LEAN MANUFACTURING

Final presentation of Quality Control Class – Group No. 3

GROUP INFO:
Jazib Ahmed - Group Leader
Shoaib-ul-hassan Arif - Group Member
Kiran Latif - Group Member
Farhana Kausar - Group Member
Mubeen Ali - Group Member

Presented to:
Respected Sir Shehzad Akram Kamboh

College:
PRGTTI

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Table of contents:
 Introduction to lean manufacturing pg. 1
 Why lean manufacturing is important? pg. 6
 Top 4 Reasons for Implementing Lean Manufacturing pg. 7
 When did lean gained popularity? Pg. 8
 Lean manufacturing “KEY” techniques pg.
10
1. Elimination of waste pg. 10
2. 5S pg. 14
3. JIT/ Pull Production System pg.
18
4. Kamba pg. 20
5. Kaizen pg. 21
 The PDCA cycle pg. 24

 Lean Production in Apparel Industry pg. 26

 25 Essential Lean Tools pg. 27
 Lean Manufacturing Vs Conventional Production System pg. 38
 Benefits of Lean pg. 40
 Value Stream Mapping (VSM) in garment industry pg. 41
 Quality control Tools involved in lean manufacturing process pg. 44
 Conclusion pg. 45

Lean Manufacturing
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LEAN manufacturing or lean production, often simply "lean", is a
systematic method for waste minimization ("Muda") within a
manufacturing system without sacrificing productivity, which can cause
problems. Lean also takes into account waste created through overburden
("Muri") and waste created through unevenness in workloads ("Mura").
Working from the perspective of the client who consumes a product or
service, "value" is any action or process that a customer would be willing
to pay for.
Lean manufacturing attempts to make obvious what adds value, through
reducing everything else (because it is not adding value). This
management philosophy is derived mostly from the Toyota Production
System (TPS) and identified as "lean" only in the 1990s. TPS is renowned
for its focus on reducing the original seven wastes to improve overall
customer value, but there are varying perspectives on how this is best
achieved. The steady growth of Toyota, from a small company to the
world's largest automaker, has focused attention on how it has achieved
this success.
Lean Manufacturing originated from the Toyota Production System, one
of the most successful automotive manufacturers, ever.

The study of the success of Toyota sets the five Lean Manufacturing
Principles:

 Specify Value - as seen by the Customer

 Identify and Create Value Streams

 Make the Value flow from raw material to Customer

 Pull Production not Push

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  Strive for Perfection

Once a customer sets the value, a value stream flows meeting the needs
of the customer by preventing the creation of waste and according to
the customer preferences. As a company reduces these wastes and

Strives for single piece flow, many other benefits will follow.

Improved Customer Service

The first principle of Lean is identifying value as perceived by the
customer; customers need to be provided with what they want, when they
want and where they need it.

A company is successful as long as the customers are satisfied. If a

company always supplies top quality products and services on time, at the
right place, those satisfied customers are going to keep on returning,
allowing the business to thrive.

Easy Management
One of the major advantages of implementing Lean into organization is
getting more done with less people. As waste is reduced there is less
space and manpower required to manage.

The workflow results in manufacturing cells which puts machines close

together so that a single operator can manage many pieces of equipment
with the minimal energy. The workers’ main task is to enhance skill level
and properly maintain the system, once it is implemented.

The Lean approach starts at the bottom of an organization and proceeds

up unlike Six Sigma which is a tops-down management philosophy, in which
the management imposes changes on the work process. In Lean system,
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each individual worker within a work cell tries to improve his or her
performance. A role of the management is to go on the factory floor and
check what is happening and in accordance provide additional training,
promotion, and learning.

Improved Quality and Fewer Defects

A lot of the activity in a lean environment is focused on quality improving.
Without waste and its additional costs such as transport or inventory,
the products value gets increased the quality also enhances. In a top
quality production, there are fewer defects and if they occur, they are
easily eliminated.

Reduced Waste
Waste is a significant product within any process. The Lean Approach is
focused on improving process speed and quality through reduction of
process waste. Waste consumes energy, money, and is of no value to the
customer. Another approach, Six Sigma, which also aims to make
processes and the business more efficient, identifies waste as results
from variation within the process and tries to reduce it by eliminating
variations in the process. In The Lean Approach, reduced waste means
less transport, less moving, less waiting, less space required and reduces
all variations throughout the process.

Financial Benefits

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If the LEAN principles are properly set in the organization, the financial
benefits are highly significant. A satisfied customer will make any
business operate smoothly. The reduction in waste and defects adds
additional money which should be set into quality improvement and the
better product quality ensures higher profit.

The money saved on product storage and inventory management adds

additional cash flow in the company. However, less employees means
additional training for workers but with clear work instructions and
standardized work the job is easily and more eagerly performed.
Managing satisfied workers is easily conducted and makes any business
prosper on the long run.

Lean Manufacturing is a business philosophy which has proven highly

successful since it can reduce costs, eliminate waste, increase
productivity, maintain high levels of quality and thus make a significant
increase in your profit.

WHY LEAN MANUFACTURING IS

IMPORTANT?
Generically, there are two methods to grow your business;
 Increase profit margin
 Reduce cost
Lean manufacturing concept emphasizes the latter method.
By identifying waste, the manufacturer can practice proven ways to
reduce unnecessary cost.
The ultimate goal is to completely eliminate wastes.
And finally, bringing only value to the customer.

