Work Study 

Work study is the systematic examination of the methods of carrying

on activities so as to improve the effective use of resources and to set
up standards of performance for the activities being carried out.

Method Study 

Method study is the systematic recording and critical examination of

ways of doing things in order to make improvements.

Work Measurement

Work measurement is the application of techniques designed to

establish the time for a qualified worker to carry out a task at a defined
rate of working.

Work Sampling

Work sampling is a method of finding the percentage occurrence of a

certain activity by statistical sampling and random observations.

Work Content 

The work content of a job or operation is defined as: basic time +

relaxation allowance + any allowance for additional work – e.g. that
part of contingency allowance which represents work.

Time Study
Time study is a work measurement technique for recording the times
of performing a certain specific job or its elements carried out under
specified conditions, and for analysing the data so as to obtain the
time necessary for an operator to carry it out at a defined rate of
performance.

Qualified Worker 

A qualified worker is one who has acquired the skill, knowledge and
other attributes to carry out the work in hand to satisfactory standards
of quantity, quality and safety.

Element 

An element is a distinct part of a specified job selected for

convenience of observation, measurement and analysis.

Work Cycle 

A work cycle is a sequence of elements which are required to perform

a job or yield a unit of production. The sequence may sometimes
include occasional elements.

Rating

Rating is the assessment of the worker’s rate of working relative to the

observer’s concept of the rate corresponding to standard pace.

Standard Performance
Standard performance is the rate of output which qualified workers will
naturally achieve without over-exertion as an average over the
working day or shift, provided that they know and adhere to the
specified method and provided that they are motivated to apply
themselves to their work.

This performance is denoted as 100 on the standard rating and

performance scales.

Basic Time 

Basic time is the time for carrying out an element of work at standard
rating, i.e.
(Observed time x observed rating)/ Standard rating

Selected Time

The selected time is the time chosen as being representative of a

group of times for an element or group of elements. These times may
be either observed or basic and should be denoted as selected
observed or selected basic time.

Relaxation Allowance 

Relaxation allowance is an addition to the basic time intended to

provide the worker with the opportunity to recover from the
physiological and psychological effects of carrying out specified work
under specified conditions and to allow attention to personal needs.
The amount of allowance will depend on the nature of the job.
Standard Time 

Standard time is the total time in which a job should be completed at

standard performance.

Predetermined Time

A predetermined time standard is a work measurement technique

whereby times established for basic human motions (classified
according to the nature of the motion and the conditions under which it
is made) are used to build up the time for a job at a defined level of
performance.

Work Specifications 

A work specification is a document setting out the details of an

operation or job, how it is to be performed, the layout of the workplace,
particulars of machines, tools and appliances to be used, and the
duties and responsibilities of the worker. The standard time or allowed
time assigned to the job is normally included.

Characteristics of a good workstation layout:

 All works (components) should be placed as closer as possible
to the operator for easy reach. 
 Work should be presented correct way for easy unbundling and
quick pick up 
 Nothing should stuck operators during picking up and disposing
components. 
 Keep bins or other means to dispose finished work. 
 Operators must have enough space on the table to handle the
garment parts. If required add table extension near operator and left
side of the machine. 
 Enough space in between two machine for operator movement.
 Use jig and folders where required.
 If you provide trimmer (for thread cutting) to operator define a
space for it. 
 Provide height adjustable chair.
Example of a good workstation layout has been shown in the following
image.

Workstation: Attaching front chest pocket.

Sewing Line layout:

I am not completely clear what do you mean by ‘small area’. How
much area required will depend on number of total workstations in the
line. As per common sewing workstation space 3.5 X 3.5 square feet
is needed per machine. Considering sewing line is made of two rows
of machine, centre table (2 feet wide) and walking space (2X4 feet)
both sides of the line. More than these you need to place check point
at the end of each sections with small table (3X4 feet) and space for
manual work – such as marking and pressing. Marking and pressing
job can be done outside of the line but still you need space for that. 
Also need space for loading table and garment checking table at the
end of the line (both are optional). Excluding loading table space,
checking table space and inline checkpoint and manual work area
total space required is width = (3.5X2+2+4X1 or 2) = 13 feet to 17 feet
and length= 3.5X23 machines=80.5 feet. If you like to add tables for
manual work and checking garment components add their space to
calculate total length of the line. Finally calculate total area for your
shirt line multiplying length by line width, i.e. 13X80.5 squire feet. 
Definition: 
Man to machine ratio is defined as total workforce in a factory to total
number of operational sewing machines. 
Man to machine ratio widely varies depending on the on the
organization structure. If a factory has only production related
departments (cutting, sewing, maintenance, quality and IE) then this
ratio will be low. On the other hand if a factory includes department
from design & development, sampling to finishing to shipment and
documentation then this ratio will be high.

How to measure Man to machine ratio? 

To measure Man Machine Ratio (MMR) of a factory -
First find how many employees are there (include all manpower). 
Second, Count how many sewing machines are there. Consider only
operation machines that are being used in current month (data
analysis month) 

For example,
1. If total manpower is 1000 and total available machine is 500.
Then Man:Machine = 1000:500 = 2:1
2. If total manpower is 800 and total available machine is 500. Then
Man:Machine = 800:500 = 1.6:1 
How calculate department wise ratio? 
Instead of whole factory manpower, one can measure MMR only for
sewing department. In this case, include only those employees who
work under sewing section. Like, operators, helpers, pressmen,
feeder, line checker, table checkers, line supervisors, work study
boys, maintenance personnel, production writer, floor incharge etc.
Assume that total manpower in sewing floor is 630. So man to
machine ratio for sewing floor will be = 630:500 = 1.26:1 

For further analysis, factories represent MMR department wise. 

To show you calculation I have taken hypothetical data for department
wise manpower. Factory have total machine of 500 and 1000
manpower. 

