operators target and line balancing problem. In this case, all of related department must be ready in quick action to overcome those problems. The most important is good team work and positive thought from all part of the team to avoid blaming each other particularly about production target. 4. Some problems often come in the sewing lines are:

Lack or stagnant of pieces of panel or accessories into the sewing line. It can be overcome by maximum control and good planning from all relate department. High frequency of broken machines. Usually caused by lack of prevention maintenance from mechanical department and or the operators themselves. Mistaken of sewing machines layout. Machines layout is very influenced on flow process on production. Unbalance of line balancing. If the line balancing of a production process is not balance, this will caused a bottle neck, so that the daily target will be lost. Usually the unbalanced of line balancing happen because of mistaken time study or sewing operators not achieve the target. High frequency of absent sewing operators. This is disturb production flow process. we can reduce this by motivating then and giving discipline and punishment to all employees. Also in additional we have to put some operators who have high skills to replace if any operator absent.

Those are some points we have to pay attention more carefully if we intent to increase efficiency and productivity in garment industry, especially in sewing area. last but not least, support and motivation from management are necessary in order to maintain good environment and working condition.

Responsible for production planning of 20 lines woven garments factory. Review production schedules, engineering specifications, orders, and related information to obtain knowledge of manufacturing methods, procedures, and activities. Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards. Formulate sampling procedures and designs and develop forms and instructions for recording, evaluating, and reporting quality and reliability data. Record or oversee recording of information to ensure currency of engineering drawings and documentation of production problems. Develop manufacturing methods, labor utilization standards, and cost analysis systems to promote efficient staff and facility utilization. Recommend methods for improving utilization of personnel, material, and utilities. Prepare & check and ensure the layout. Balance the line to ensure minimum work force. Grade the operator for new or existing. Responsible for analyzing the workers performance. Follow up the production and take necessary action for achievement. Skilled with Planning & IE for productivity improvement. Expertise of the industrial Engineering activities and run the department smoothly. Familiar with GSD method in the production floor.

Layout the machine by maintaining proper sequence of operation to ensure best workflow. Related with SAM, SMV calculation. Prepare garments cost & based on CPM. Monitoring low efficiency workers & educated them. Related with presto analysis chart. Job Location : Factory. Increase productivity & Efficiency with Quality standards through developing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP); Method study, Motion study, Time study, Line balancing & production target; Garments break down, thread consumption and prepare layout for new style; 1st line layout re-balance based on actual capacities and as per potential plan; Arrange & Design guide feed & folder on time (Pre-Production Attachments); Find out the bottle necks, technical and quality issues and attend to solve; Prepare layout for the floor for effective utilization of men, machine and materials; Analyzing Productivity, Calculating Efficiency and Effectiveness, Calculating Non-productive time, Reducing Defects and Wastage; Maintain supply chain management from material control department to finishing section through the sewing floor; Working area at Work Study, Planning, Sewing Section, Cutting Section, Printing Section etc; Any other task assigned by the Management. Job location: Dhaka/ Gazipur/ Shofipur