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There are many benefits to lean manufacturing;
Such as
 Reducing inventory levels
 Increasing output and efficiencies
 Improving delivery performance and so on.

Top 4 Reasons for Implementing Lean

Manufacturing
Lean Manufacturing removes and/or minimizes non-value work activity
from the manufacturing process. Here are four reasons why your
company should consider using Lean Manufacturing techniques:

1. Streamlines the company’s processes

Implementing Lean allows a manufacturer to streamline their processes
throughout the entire organization, from the front office all the way to
distribution. Efficiencies are witnessed and the manufacturer is able to
work at its full potential. This results in a reduced manufacturing cost
and increased speed to market.

2. Removes waste
Lean addresses the Nine Areas of Waste: motion, inventory, waiting time,
transportation, information, quality, overproduction, processing and
creativity. By eliminating waste, a company has the opportunity to abolish
time spent on unnecessary tasks.

3. Lean can build team commitment

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In order to build a Lean operation, a company must recognize that there
is a need for change. Employing Lean operations requires focus from all
team members. In many instances, utilizing Lean techniques have allowed
for a company-wide assessment of their manufacturing processes, which
builds teamwork and cooperation.

4. The job is never done

A key element of Lean is “continuous improvement.” This means that
there are continuous opportunities to become more lean.

When did lean gained popularity?

Ever since Henry Ford invented the assembly line, industrial innovators
have constantly focused on improvement through a variety of different
manufacturing strategies. Lean manufacturing is a manufacturing
strategy that seeks to produce a high level of throughput with a minimum
of inventory.
Originally a Japanese methodology known as the Toyota Production
System designed by Sakichi Toyoda, lean manufacturing centers around
placing small stockpiles of inventory in strategic locations around the
assembly line, instead of in centralized warehouses. These small
stockpiles are known as Kanban, and the use of the Kanban significantly
lowers waste and enhances productivity on the factory floor.
In addition to eliminating waste, lean manufacturing seeks to provide
optimum quality by building in a method whereby each part is examined
immediately after manufacture, and if there is a defect, the production
line stops so that the problem can be detected at the earliest possible
time. The lean method has much in common with the Total Quality

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Management (TQM) strategy. Both strategies empower workers on the
assembly line, in the belief that those closest to production have the
greatest knowledge of how the production system should work.
In a lean manufacturing system, suppliers deliver small lots on a daily
basis, and machines are not necessarily run at full capacity. One of the
primary focuses of lean systems is to eliminate waste; that is, anything
that does not add value to the final product gets eliminated. In this
respect, large inventories are seen as a type of waste that carries with
it a high cost. A second major focus is to empower workers, and make
production decisions at the lowest level possible.
Additionally, supply chain management factors heavily into lean
manufacturing, and a tight partnership with suppliers is necessary; this
facilitates the rapid flow of product and parts to the shop floor.
Lean manufacturing strategies can save millions of dollars and produce
excellent results. Advantages include lower lead times, reduced set-up
times, lower equipment expense, and of course, increased profits. It gives
the manufacturer a competitive edge by reducing costs and increasing
quality, and by allowing the manufacturer to be more responsive to
customer demands.

Lean manufacturing “KEY” techniques:

 Elimination of waste
 5S

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  JIT/ Pull Production System
 Kaizen
 Kamban

1. Elimination of waste
What is waste?
Waste is anything that happens to a product that does not add value from
customer perspective.
Product being stored, inspected or delayed, products waiting in queues,
and defective products do not add value.
Types of wastes:

The seven manufacturing wastes include the following:

 Transportation Waste
 Inventory Waste

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  Motion Waste
 Waiting Waste
 Over-Processing Waste
 Overproduction
 Defects or Wastes due to defect rework.

Introduction to TIM WOODS:

T - Transport
I - Inventory
M - Movement
W - Waiting
O - Over-processing
O - Over-production
D - Delivery
S - Skills

Elimination of Wastes in Lean Production

If you are selling something at a very high cost then the customer will
start to source some other manufacturer or vendor. If the price is too
little then the buyer may think that you are giving some low-quality
material. So, there is no alternative other than to optimize the cost. So,
let’s begin the waste reduction technique-

Proper Planning
Before getting into the production the engineer, technicians, foreman
and all the involved persons should have a meeting. For a big
manufacturing order, the total manpower should be divided into different
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groups with different supervisors. Proper flowchart and systems should
be developed. And if this proper system is implemented then you will be
able to deliver the item in time. The over-production and over-processing
Muda will be hugely reduced. The inventory will be properly managed and
you will be almost free from the taxes that have to be paid for the
inventory. The research, manufacturing and logistics team should have a
good understanding, otherwise, the transportation cost will rise. The
issues like motion waste will also get reduced if a proper planning is
involved.

Recheck and examine your Work Instructions

Always keep your work instructions updated. Every time the process
needs modification according to the workload and requirement of the
customer. So, work instructions should be updated. This updated working
technique will help the employees to understand the customer need. You
need to check the demerits of the previous technique which may have
cost you the extra for the defective pieces.