Total manpower (1000) = Sewing (D1=630)+Cutting (D2=30) + Pre-

production (D3=80)+Finishing and packing (D5=100)+Quality (D6=30)
+Administration and marketing (D7=100)+ store (D8=20) + others
(D10=10) 

Factory MMR =2:1 

Department wise division of manpower ratio out of total ration

against machines is calculated as 

Sum of (D1:D2:D3:D4....:D10) = 2 
D1=2*630/1000=1.26 
D2=2*30/1000=0.06 
... 
D5 =2*100/1000=0.2 
D10=2*10/1000=0.02
OCS's Answer:

Man to machine ratio is considered one of the key performance

indicators of a garment manufacturing company. Through this ratio
factory management assesses how many personnel are employed per
machine. This ratio gives a clear indication of indirect cost percentage
on the direct labor cost of a company.

Man to machine ratio (MMR) analysis is done to control overhead

cost. As each employee cost to a company how minimum their salary
is. Note that different factories may have different MMR based on the
factory size. 

Factories those measure this ratio and use to control cost have a
benchmark man to machine ratio. When MMR increases in a
particular month, factory checks where manpower increases.
Manpower may increase in sewing floor such as maker man,
pressman and helpers or number of staffs. Department head need to
confirm if that additional manpower is required permanently or
requirement is style base. According to that new MMR is updated.

Method #1: Calculation of SAM Using Synthetic Data

In this method 'Predetermined Time Standard' (PTS) code are used to
establish 'Standard Time' of a garment or other sewing products. 

Step 1: Select one operation for which you want to calculate SAM.

Step 2: Study the motions of that operation. Stand by side of an

operator (experienced one) and see the operator how he is doing it.

Note all movements used by the operator in doing one complete cycle
of work. See carefully again and recheck your note if all
movement/motion are captured and correct. (for example, motions are
like - pick up parts one hand or two hands, align part on table or
machine foot, realign plies, etc.)

Step 3: List down all motion sequentially. Refer the synthetic data for
TMU (Time measuring unit) values. For synthetic data, you can refer
GSD (without license use of GSD code prohibited but for personal use
and study one can refer GSD code and TMU values) or Sewing
Performance Data table (SPD).

Now you got TMU value for one operation (for example say it is 400
TMU). Convert total TMU into minutes (1 TMU=0.0006 minute). This is
called as Basic Time in minutes. In this example, it is 0.24 minutes.

Step 4: Calculate SAM by adding bundle allowance and personal

allowance to the basic time.

Standard allowed minutes (SAM) = (Basic minute + Bundle

allowances + machine and personal allowances). 
Add bundle allowances (10%) and machine and personal allowances
(20%) to basic time. 
Now you got Standard Minute value (SMV) or SAM. 
SAM= (0.24+0.024+0.048) = 0.31 minutes.

I like to refer you an article Secret Behind Calculation of Machine Time

in SAM for better understand of SAM calculation. 

Method #2: Calculation of SAM Through Time Study

Step 1: Select one operation for which you want to calculate SAM.

Step 2: Take one stopwatch. Stand by side of the operator. Capture

cycle time for that operation. (cycle time – total time is taken to do all
works needed to complete one operation, i.e. time from pick up part of
the first piece to next pick up of the next piece).

Conduct time study for consecutive five cycles. Discard data if you

found abnormal time in any cycle.
Calculate the average time of the 5 cycles. the time you got from time
study is called cycle time. To convert this cycle time into the basic time
you have to multiply cycle time with operator performance rating.

Basic Time = Cycle Time X performance Rating

Step 3: Performance rating. Now you have to rate the operator at

what performance level he was doing the job seeing his movement
and work speed. Suppose that operator performance rating is 80%.
Suppose cycle time is 0.60 minutes. Basic time = (0.60 X 80%) = 0.48
minutes

Step 4: Calculate SAM using the following formula

Standard allowed minutes (SAM) = (Basic minute + Bundle

allowances + machine and personal allowances). 

Add bundle allowances (10%) and machine and personal allowances

(20%) to basic time. Now you got Standard Minute value (SMV) or
SAM. SAM= (0.48+0.048+0.096) = 0.624 minutes.

I have been often asked this question - What is the difference

between SAM and SMV? by industrial engineers.

They expect me to explain them the correct answer. To be honest, this

question was also in my mind for long time. But didn't had correct
answer. I didn't argue on it like many other engineers and use both
terms as same. Even many readers of this site asked me the same
question again and again. But I delayed to post the answer as I did not
have right answer earlier.

I found one article in a magazine Stitch World,where Prof. Prabir Jana

and Paul Collyer explained the difference between Standard Allowed
Minute (SAM) and Standard Minute Value (SMV). I found it is very
interesting and think what they said are real fact. So I’m sharing it with
you. 

In the article authors explained the difference as:

“There are three schools of thoughts:  
First, both are same; 
Second, SAM is an extension of SMV; and 
Third, SAM and SMV are completely different measures. 

In all work study books there is only a reference to Standard Time. SMV and SAM are neither
defined nor mentioned. In American published books SAM is mentioned, while in European
published books SMV is mentioned. Similarly, factories in Asia which are under the influence of
European consultants use the term SMV, while factories in South America which are under the
influence of American consultants use the term SAM. 

When SAM is used as an extension to SMV, i.e. it is the allocated time for a task rather than the
measured time. SAM is SMV plus policy allowances, if any. It is worth mentioning that these
calculations are from experienced experts and consultants and not from any text book.

While in earlier schools of thoughts, units for both are in minutes, the third school of thought (but
not really used in garment industry) talks about completely different things. Standard Allowed
Minutes means time (in minutes) that is assigned to a specific operation after doing time study or
using PMTS. While Standard Minute Value means the Cost Factor (in cost/minute) that is
multiplied with SAM to get the cost of the operation.”
Cutting SAM can be determined in the same way as you calculate
stitching SAM of a garment. In cutting SAM calculation, consider
cutting room sub-processes such as spreading, marking, cutting,
fusing, re-laying, re-cutting, sorting, numbering and bundling as
operations. Whether you like to determine only cutting SAM or all
other processes also will depend on you. I have explained procedures
for finding SAM for all cutting processes.