Proper Logistics support team with a good supervisor

These days strong management team is needed to create an efficient
logistics support. The manufacturing team and the delivery team should
sit together and forecast the delivery dates. And accordingly, the
logistics should be arranged. Transportation can be arranged by the
manufacturing company or by the customer. If you have the obligations
that you will be providing the transportation then always plan for it. If
the company is not having their own logistics then they have to rent the
logistics. A proper pre-planned system can reduce the transportation
cost as well as reducing the waiting waste.

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Always keeping a non-conformity record
A data center is needed for the record keeping of all the past products
you delivered. The products can be software, hardware, electrical
equipment, machines, consumer goods, heavy utility products or anything.
There is always a chance of getting a defect in the product. For example,
suppose that you are a software developer and you have provided
complete software solutions for the customer. There may be some bugs
in your software that was visible only at the time of operation at the
customer use. So what have you done to eliminate the bug? Keep that
record. As a result, you will not repeat that mistake again. And now you
will also have the potential to overcome the defect. This is also applicable
to all the other products. So keep the record of your product’s non-
conformity and customer feedback. This will certainly reduce the waste
due to defects and rework.
In conclusion, we can say that if we move forward with a proper planning
to utilize the manpower with their highest efficiency then we can achieve
our goal of minimizing the wastes, involved in lean manufacturing process.
Afterwards, each and every instruction should be rechecked and updated
for the proper system development. This will keep the workers or
employees motivated for the job. A proper feedback system from the
customers should be developed, otherwise, the manufacturer will be
totally lost. To cope up with the competitive market it is very much
necessary to reduce the waste in the manufacturing system. This
minimized waste will improve the costing of the product, as a result, the
selling price will be within the reach of the customers. The owners of the
business must learn the lean manufacturing secrets to reduce the wastes
in the system.

2. 5S
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5S is a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese
words: seiri (整理), seiton (整頓), seisō (清掃), seiketsu (清潔), and
shitsuke (躾). These have been translated as "Sort", "Set In order",
"Shine", "Standardize" and "Sustain".
The list describes how to organize a work place for efficiency and
effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the
area and items, and sustaining the new order. The decision-making
process usually comes from a dialogue about standardization, which builds
understanding among employees of how they should do the work.
There are five 5S phases. They can be translated from the Japanese as
"sort", "set in order", "shine", "standardize", and "sustain". Other
translations are possible.
A.Sort (Seiri)

1S – a red tag area containing items waiting for removal.

Seiri is sorting through all items in a location and removing all
unnecessary items from the location.
Goals:
1. Reduce time loss looking for an item by reducing the number of
items.
3. Reduce the chance of distraction by unnecessary items.
4. Simplify inspection.
5. Increase the amount of available, useful space.
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 6. Increase safety by eliminating obstacles.
Implementation:
1. Check all items in a location and evaluate whether or not their
presence at the location is useful or necessary.
2. Remove unnecessary items as soon as possible. Place those that
cannot be removed immediately in a 'red tag area' so that they are
easy to remove later on.
3. Keep the working floor clear of materials except for those that are
in use to production.
B. Set-In Order (Seiton)

2S – simple floor marking.

Seiton is putting all necessary items in the optimal place for fulfilling
their function in the workplace.
Goal:
1. Make the workflow smooth and easy.
Implementation:
1. Arrange work stations in such a way that all tooling / equipment is in
close proximity, in an easy to reach spot and in a logical order
adapted to the work performed. Place components according to their
uses, with the frequently used components being nearest to the
workplace.
2. Arrange all necessary items so that they can be easily selected for
use. Make it easy to find and pick up necessary items.

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 3. Assign fixed locations for items. Use clear labels, marks or hints so
that items are easy to return to the correct location and so that it
is easy to spot missing items.
C. Shine (Seiso)

3S – cleanliness point with cleaning tools and resources.

Seiso is sweeping or cleaning and inspecting the workplace, tools and
machinery on a regular basis.
Goals:
1. Prevent deterioration.
2. Keep the workplace safe and easy to work in.
3. Keep the workplace clean and pleasing to work in.
4. When in place, anyone not familiar to the environment must be able
to detect any problems within 50 feet in 5 sec.
Implementation:
1. Clean the workplace and equipment on a daily basis, or at another
appropriate (high frequency) cleaning interval.
2. Inspect the workplace and equipment while cleaning.

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 D. Standardize (Seiketsu)
Seiketsu is to standardize the processes used to sort, order and clean
the workplace.
Goal:
1. Establish procedures and schedules to ensure the repetition of the
first three ‘S’ practices.
Implementation:
1. Develop a work structure that will support the new practices and
make it part of the daily routine.
2. Ensure everyone knows their responsibilities of performing the
sorting, organizing and cleaning.
3. Use photos and visual controls to help keep everything as it should
be.
4. Review the status of 5S implementation regularly using audit
checklists.
E. Sustain/Self-discipline (Shitsuke)
Shitsuke or sustain the developed processes by self-discipline of the
workers. Also translates as "do without being told".
Goal:
1. Ensure that the 5S approach is followed.
Implementation:
1. Organize training sessions.
2. Perform regular audits to ensure that all defined standards are
being implemented and followed.
3. Implement improvements whenever possible. Worker inputs can be
very valuable for identifying improvements.
4. When issues arise, identify their cause and implement the changes
necessary to avoid recurrence.
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3.Just-in-time manufacturing:
Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, also known as just-in-time
production or the Toyota Production System (TPS), is a methodology
aimed primarily at reducing times within production system as well as
response times from suppliers and to customers. Its origin and
development was in Japan, largely in the 1960s and 1970s and particularly
at Toyota.
But the wide use of the term JIT manufacturing throughout the 1980s
faded fast in the 1990s, as the new term lean manufacturing became
established as "a more recent name for JIT".As just one testament to
the commonality of the two terms, Toyota production system (TPS) has
been and is widely used as a synonym for both JIT and lean
manufacturing.
Objectives and benefits of JIT manufacturing may be stated in two
primary ways: first, in specific and quantitative terms, via published case
studies; second, general listings and discussion.
A case-study summary from Daman Products in 1999 lists the following
benefits: reduced cycle times 97%, setup times 50%, lead times from 4
to 8 weeks to 5 to 10 days, flow distance 90% – achieved via four focused
(cellular) factories, pull scheduling, kamban, visual management, and
employee empowerment.
Another study from NCR (Dundee Scotland) in 1998, a producer of make-
to-order automated teller machines, includes some of the same benefits
while also focusing on JIT purchasing: In switching to JIT over a
weekend in 1998, eliminated buffer inventories, reducing inventory from
47 days to 5 days, flow time from 15 days to 2 days, with 60% of
purchased parts arriving JIT and 77% going dock to line, and suppliers
reduced from 480 to 165.
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Hewlett-Packard, one of western industry's earliest JIT implementers,
provides a set of four case studies from four H-P divisions during the
mid-1980s.The four divisions, Greeley, Fort Collins, Computer Systems,
and Vancouver, employed some but not all of the same measures. At the
time about half of H-P's 52 divisions had adopted JIT.
Greeley Fort Collins Computer Vancouver
Systems
Inventory 2.8 months 75% 75%
reduction
Labor cost 30% 15% 50%
reduction
Space 50% 30% 33% 40%
reduction
WIP stock 22 days to 1
reduction day
Production 100%
increase
Quality 30% scrap, 80% scrap 30% scrap &
improvement 79% rework rework
Throughput 50% 17 days to 30
time hours
reduction
Standard 50%
hours
reduction
No. of 20%
shipments
increase

4. Kamban
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Kamban (看板) (signboard or billboard in Japanese) is a scheduling
system for lean manufacturing and just-in-time manufacturing (JIT).
Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer at Toyota, developed kamban to
improve manufacturing efficiency. Kanban is one method to achieve JIT.
The system takes its name from the cards that track production within
a factory. For many in the automotive sector, kamban is known as the
"Toyota nameplate system" and as such the term is not used by some
other automakers.

Operation
A key indicator of the success of production scheduling based on demand,
pushing, is the ability of the demand-forecast to create such a push.
Kanban, by contrast, is part of an approach where the pull comes from
demand and products are made to order. Re-supply or production is
determined according to customer orders.
In contexts where supply time is lengthy and demand is difficult to
forecast, often, the best one can do is to respond quickly to observed
demand. This situation is exactly what a kamban system accomplishes, in
that it is used as a demand signal that immediately travels through the
supply chain. This ensures that intermediate stock held in the supply
chain are better managed, and are usually smaller. Where the supply
response is not quick enough to meet actual demand fluctuations, thereby
causing potential lost sales, a stock building may be deemed more
appropriate and is achieved by placing more kamban in the system.

Toyota's Six Rules

Toyota has formulated six rules for the application of kamban:
1. Each process issues requests (kamban) to its suppliers as it
consumes its supplies.
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 2. Each process produces according to the quantity and sequence of
incoming requests.
3. No items are made or transported without a request.
4. The request associated with an item is always attached to it.
5. Processes must not send out defective items, to ensure that
finished products will be defect-free.
6. Limiting the number of pending requests makes the process more
sensitive and reveals inefficiencies.

5. Kaizen
Kaizen (改善) is the Japanese word for "improvement". In business,
kaizen refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and
involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. It also
applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross
organizational boundaries into the supply chain. It has been applied in
healthcare, psychotherapy, life-coaching, government, and banking.
By improving standardized programmes and processes, kaizen aims to
eliminate waste (see lean manufacturing). Kaizen was first practiced in
Japanese businesses after World War II, influenced in part by American
business and quality-management teachers, and most notably as part of
The Toyota Way. It has since spread throughout the world and has been
applied to environments outside business and productivity.
Operation
The Japanese word kaizen means "change for better", with inherent
meaning of either "continuous" or "philosophy" in Japanese dictionaries
and in everyday use. The word refers to any improvement, one-time or
continuous, large or small, in the same sense as the English word
"improvement”. However, given the common practice in Japan of labeling

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industrial or business improvement techniques with the word "kaizen",
particularly the practices spearheaded by Toyota, the word "kaizen" in
English is typically applied to measures for implementing continuous
HYPERLINK.
1. Flow kaizen
2. Process kaizen
The former is oriented towards the flow of materials and information,
and is often identified with the reorganization of an entire production
area, even a company. The latter means the improvement of individual
work stands. Therefore, improving the way production workers do their
job is a part of a process kaizen. The use of the kaizen model for
continuous improvement demands that both flow and process kaizens are
used, although process kaizens are used more often to focus workers on
continuous small improvements. In this model, operators mostly look for
small ideas which, if possible, can be implemented on the same day. This
is in contrast to traditional models of work improvement, which generally
have a long lag between concept development and project implementation.
Kaizen is a daily process, the purpose of which goes beyond simple
productivity improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly,
humanizes the workplace, eliminates overly hard work (muri), and teaches
people how to perform experiments on their work using the scientific
method and how to learn to spot and eliminate waste in business
processes. In all, the process suggests a humanized approach to workers
and to increasing productivity: "The idea is to nurture the company's
people as much as it is to praise and encourage participation in kaizen
activities.’
Successful implementation requires "the participation of workers in the
improvement." People at all levels of an organization participate in kaizen,
from the CEO down to janitorial staff, as well as external stakeholders