Important thing, in cutting process determining SAM of a single piece

has no meaning when cutter cuts parts of multiple garments at a time.
Whether cutter cuts 10 plies or 100 plies using straight knife machine
cutting time will mostly remain same. Primary variables in determining
Cutting SAM are layer number in a lay, number of markers in a lay.

To determine standard minutes for cutting jobs I suggest you to go

for time study of cutting operations, instead of using MTM2 database
(synthetic data). 

Determine SMV of each cutting tasks using the method explained

in how to calculate SAM of a garment

1. Do cycle time of Jobs (time study for 5 – 10 cycles) 

2. Do performance rating ( Assess how fast or slow the operator

doing the job in 1-100 scale) 

3. Calculate Basic time (Basic time = cycle time X performance

rating) 

4. Add allowances (machine allowance + personal fatigue) 

5. Calculate standard minutes (SAM = Basic time + Allowance
percentages)

Spreading SAM
Conduct time study and measure cycle time for fabric spreading.
Convert cycle time into standard time. Spreading time will vary
depending on layer length (and/or number of markers) and type of
fabric. To be specific record spreading SAM based on lay length and
fabric type. Also record number layer-man involved in layering. Once
you have standard minutes for spreading of a layer, you can easily
calculate total time required for spreading a lay by multiplying number
of layers in a lay. Refer to the following table to record spreading
SAM.

Table 1: Spreading SAM record sheet

Sq. Style Fabric Lay length Marker No. of layer man SAM/layer
no. No. type  (meters) size
#1
#2

Marker making SAM

Maker making required few minutes and compared to other cutting
processes this time is negligible. In case you need to determine
marker making SAM and want to add in total cutting SAM, I am
showing you how to do it. If CAD marker is used then do cycle time of
lying of the paper maker on the lay and fixing the maker with gum
tape. 

For manual marking determine standard time through time study. In

manual marker making time varies depending on garment
components, garment size and number of markers. Record the
number of persons involved in marker making. Refer to the following
table to record marker making SAM values.

Table 2: Marker making SAM record sheet

Sq. Style Garment Marker Total SAM/lay No. of

no. No. size size components / marker
size man
#1
#2

Cutting SAM
Conduct time study for cutting operation. Total cutting time of a lay will
depends on garment components, linear length to be cut for garment
patterns, marker size and type of fabric. Cutting time also depends on
cutting equipments. Record time study data in the following table.
Study cutting time for all sizes in a lay and find average SAM. Cover
all sizes in time study. Create database of cutting SAM with different
combination of cutting for future use.

Table 2: Cutting SAM record sheet 

Sq. Style Fabric Marker Total Lay SAM/lay SAM /

no. No. type size components length Garment
/ size (meters)
#1
#2
Fusing SAM
Set temperature and pressure of the fusing machine for a certain
speed of fusing belt. You can do here reverse calculation. Instead of
time study record operator speed for placing cut components (to be
fused) in a minute. Once you get production per minute you can SAM
per garment (based on number of fused components) by using
formula 1/no. of parts fused per minutes. 

Re-cutting SAM
Re-cutting is also done by other equipment such as hand scissors or
band knife machine than straight knife cutting machine. Follow same
procedures of determining cutting SAM for re-cutting SAM. For re-
cutting process SAM can be presented per lay or per garment. Also
consider whether all components need to re-cut or only few
components. 

For the other cutting room processes like, Sorting, ticketing and
bundling determine SAM as per unit as mentioned in the following
table.

Table 4: Units for presenting SAM of cutting processes

Operations Units for cutting operation

SAM
1 Spreading Calculate SAM per layer.
2 Marker Manual marking: Calculate SAM
making for each marker.
CAD marker: Calculate SAM per
lay (Cut)
3 Cutting Calculate SAM per marker. 
4 Fusing SAM per garment
5 Re-cutting Re-cutting SAM can be
calculated based on number of
layers cutter cut.
6 Sorting Calculate SAM per marker
7 Numbering/ Numbering SAM can be
ticketing calculated per garment. For that
first find SAM per component and
later multiply how many
components are numbered
8 Bundling Calculate Bundling SAM per
marker

In the above tables you collect SAM of different processes in different

units. All these standard minutes will help you to determine cutting
room capacity or you can calculate how much capacity (standard
minutes) you will be needed for an order. 

Initially you need to collect standard time for all cuts to create a
database. Once you have created a database with different
combination of lay length, marker size, garment sizes you can use
SAM from your database for future styles. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are measured to assess where

the factory currently stands and to find key focus areas where
management needs to look into. Top 9 KPIs have been listed and
explained below that are measured by garment manufacturers (export
houses) in the apparel industry. Analysis of these KPIs is carried out
monthly.
1. Factory Efficiency%

Factory efficiency indicates how efficiently sewing lines is run in a

factory. This indicator is important because capacity planning of the
factory and projected garment making cost is done based on factory
efficiency. Factory efficiency includes all lines minutes produced and
total hours attended by direct labor in sewing floor. Target factory
efficiency varies based on the order quantity. For the detailed
calculation of efficiency refer to ‘how to calculate efficiency of a
production line or batch?” For factory efficiency – calculate total
minutes produced by all lines and total minutes attended by all lines.
Factory efficiency% = (Total minutes produced X 100)/Total minutes
attended.

2. Man to Machine Ratio: 

When it is factory’s Man to Machine ratio (MMR), every employees of

the factory is considered under manpower. So, Man : Machine= Total
manpower: Total sewing machines available in the factory (machines
those are in use). For example, if a factory has 500 sewing machines
and total manpower of the factory is 1100 then man to machine ratio
=1100:500 OR 2.2. This ratio varies product to product and on
organization structure. 