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when applicable. Kaizen is most commonly associated with manufacturing
operations, as at Toyota, but has also been used in non-manufacturing
environments. The format for kaizen can be individual, suggestion system,
small group, or large group. At Toyota, it is usually a local improvement
within a workstation or local area and involves a small group in improving
their own work environment and productivity. This group is often guided
through the kaizen process by a line supervisor; sometimes this is the
line supervisor's key role. Kaizen on a broad, cross-departmental scale in
companies, generates total quality management, and frees human efforts
through improving productivity using machines and computing power.
While kaizen (at Toyota) usually delivers small improvements, the culture
of continual aligned small improvements and standardization yields large
results in terms of overall improvement in productivity. This philosophy
differs from the "command and control" improvement programs (e.g.,
Business Process Improvement) of the mid-20th century. Kaizen
methodology includes making changes and monitoring results, then
adjusting. Large-scale pre-planning and extensive project scheduling are
replaced by smaller experiments, which can be rapidly adapted as new
improvements are suggested.
In modern usage, it is designed to address a particular issue over the
course of a week and is referred to as a "kaizen blitz" or "kaizen event".
These are limited in scope, and issues that arise from them are typically
used in later blitzes. A person who makes a large contribution in the
successful implementation of kaizen during kaizen events is awarded the
title of "Zenkai". In the 21st century, business consultants in various
countries have engaged in widespread adoption and sharing of the Kaizen
framework as a way to help their clients restructure and refocus their
business processes.

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Implementation
The Toyota Production System is known for kaizen, where all line
personnel are expected to stop their moving production line in case of
any abnormality and, along with their supervisor, suggest an improvement
to resolve the abnormality which may initiate a kaizen.

The PDCA cycle

The cycle of kaizen activity can be defined as: "Plan → Do → Check →
Act". This is also known as the Shewhart cycle, Deming cycle, or PDCA.
Another technique used in conjunction with PDCA is the 5 Whys, which is
a form of root cause analysis in which the user asks a series of five "why"
questions about a failure that has occurred, basing each subsequent
question on the answer to the previous. There are normally a series of
causes stemming from one root cause, and they can be visualized using
fishbone diagrams or tables. The Five Whys can be used as a foundational
tool in personal improvement, or as a means to create wealth.
Masaaki Imai made the term famous in his book Kaizen: The Key to
Japan's Competitive Success.
In the Toyota Way Fieldbook, Liker and Meier discuss the kaizen blitz
and kaizen burst (or kaizen event) approaches to continuous improvement.
A kaizen blitz, or rapid improvement, is a focused activity on a particular
process or activity. The basic concept is to identify and quickly remove
waste. Another approach is that of the kaizen burst, a specific kaizen
activity on a particular process in the value stream.[20] Kaizen
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facilitators generally [weasel words] go through training and
certification before attempting a Kaizen project.
In the 1990s, Professor Iwao Kobayashi published his book 20 Keys to
Workplace Improvement and created a practical, step-by-step
improvement framework called "the 20 Keys". He identified 20
operations focus areas which should be improved to attain holistic and
sustainable change. He went further and identified the 5 levels of
implementation for each of these 20 focus areas. 4 of the focus areas
are called Foundation Keys. According to the 20 Keys, these foundation
keys should be launched ahead of the others in order to form a strong
constitution in the company. The four foundation keys are:
Key 1 - Cleaning and Organizing to Make Work Easy, which is based on the
5S methodology.
Key 2 - Goal Alignment/Rationalizing the System
Key 3 - Small Group Activities
Key 4 - Leading and Site Technology

Lean Production in Apparel Industry:

Although the lean manufacturing concept was initiated by the Toyota

motors yet it doesn’t fix for automobile industry only. This system has
too much flexibility and can easily adopt into other manufacturing
industries like apparel industry. By adopting this system, one can not
only reduce its cost but also increase its turnover systematically. Its
state-of-the-art system can continuously eliminate the non value-

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added activities which lead the company towards ultimate process cost
saving. In today’s competitive apparel market, where every upcoming
order is requiring more competitive or low price.

So, it’s a normal practice of every manufacturer to revisit its product

material sourcing cost and other factory overheads. So for this, the
manufacturer has to cut down its material cost from scratch. After
cutting the material cost, the next step is to get best competitive cost
of its in house production. And for this, they have to check each and
every factor which boosts the production cost surprisingly. And there is
no doubt in it that rejection rate plays a vital role in the product cost.
It can drag the company from profit to loss and vice versa. If a
company controls this factor by adopting such method which is not only
cost effective but production-friendly too. Then, the chances are really
bright that the company can not only easily compete the market. But
they can even earn better than previously.