3. Cut to ship ratio: 

This is a ratio of total cut quantity and total shipped quantity of an
order. This indicator is measured order wise and monthly shipped
orders. To keep buffer (for damaged, defective garments) factory cuts
extra pieces than order quantity. For example: factory received an
order of 20000 pieces, cut quantity 20200 pieces (1% extra cutting)
and total shipped quantity 20000 pieces. Cut : Ship = 20200:20000 =
1.01. This indicator is measured to control surplus quantity after
shipment, reduction in extra cutting and damaged garment. Target Cut
to ship ratio is 1. 

4. Order to ship ratio:

Buyer expect to receive full quantity from supplier that has been
ordered. This is most important factor that buyer uses for vendor
evaluation. This indicator is calculated as = Total order quality/ Total
shipped quantity. Target of Order to Ship ratio is always 1. It is good if
factory can ship higher than order quantity (only if buyer accepts extra
quantity). 

5. On time Delivery: 

How much shipment did not meet target shipment date is analyzed at
the end of each month? Target on time delivery of each style is to
meet shipment delivery date. If not meet reasons of not meeting
delivery date are analyzed. It is calculate as = Total orders shipped on
time/Total orders shipped on the month. For example, if factory
shipped 18 styles on time out of total 20 styles shipped in month then
On time delivery of that month is =18/20*100% = 90%

6. Average style changeover time: 

Time gap between previous style over (last piece out from the line)
and first piece output of the current style is known as style change
over time. Shorter changeover time is considered as better
performance level. It varies style to style and production systems.
Time of Change over time of each style is recorded and average
changeover time of the factory is measured.

7. Right First time quality: 

 This indicator is represented in percentages. Total audits passed in

first time out of total audit conducted by auditors. First time right
quality is measured in various stages of garment processing and
analysis is done audit wise. Higher values (percentage) of right first
time quality is considered as better performance of the factory.

8. Quality to Production: 

Quality level of each department is measured in DHU and Percentage

defective unit. Higher the value of DHU higher alteration time and
higher cost incurred in quality.

9. Down time percentage: 

Down time is one of the top most reasons for less factory efficiency.
Factory analyses major down times to control and improve machine
and operator utilization. Top 5 reasons for down time (also known as
non-productive time, Off-standard time) are line setting, operation
sitting idle, no feeding, machine breakdown and no planning for line.

Garment manufacturing business more specifically garment export

business is a profitable business if factory performance is measured
and management work to improve performance level step by step.
Each of the above KPI plays role on production cost, factory’s
reputation and profit margin. 
The present reporting system is likely as following:

You prepare reports on production status of all departments. In the

morning you mail those reports or give printed copy to your managers.

And managers are supposed to review all reports. You made a

detailed report thinking that your manager should aware of production
status from cutting to finishing, performance level of each department,
each sewing lines and style wise cost per piece, and details of orders
those are slipping from deadline.

Ask yourself.

Do they need the detailed tables of thousand of numbers on each of

10 reports to read line by line? You know exactly what figures
managers actually looked into. Show then those figures only.

Normally managers just look into key figures. Even if they want read
all reports they can’t do that because it would consume lot of time.
Instead of reports they would prefer to call you and ask for reasons
when they find any issue in the report.

So, why you are wasting your time making long reports and wasting
papers for printing those long reports daily morning?
In this post, I will show you how to make your production reports
effective as well as more interesting. You can make a short report
using one of the following methods -

First Method: Instead of 6 to 10 page reports prepare one page

report with important data and numbers.

Second Method: Just make graphs of each analysis and status report

and write down key issues that need to be looked into urgently by
higher management.

Third Method: Prepare report dashboard including all production

reports. I call it KPI Dashboard. See the sample KPI dashboard in the
following image.

Instead of printing multiple reports make one dashboard and send the
dashboard via e-mail. Such keyboard displays everything that need to
be communicated.
 KPI Dashboard
(Click on the image to enlarge)
On the above dashboard I have included 6 graphs. From these graphs
you can check status and factory performance. 

How I made this Dashboard

I have made one template for data entry and graphs on excel sheet.
Collected data required for following reports and entered into the
template. 

 KPI-I: Department wise yesterday’s production Target Vs Actual

Production

 KPI-II: Line wise machine productivity and efficiency figures of

the last production day

 KPI-III: Line wise production and WIP reports

 KPI-IV: Style wise production of all lines 

 KPI-V: Quality Report (Sewing and Finishing DHU)

 KPI-VI: Earned Vs Make-up% of the sewing operators

Once data entered, I get all graphs on the excel template. Graphs are
then copied in a Power point slide. My dashboard is ready.
Similar ways you can create graphs for your key reports. Take screen
shot of the graphs. Prepare one power point slide show (pps format).
Or you can show graphs on the spread sheet (excel sheet) in a
separate worksheet. Spread sheet is a better option as you have all
information the same location/file. When someone needs to see
reports in details can open tables for respective reports.
How we can increase the efficiency in piece rate basis factory? ...
asked by Shaila 

Most of us believe that piece rate operators are most efficient in

sewing. As machine operators are paid based on the quantity they
would produce, they will put maximum effort on their work. Hence one
can expect best efficiency of the factory having piece rate operators.
But this is not always true. Forget about operator’s maximum effort to
produce standard hours (SAH) for a moment. And think on other
factors those have direct effect to the line efficiency.

Line efficiency depends on couple of factors than only operators’

efforts. Here are few of those parameters -

 Skill level of the operators

 Line balancing 
 Worker motivation

So to improve the line efficiency (or individual operator efficiency) you

can work on the above points 

# 1. Skill Training for low performing operators 

Work on training your operators. Use following method to improve

operator's skill level.
1.  Measure operator’s individual efficiency 
2. Make a list of low performing operators (i.e. operators working at
less 50% efficiency). 
3. Observe your operators while they are working and study their
method of performing a jobs and movements.
4. Check what are the unnecessary motions / movements you
found operators are using at the time of sewing. 
5. Train them correct motions and give them time to practice. 

Once you improve operator’s sewing skills you will see improvement
in line efficiency. If you don't know how to train sewing skills to your
operators you can hire an expert.
Here I would like to share Paul’s story on skill improvement for low
performing experienced operators. This story will explain you that
through training you can bring lot of improvement operators earning
and line performance. 

“Paul Collyer was working as trainer in a garment factory, in UK. He

trained a girl how to train operators and build sewing skills. Once she
was trained completely, Paul sent her to the sewing floor to find out
low performing operators and improve their sewing skills through
training.

In that factory most of sewing operators were working for many years.
So they were experienced to their job. Operators were paid based on
number of pieces they were producing. The factory was running piece
rate system.

As instructed by Paul, the young lady went to every operators and

studied operator’s performance. She set a method to train low
performing operators. When she spoke to experienced operators for
the training, they ignored her. Few so called experienced operators
used to tell her that they are working for 15 years and they know
better than her. They were in the age of her mother. They don’t need
to learn anything, at least from the young trainer. The young lady
became upset and reported back to Paul. Paul knew this would
happen. He told the young lady, “don’t worry, go to operators who
have recently joined and improve their skills”. She did the same. 
After several weeks of training, new comers started earning more than
the experienced operators. Experienced operators were not able to
earn as much as newcomers were earning with their full effort. All the
experienced operators got surprised and they acknowledged the
benefit of skill training.

All experienced operators who earlier ignored for skill training, met
Paul and requested him to send the young trainer to train them better
skills so that they can also earn more money.”

I hope now you understand the power of training. There is always

scope for improvement. The same way you can improve your line
efficiency in your piece rate factory.

#2. Work equalization or balancing of the line.

To produce more pieces, operators must have feeding full time so that
they can continuously run their machine. In piece rate factory you may
have unbalanced WIP. Work on improving line balancing to improve
line efficiency. Read my earlier post on line balancing - How to
Balance a Traditional Sewing line?

#3. Performance Incentive

In piece rate production system it is considered that operators are self-

motivated in term of their earnings. But sometimes operators do not
know their hidden skills and capability of earning more that the current
earnings. Implement performance based incentive for piece rate
employees also in combination with skill training. You can set
differential piece rates for different level of individual operator
efficiency. You can also linked performance based incentive based on
line efficiency instead of individual operator efficiency.

Line Balancing is leveling of the workload across all operations in a

line to remove bottlenecks and excess capacity, defined by Six Sigma
Material.

When you consider mass production, garments are produced in lines

or set of machines instead of single machine. A line may be assembly
line, modular line or section, a line set with online finishing and
packing. A line includes multiple work stations with varied work
contents. Production per hour is varied depending on work content
(standard minutes of particular task/operation), allocation of total
manpower to a particular operation, operator skill level and machine
capacity. Operation with lowest production per hour is called as
bottleneck operation for that line. 

A bottleneck operation in a line determines the output of the line. That

is why it is very important to increase production of the bottleneck
processes or operations. 

Line supervisors, work study officers find ways to increase production

from the bottleneck operation and implement those means one by one
to level work across operations. In layman language, this is called line
balancing. 

Secondly Line balancing is essential as because, if excess capacity of

sewing operators does not utilized production cost will be high and
results in waiting and absorption of fixed cost. 

Though above definition is widely accepted, I saw few factories where

so called Engineers name line balancing to something else. At the
time of machine/manpower planning based on work content of each
operations, they prepare a sheet where operation wise manpower is
calculated. Most of the cases calculated manpower gives fraction of
figure but in real you can’t allocate to fraction of manpower to an
operation. So manpower planner decides to which operations one
machinist, to which operations two machinist or where only single
machinist will be allocated for two or three operations. Planner makes
this decision based on calculated data. 

In the following Figure, production per hour of two lines has been
shown. Following Line chart indicates that Line B is better balanced
than Line A.

Figure 1: Line Balancing Graph

The prerequisite of this method is to have a skill matrix of sewing

operators. Normally, at the time of line setting, operators are selected
based on their experience on operations. The calculated skill level of
the operators on the operations is not considered at all. As a result
after couple of hours, high skilled operators start sitting idle and low
skilled operators stuck with their work. Thus line becomes imbalanced
and lot of productive time is lost as operators sit idle. To utilize
operator’s maximum capacity, work allocation must be done based on
operator’s potential performance level (efficiency) and work must be
shared with operators who has excess capacity.
To get a balanced line from day one, select operators for the
operations based on operator’s skill levels and capacity required for
the task. In this article I will explain, how to use skill history to balance
a line. Assume that you already have skill matrix of your operators.
For example, a line produces Tee shirt and skill inventory of the
operators are as following. Operator’s skill levels in various operations
have been shown in the following table-1.

Table-1: Sample Skill Inventory

Work sharing between the operators may vary depending on

production systems. I will explain line balancing method considering
that we are balancing an assembly line (Progressive Bundle system).
Assumptions: 
 Operators will work on single work station. 
 Work will be shared or operator’s excess capacity will be utilized
only where machine type matched and operator has performed that
operation earlier (refer to operator skill inventory) 
 No time delay when an operator switches from one operation to
another. 
Step 1: Keep a copy of the skill matrix of all operators working in the
sewing line where new style will be loaded. Or you can prepare it if
you don’t have one. 

Step 2: Collect Operation bulletin (OB) for the style to be loaded or is

running on the line. Operation bulletin must have information such as
Operation name, SMV of the operations, type of machine is used and
hourly target from the line. Refer to following OB. Daily target output is
675 pieces in 8 hours shift and hourly target is 85 pieces. 

Figure-1: A Basic Operation Bulletin (For a Tee for example only)

Step 3: Prepare a table on spread sheet with the headers as shown in
the following Figure-2. Enter information to this sheet from your
operation bulletin. Columns A, B, C and E to be filled from OB.
Figure-2: Line balancing calculation table
Step 4: Other columns and formula used for calculation are explained
in the following paragraph. Insert formula in your spread sheet as
explained here.

Output Needed per Hour (B): Target output per hour in pieces.

Initially target output in each operation is 85 and when an operator
worked in an operation produce part quantity, balance quantity will be
the needed quantity for second operator doing the same operation. 