25 Essential Lean Tools

i. 5S

What is 5S?
Organize the work area:
1. Sort (eliminate that which is not needed)
2. Set In Order (organize remaining items)
3. Shine (clean and inspect work area)
4. Standardize (write standards for above)
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 5. Sustain (regularly apply the standards)
How does 5S help?
Eliminates waste that results from a poorly organized work area (e.g.
wasting time looking for a tool).

ii. Andon
What is Andon?
Visual feedback system for the plant floor that indicates production
status, alerts when assistance is needed, and empowers operators to stop
the production process.

How does Andon help?

Acts as a real-time communication tool for the plant floor that brings
immediate attention to problems as they occur – so they can be instantly
addressed.

iii. Bottleneck Analysis

What is Bottleneck Analysis?

Identify which part of the manufacturing process limits the overall
throughput and improve the performance of that part of the process.

How does Bottleneck Analysis help?

Improves throughput by strengthening the weakest link in the
manufacturing process.
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iv. Continuous Flow

What is Continuous Flow?

Manufacturing where work-in-process smoothly flows through production
with minimal (or no) buffers between steps of the manufacturing process.
How does Continuous Flow help?
Eliminates many forms of waste (e.g. inventory, waiting time, and
transport).

v. Gemba (The Real Place)

What is Gemba?
A philosophy that reminds us to get out of our offices and spend time on
the plant floor – the place where real action occurs.

How does Gemba help?

Promotes a deep and thorough understanding of real-world
manufacturing issues – by first-hand observation and by talking with plant
floor employees.

vi. Heijunka (Level Scheduling)

What is Heijunka?
A form of production scheduling that purposely manufactures in much
smaller batches by sequencing (mixing) product variants within the same
process.

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 How does Heijunka help?
Reduces lead times (since each product or variant is manufactured more
frequently) and inventory (since batches are smaller).

vii. Hoshin Kanri (Policy Deployment)

What is Hoshin Kanri?

Align the goals of the company (Strategy), with the plans of middle
management (Tactics) and the work performed on the plant floor
(Action).

How does Hoshin Kanri help?

Ensures that progress towards strategic goals is consistent and thorough
– eliminating the waste that comes from poor communication and
inconsistent direction.

viii. Jidoka (Autonomation)

What is Jidoka?
Design equipment to partially automate the manufacturing process
(partial automation is typically much less expensive than full automation)
and to automatically stop when defects are detected.

How does Jidoka help?

After Jidoka, workers can frequently monitor multiple stations (reducing
labor costs) and many quality issues can be detected immediately
(improving quality).

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ix. Just-In-Time (JIT)

What is Just-In-Time?
Pull parts through production based on customer demand instead of
pushing parts through production based on projected demand. Relies on
many lean tools, such as Continuous Flow, Heijunka, Kanban, Standardized
Work and Takt Time.

How does Just-In-Time help?

Highly effective in reducing inventory levels. Improves cash flow and
reduces space requirements.

x. Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)

What is Kaizen?
A strategy where employees work together proactively to achieve
regular, incremental improvements in the manufacturing process.

How does Kaizen help?

Combines the collective talents of a company to create an engine for
continually eliminating waste from manufacturing processes.

xi. Kanban (Pull System)

What is Kanban?
A method of regulating the flow of goods both within the factory and
with outside suppliers and customers. Based on automatic replenishment
through signal cards that indicate when more goods are needed.
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 How does Kanban help?
Eliminates waste from inventory and overproduction. Can eliminate the
need for physical inventories (instead relying on signal cards to indicate
when more goods need to be ordered).

xii. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

What are KPIs?

Metrics designed to track and encourage progress towards critical goals
of the organization. Strongly promoted KPIs can be extremely powerful
drivers of behavior – so it is important to carefully select KPIs that will
drive desired behavior.

How do KPIs help?

The best manufacturing KPIs:
1. Are aligned with top-level strategic goals (thus helping to achieve
those goals)
2. Are effective at exposing and quantifying waste (OEE is a good
example)
3. Are readily influenced by plant floor employees (so they can drive
results)
xiii. Muda (Waste)

What is Muda?
Anything in the manufacturing process that does not add value from the
customer’s perspective.

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 How does Muda help?
It doesn’t. Muda means ‘waste’. The elimination of muda (waste) is the
primary focus of lean manufacturing.

xiv. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

What is Overall Equipment Effectiveness?

Framework for measuring productivity loss for a given manufacturing
process. Three categories of loss are tracked:
1. Availability (e.g. downtime)
2. Performance (e.g. slow cycles)
3. Quality (e.g. rejects)

How does Overall Equipment Effectiveness help?

Provides a benchmark/baseline and a means to track progress in
eliminating waste from a manufacturing process. 100% OEE means
perfect production (manufacturing only good parts, as fast as possible,
with no downtime).

xv. PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act)

What is PDCA?
An iterative methodology for implementing improvements:
1. Plan (establish plan and expected results)
2. Do (implement plan)
3. Check (verify expected results achieved)
4. Act (review and assess; do it again)
How does PDCA help?
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 Applies a scientific approach to making improvements:
1. Plan (develop a hypothesis)
2. Do (run experiment)
3. Check (evaluate results)
4. Act (refine your experiment; try again)
xvi. Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing)

What is Poka-Yoke?
Design error detection and prevention into production processes with the
goal of achieving zero defects.

How does Poka-Yoke help?