Standard output (D): Potential production at 100% efficiency. D= 60/

SMV of an operation 

Operator (F): Operator name to be entered after selection from skill

inventory. 

Potential performance (G): It represents operator’s efficiency level in

the past on the listed operations. Information will be selected from skill
history. 

Hourly potential output (H): Number of pieces expected from the

operator based on his/her past performance. H= Standard output X
operator’s efficiency% 

Time Available (I): Time available to an operator in hours at the time

of starting of a task. If an operator spends 0.5 hours in an operation,
he will have 0.5 hours for another operation. 

Over and under production (J): It is the variation of potential output

against target output. Negative (-) sign represents underproduction
and no sign represent overproduction. J = (Hourly potential output –
Hourly target production) 

Time needed to make target production (K): Operators time

needed to produce target output. K = (Hourly target production/ Hourly
potential output) 

Spare Time (L): Excess time than time required to produce target

quantity. L = (Time available – Time need to make target production) 

Table-2: Filled format
Step 5: In this step you will learn how select an operator from skill
inventory and allocate them for the operation one by one. All
calculations are done for one hour. 

In the above sheet (Table -2) for the 1st operation (Mark Neck trim
and run stitch) operator Radha has been selected as her efficiency is
highest (81%) among 3 operators can perform this task. Based on her
past experience (skill inventory) she can produce 88 pieces per hour.
So she can meet the hourly production target and her spare time is
0.04 hour in an hour. With this much spare time we don’t give her any
other job.

For the second operation (Join shoulders) operator Seema has been
selected. Her potential efficiency to the job is 93% and she can make
124 pieces per hour. But we need only 85 pieces to maintain
continuous feeding flow in the line. To make 85 pieces Seema needs
to spend only 0.69 hour. Balance 0.31 hour can be allocated for other
operation that can performed 4TOL machine. Her excess capacity will
be used later where it is needed. 

Similar ways calculate and fill details for 3rd, 4th 5th and 6th
operations. Anil who is allocated for operation “serge margin” has
spare time of 0.45 hours and Nirmal who has been allocated for
operation “Top stitch on neck seam” has spare time of 0.36 hours. 

For the 7th operation ‘Attach Sleeve’ we will utilize Anil’s spare time
(0.45 hour) as he is working on similar type of machine (4TOL). At
77% efficiency Anil can produce 59 pieces if works for full hours (out
of 85 pieces). In his spare time he can only produce 27 pieces.
Balance quantity 58 pieces (85 – 27) need to be made by another
operator. Here, Sunita (4TOL operator) is selected to make balance
quantity. In an hour she can make 62 pieces (short fall was 58
pieces). Thus Anil and Sunita’s combined output meets hourly target. 

Roma, who is given operation “Sew side seam with labels”, can make
66 pieces in an hour. Balance 19 pieces will to be given to another
operator. Seema, who is doing an operation ‘Join shoulder”, has spare
time of 0.31 hours. As she is working similar machine type (4TOL),
Roma’s work is shared with Seema. At 90% efficiency Seema can
make 64 pieces and in her spare time (0.31 hour) she can make 20
pieces. Combined output of Roma and Seema meets the hourly
production target. 
Similar ways 9th operation “Sleeve hem” allocated to Komal and his
excess work has been shared with Nirmal. As Nirmal has spare time
of 0.36 hours. 

The last operation has been allocated to Sivani, who can produce 91
pieces in one hour. 

In this way we can maximize utilization of operator’s excess capacity

and balance a line better in a better way. Instead allocating 13
machines and 13 operators, the target quantity is achieved by 10
operators. By using this method, with balancing a line we can increase
labor productivity and labor utilization percentage. 

A sequence of operations is involved in making a garment. In bulk

garment production, generally a team works in an assembly line
(Progressive Bundle system) and each operator do one operation and
give it other operator to do next operation. In this way garment
reached to end of the line as a completed garment.  In the assembly
line after some time of the line setting, it is found that at some places
in the line, work is started to pile up and few operators sit idle due to
unavailability of work. 

When this situation happens in the line it is called an imbalanced line.

Normally it happens due to two main reasons – a) variation in work
content (time needed to do an operation) in different operations and b)
operator’s performance level. To meet the production target,
maintaining smooth work flow in the line is very important. So it is very
important to know basics of quick line balancing. 
 How to balance an imbalanced line has been explained in the
following. The main job in line balancing is to eliminate or reduce WIP
(work in process) at bottleneck operations. To do that you have to
know which operations are bottleneck in the line. Through capacity
study and target setting you will find existing bottlenecks in the line.

Tools required:
i)                     Stop watch
ii)                   Spread sheet or Calculator

Step 1: Capacity study: List down all operations (with operator

name) as per operation sequence in a paper. Using stop watch cycle
time (time study) for each operation for five consecutive cycles. With
average cycle time calculate hourly capacity of the operators. (i.e.
operation cycle time 30 seconds and total allowances is 20% then
capacity is 100 pieces per hour). Draw a line graph with per hour
capacity data.

Step 2: Target setting: With the above capacity data set your target
output per hour from one line. Generally it is calculated using following
formula (Target per hour= Total no of operators X 60 /garment SAM).
Check current hourly operator production report. Draw a straight line
with target output data on the line graph. 

Step 3: Identification of bottleneck areas: Now go to the capacity

study table and compare each operator’s capacity with the target
capacity.  Each individual operator whose capacity is less than the
target output is bottleneck operation for the line. It is impossible to
 improve imbalanced line’s output without improving output of the
bottleneck operations. A bottleneck operation is like a weak link chain.

Step 4: Eliminate bottlenecks from the line: Now to eliminate

bottleneck areas use following methods which suites best to your
situation but don’t jump without trying initial steps.
i.                     Club operations where possible. Where there is higher capacity than
the target output, give that operator another operation with less work
content. Considering machine type and sewing thread colours.    
ii.                   Shuffle operators. Operations that have low work content use low
performer there. And where work content is higher use high
performers.
iii.                  Reduce cycle time using work aids and attachments. To assist the
operator in handling parts during sewing, positioning cutting and
disposing finished task, work aids, guides or attachment can be used.
Think of that if possible provide operator with aids. It will reduce
operation cycle time.
iv.                 Improve workstation layout and improve methods. Most important
area for improving output from a particular operation is using best
workstation layout and best method of work. There is always a chance
that though improving method of bottleneck operations you can do line
balancing.
v.                   Add more operators at bottleneck operations. Adding one additional
machine in easy task than others. Before adding one more machine
compare the cost-benefits of putting additional machine into the line. It
can be simple compared by estimating machine productivity in both
cases.
vi.                 Do extra work at bottleneck operations. At lunch break and Tea
break when each operator of the line goes for break, bottleneck
operator can continue work to feed next to his operator. Later he can
take break. At the end of the day tell this operator to work for one hour
extra to reduce the WIP.

Important things to keep in mind:

i.                     Conduct Time Study hourly basis and check output of each operator.
Once you have eliminated one bottleneck, you will find a new
bottleneck operation. Follow the same methodology to improve line
balancing. 
Cost per minute of line is calculated only for direct labors. Direct
labors like sewing operators, helpers, line supervisor and quality
checkers.

There are two types of  Cost per Minute of a sewing line -

1. Estimated cost per minute of a line and

2. Actual cost per minute of a line

As you did not specifically ask which one you need, I am explaining
both.

1. Estimated cost per minute of a line: 

To use this calculation your operators need to be salaried. Formula

used to calculate Estimated cost per minute

= Total salary of a line for one day / (Total minutes available*Line

efficiency%)
To calculate total salary of a line includes all operators, helpers
working in a line. You can also include Quality checkers and line
supervisors and feeder if they are not considered under overhead. So,
you have to find following three parameters to calculate estimated cost
per minute of a line.

1. Total salary of a line for one day 

2. Total minutes available 
3. Line efficiency% 
Where, Total minutes available = Number of total labors *Daily
working hours *60

An example:

Total estimated salary of a typical line is INR 6000.00 and total

manpower 20 of a 15 machines line and line efficiency 40%
Cost per minute of the line = (6000 / (20*480*40%)) = Re 1.56

2. Actual cost per minute of a line 

Formula used to calculate actual cost per minute of a line

= (Actual salary for the day/ (Total garment produced * SAM))

So, you have to find following three parameters -

1. Calculate actual salary of all operators and other direct labors

working on the line in a day
2. Total pieces made by the line
3. Garment SAM of the running order
An Example: 

Assume that total actual salary of a typical line is INR 6000.00, the line
made 400 pieces and garment SAM 22 minutes.

Therefore,

Cost per minute of the line = (6000 / (400 * 22)) = Re. 0.68

Procedure to calculate labor cost

Step#1. Measure garment SAM:
First, calculate garment sewing wok content in standard minutes. You
can use Time Study method or synthetic data for calculating standard
minute of the garment sample.

If you are new to calculate garment SAM, read this post “How to
calculate SAM of a Garment Operation”

So, you know how to get garment sewing SAM.

To calculate labor cost, you need additional information such as

1. Daily labor wages (You can take actual data)

2. Line efficiency
Step#2. Calculate Daily labor wages:
Calculate minimum labor wages of your region or check with your
human resource (HR) department for daily wages of skilled labors
(sewing operators). From the daily wages, calculate per minute labor
cost.
Let's say daily labor wages is USD 4.0 and
Calculated per minute labor cost is 4.0/480 = USD 0.00833.
(Considering shift time is 8 hours, which is equal to 480 minutes)

Step#3. Calculate Line Efficiency:

Calculate line efficiency of your sewing lines.
If you know the efficiency of your sewing lines, use those data.
Let's say one line is running at 50% efficiency. We will use this data
for labor cost calculation.

1. Operator Standard hour earning

Standard hours (SAH) earned = (SAM of the operation X pieces
produced/60)
So operator SAH earned  = 0.78 X 1750/60 = 22.75

2. Operator Efficiency%
Operator efficiency (On-standard) in percentage = (Total SAH Earned
X 100 / Total hours worked)
= 0.78 X 1750X100 / (60 X 12) = 22.75 X100 / 12 = 189.58%

3. Operator Earnings
Operator earning depends as per operator employment category. If
operator is a piece rate operator than he will earn based on SAH
earning i.e. R 7.50 X 22.75 = R 170.62

Or if operator is salaried employee he will earn guaranteed pay for

minimum shift hours (i.e. 8 hours) and for overtime (i.e. 4 hours) he
will get single or twice of normal hour rate per hour. Hope you have
the details of monthly operator salary and overtime rate. Divide
monthly salary by number of working days in a month to calculate
daily salary plus overtime payment. 

4. Direct Labour Cost per Piece

Direct labour cost per piece (For first payment method)

= Total earning by the operator / Number of pieces produced
= R 170.62/1750 = R 0.0975 (only for the ongoing operation not the
complete garment)

Second method of calculating direct labour cost per piece.

Direct labour cost per piece  = Direct labor cost per minute X Garment
SAM
Where, cost per minute = Daily wages /Total SAM produced in a day.
Find daily labour wages and garment SAM from the factory and use
this formula to calculate your direct labour cost per piece.
This article is for the business owners and production managers who
generally ignore to look into production data. They are unaware how
much money they are losing daily due to low line performance.  This is
a case of a garment export manufacturer. 

I was in a meeting discussing about line efficiency, present cost per

pieces and what the production people can achieve to lower down the
making cost. When we started discussing the fact and figures
everybody was surprised. Read the following figures to know what the
surprising thing was. 