It is difficult (and expensive) to find all defects through inspection, and
correcting defects typically gets significantly more expensive at each
stage of production.

xvii. Root Cause Analysis

What is Root Cause Analysis?
A problem solving methodology that focuses on resolving the underlying
problem instead of applying quick fixes that only treat immediate
symptoms of the problem. A common approach is to ask why five times –
each time moving a step closer to discovering the true underlying
problem.
How does Root Cause Analysis help?
Helps to ensure that a problem is truly eliminated by applying corrective
action to the “root cause” of the problem.

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xviii. Single-Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED)

What is Single-Minute Exchange of Dies?

Reduce setup (changeover) time to less than 10 minutes. Techniques
include:
1. Convert setup steps to be external (performed while the process is
running)
2. Simplify internal setup (e.g. replace bolts with knobs and levers)
3. Eliminate non-essential operations
4. Create Standardized Work instructions

How does Single-Minute Exchange of Dies help?

Enables manufacturing in smaller lots, reduces inventory, and improves
customer responsiveness.

xix. Six Big Losses

What is Six Big Losses?

Six categories of productivity loss that are almost universally
experienced in manufacturing:
1. Breakdowns
2. Setup/Adjustments
3. Small Stops
4. Reduced Speed
5. Startup Rejects
6. Production Rejects

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 How does Six Big Losses help?
Provides a framework for attacking the most common causes of waste in
manufacturing.

xx. SMART Goals

What are SMART Goals?

Goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-
Specific.

How do SMART Goals help?

Helps to ensure that goals are effective.

xxi. Standardized Work

What is Standardized Work?
Documented procedures for manufacturing that capture best practices
(including the time to complete each task). Must be “living” documentation
that is easy to change.

How does Standardized Work help?

Eliminates waste by consistently applying best practices. Forms a
baseline for future improvement activities.

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xxii. Takt Time

What is Takt Time?

The pace of production (e.g. manufacturing one piece every 34 seconds)
that aligns production with customer demand. Calculated as Planned
Production Time / Customer Demand.

How does Takt Time help?

Provides a simple, consistent and intuitive method of pacing production.
Is easily extended to provide an efficiency goal for the plant floor
(Actual Pieces / Target Pieces).

xxiii. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

What is Total Productive Maintenance?

A holistic approach to maintenance that focuses on proactive and
preventative maintenance to maximize the operational time of equipment.
TPM blurs the distinction between maintenance and production by placing
a strong emphasis on empowering operators to help maintain their
equipment.

How does Total Productive Maintenance help?

Creates a shared responsibility for equipment that encourages greater
involvement by plant floor workers. In the right environment this can be
very effective in improving productivity (increasing up time, reducing
cycle times, and eliminating defects).

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xxiv. Value Stream Mapping

What is Value Stream Mapping?

A tool used to visually map the flow of production. Shows the current and
future state of processes in a way that highlights opportunities for
improvement.

How does Value Stream Mapping help?

Exposes waste in the current processes and provides a roadmap for
improvement through the future state.

xxv. Visual Factory

What is Visual Factory?

Visual indicators, displays and controls used throughout manufacturing
plants to improve communication of information.

How does Visual Factory help?

Makes the state and condition of manufacturing processes easily
accessible and very clear – to everyone.

Lean Manufacturing Vs Conventional Production

System:

There is no doubt that lean manufacturing has totally changed the

concept of the production system. As its techniques are conceptually
different from the conventional manufacturing system. Although there
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 are so many points which can differentiate both systems yet I have
selected some points to understand the same in a better way:

Conventional Manufacturing Lean Manufacturing

In lean manufacturing, problems are

The day to day production normally view as opportunities for future
problems are normally view or improvement. By the help of which, there
treat as problems in conventional is a better chance to enhance new or
system. value added features into the current
product.

In lean system, it’s also one of the main

In traditional production system, motive of the production team to avoid
the production is normally driving surplus stock. So, this is why, the
by sales forecast team or people. production is only driving by customer’s
demand (like JIT system).

Whereas in lean production system, the

Work in progress (WIP) is a
WIP is symbol that the process is
normal thing or part of
requiring some improvements. And it is
production operation in
also considers as waste which need
conventional production system.
to improve on priority basis.

The top or in some cases tactical

management level is authorize to Everyone is looking for the ways to
change the process of improve the process/system. So, anyone
production. And they normally from the production team can come up
don’t bother to involve with suggestion to improve the product
operational staff in decision value in lean system.
making process.
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In conventional production
In lean manufacturing, everyone is
process, the standard work
normally following the standard
procedures only define in papers.
procedure which describes in SOP. And it
But there is no any practical
keeps following until or unless new or an
implications exist on the
improve version introduces or implements.
production floor.

On the other hand, the lean

This system focuses more on the
manufacturing focuses on the system
people’s training. And it totally
improvements. Once the system improves
relies on the people not to make
then it prevents people not to commit any
mistakes.
mistake in day to day production matters.

In traditional or conventional In this way of production, if experts feel

production system, if the that with some necessary changes, they
production process is working can improve the production system. Then
smoothly. Then no one bothers to they don’t wait for any
intercept it for further happening/incident. They simply intercept
improvements and things are the smooth system and implement the
running on same pattern years to necessary changes to get a better
years. production with quality.

In lean manufacturing, there research

In conventional production and development work is going on
system, the product design lasts continues basis. This is why the product
for a long period of time. design and shape is changing by the
passage of time.

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In traditional production system,
the quality department is built
In this advance manufacturing system, all
separately and they are
the workers are responsible for the
responsible for the product
quality of the product. The TQM and JIT
quality parameters. The
systems are best examples of this.
operational worker are note
responsible for it.

Benefits of Lean
Sizable portion of Literature (Billes bach, 1994) (Nystuen, 2002)
supported the benefits of Lean through empirical research evidence.
Sohal and Egglestion (1994) suggested through their research that two
thirds of the companies say a strategic advantage had been generated
through Lean system with the great improvement in market competitive
position, customer relationship and quality constraints. Lean System
(Womack, Jones, 1996) helped them understand the process, waste
elimination and generating the smooth process flow. A survey towards
the benefits of Lean System for garment manufacturing conducted by
Farhana Ferdousi and Amir Ahmed at a Garment Export Processing
Zone (EPZ) in Bangladesh with more than 45 companies are involved in
this survey. The results are as follows:

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In addition to this, the following benefits were reaped due to Lean
Manufacturing Practices:

• Lean allows the decentralized decision making process (Hines & Taylor,
2000).
• Effectively remove the process waste reduction.
• Minimize the cost of inventory.
• Motivate the employees.
• Improve the factory condition.

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) in garment industry

Value is physical and necessary conversion activity
happening in the product to transform a complete
product, which will reach the customer. Value
stream mapping (Mehmet c Kocakulah et al) is a
visual way of representing the flow of information
and material in the production and products. This helps the manager to
see the product value addition as well as identify the process waste.

1. Overproduction: The production is more than what is required for

the internal as well as external customer. Generally between the
product lines high WIP is practised, whereas this Lean techniques
suggest minimizing the product waiting time.

2. Unnecessary movement: This is movement of product within the

production process without producing any value addition (VA).
Progressive bungling system will stretch unnecessary bundle movement
between the processes.

3. Excess inventory: Which includes excess WIP inventory as well as

finished product inventory

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4. Unnecessary motion: Unnecessary motion between the processes
without any VA. Generally poor work process layout creates such a kind
of problem.

5. Unnecessary waiting time: Unnecessary product waiting time

between the workstation.

6. Defects: Any undesired characteristic that affects product fit,

form & functions, etc.

7. Over-processing: It define the unnecessary processing on the

product

These manufacturing wastes are readily apparent in garment

manufacturing process. Some of them are unavoidable. Those companies
who identify those waste can minimize the cost of production

Tools & techniques for Lean Implementation

Key tools and techniques for implementation of Lean System (Melton T,

2005) are as follows:

• Kanban - It describes the pull-based production system.

• 5S – A visual housekeeping tool, which devolved control to the
production environment.
• Poka Yoka -- An error proofing tool.
• Push System.
• PDCA Cycle - Continuous improvement cycle.
• Cellular layout -- It is U shaped production layout, which minimizes the
product waiting time as well as the work-in-progress.
Kaizan – This tools deals about the continuous improvement in the
production process.

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Based on the product nature, Lean tool can be selected and utilized. In
apparel manufacturing it is concerned mostly with cellular-based layout,
5S, Kaizan is effectively utilized.

Comparison between the mass production systems with Lean

Production system

The machine that changed the world (Womact et al, 1990), compared
the mass production system with Lean production system.

Factor Mass production Lean production

Skill level of Narrow skilled Multi skilled

work force professional professional

Machine Layout Single purpose Multi-purpose

Production High volume Customer focused

method standardized product production process.

Minimum in process
Inventory Large Buffer Stock
inventory

Product Flow Single product Mixed flow

Lead time Very high Less

Lathin D in his research, revealed that Lean Manufacturing system

reduces the lead time by 90% and inventory by 90%, cost of quality by
90%, and raises labour productivity by 50% against the traditional mass
production system.

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Cellular layout: This is a typical layout developed for process oriented
manufacturing instead of product based manufacturing with systematic
waste reduction, each cell being dedicated to a specific task (Nicolette
et al, 1998, Askin et al, 1993, Buffa et al, 2002).

Quality control Tools involved in lean

manufacturing process:
 Pareto Chart
 Fish Born Diagram
 Histogram
 Control charts
 Scatter Diagram

Conclusion:
The concept of lean manufacturing is new in some of the UN developed
countries, and proactive organizations have already been observed to
implement this tool in their functional departments. This is primarily due
to the multitude of cost advantages which arise from having lean
manufacturing processes.
Lean Production system reduces all forms of non-value added activity .It
is understood that most of the apparel firms in global level have
implemented this system & found significant level of process
improvement. (Lal sudhakaran, et al 2011). Madura Garments, which has
implemented Lean System at its factory found 35% - 65% productivity
improvement in the value chain with the support of a few Lean
implementation tools. But at this juncture most of the

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Indian garment manufacturers are hesitating to implement Lean
Manufacturing tool in their production process due to lack of knowledge
about the Lean tool, lack of direction, lack of adequate project
sequencing, evidently cocktail of common ingredients are viewed
indispensable for successful customized implementation towards
garment manufacturing setup. As research says most of garment
manufacturers have adopted larger varieties of Lean Tools such as
Kaizan, Cellular layout & 5S, pull system.

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