Case Study: 
Product SAM = 23 minutes (Ladies blouse) 
Hourly cost per operator = INR 24.00 approx (Operators monthly
salary 5000.00 INR) 
Present output (on day 4 of line loading) = 300 pieces 
45 operators work 11 hours day in producing those pieces. 
So, present labor cost per piece = (Total cost of operators/number of
pieces produced) = (40*24*11)/300 INR = 35.64 INR. It seems fine. 
According the standard minutes (SAM value of the garment), if line
performs at 100% efficiency then it would cost factory = (24*23/60) =
9.20 INR per pieces [cost per hour *SAM/60].

Even if the factory hits average line efficiency to 50% operator cost

per pieces become = 9.2*100/50 =18.40 INR. There is a big difference
between current performance and what is expected. 

Suppose the factory reach at 50% average

efficiency then factory owner can save net
17.24 (35.64 –18.40) INR per pieces. In an
order of 15000 pieces, factory will save
approximately 258,600 INR in this order. 

These figures are all real and can be

achieved if you know how to achieve the
target efficiency. Now question is that how to
improve the line efficiency. Total working
hours in a day are fixed. You have to produce
more minutes or more pieces to increase the
efficiency within those hours. The initial steps
to start improving line performance are listed
below.

1. Increase operator utilization by balancing the line and eliminating

off-standard works or minimizing lost time.
2. Train operators on specific operations to improve their skills
3. Motivate employees to perform jobs efficiently
4. Stabilize line by minimizing operator absenteeism and turnover

If you have good team of industrial engineers, they can work on the
above to meet your target (lowering the production cost). Otherwise
you can seek for professional help. Now-a-days you will find many
freelancers who can help you saving more money at your factory day
by day.
Industrial Engineers normally calculate direct labor cost (sewing) of
the product. Labor cost per unit directly related on the line efficiency
(performance). When line efficiency increases, production of the line
increases. See the graph on bottom right. So, the cost per garment
goes down when line efficiency increases.

Normally engineers calculate per minute labor cost at 100% line

efficiency based on operators’ monthly salary. Labor cost per minute
increased as line efficiency goes down. Many engineers make a
matrix of line efficiency Vs. labor cost per minute ( See the following
table for an example of such matrix).
Once they have labor cost per minute against line efficiency as shown
in right table, minute cost is multiplied by garment SAM value to
calculate garment cost. Using the simple formula you can also
calculate labor cost per minute of your factory.

I have written an article on minute cost calculation method in past.

Find it here.

Example: Suppose you have a line of 30 operators and all are

salaried workers. So, you pay fixed amount to your workers instead of
their performance level. Right? At present line perform at 30% and
daily output is 300 pieces and if daily salary of the operator is USD
5.0, per piece labor cost becomes (30*5/300 ) or USD 0.5 per unit.

Suppose efficiency increased upto 60%, at this efficiency level line will
make double garments i.e. 600 pieces per day. In this case operator's
daily salary remains same. So per garment labor cost now become =
USD (30*5/600) = USD 0.125 

Here I have shown you straight method. Average line efficiency of a

product varies depending on the following factors.

 Order quantity per style

 Product construction difficulty level
So, the cost of the garment varies accordingly.
An operation bulletin is one of the primary IE tools. An OB helps to set a production line with
correct number of machines and manpower. To make it easy for learners I have explained OB
making process step by step. Prior to using these steps for making an OB you need to know how
to determine operation SMV, calculation of machine requirement and how to make operation
breakdown of a garment.

Step #1: Prepare an OB format.

You need a computer with spread sheet (excel sheet) to make this format and to do calculations
quickly. In the image at the bottom I have shown one sample operation bulletin. You can copy
this format for your use or make one yourself. On the header add details like style#, Buyer, Order
qty. etc.

Add formula to the cells for auto calculation when you feed SMVs. Formula for each column has
been given in the following steps. Cells highlighted with grey colors are set with formula. A
basic operation bulletin contains following information.

 Daily working hours 

 Target output per day or per hour 
 Total SMV (Sewing SMV and Non-sewing SMV) 
 OB prepared by (Name of the Engineer) 
 Job code 
 Operation description 
 Machine description 
 SMV @ 100% Efficiency 
 SMV @ target efficiency% 
 Calculated production per hour 
 Name of the Folder and attachment if used 
 Calculated no. of machines 
 Actual no. of machines
 Estimated production per unit hours 
 Any remarks 
 Machine summary list 

Step #2: Collect correct Sample

Once you have OB format ready collect your style (reference sample). When you collect a
sample from sampling room or merchants make sure that you got approved sample, or you have
to do rework later. 

Step #3: Make operation breakdown for the sample

Look into garment construction in details. To have better understanding first break garment into
parts (like collar, front, back etc.). Then list down operations in your note book according to the
section you made. Once you have listed all operations cross-check with garment again and
visualize that if all operations are done as per your list you will get exactly complete garment as
per your sample garment. Now enter operations in your format (computer spread sheet) as per
sequence to be performed in line. 

Step #4: Define machine for each operation

Based on seam type used in a style you may need to use different types of sewing machines for
different operations and manual work stations. Select one machine and enter into the sheet
against each operation. Also enter name and description of attachments or folder or guides if
needed for an operations.

Step #5: Enter SMVs for each operation

This step is the most critical in term of how you get SMVs, right? You have to find SMVs by
conducting time study or existing database. Mention source of SMV (time study or MTM2
database). You can convert SMVs in based on your target line efficiency%. It is optional. In the
following example, SMV is shown at 100% efficiency and also converted SMVs into Target
efficiency (i.e. 60%). Refer to the formula. 

SMV at Target Efficiency = SMV @ 100% efficiency / Target efficiency% 

Step #6: Calculate calculated production per hour

Calculate production per hour at target efficiency%. In the following example, I have shown it at
100% and Target efficiency (60%). Formula used - 

Calculated Production/Hour @ target efficiency = 60/Operation SMV @ target Efficiency 

Step #7: Calculate number of machines

To make garment as per your target you need install sufficient number of sewing machines. You
will get fraction number of machines (with decimal) in this calculation. In the next column add
number of machines manually round figure for machine numbers. Combine two operations in a
single machine where possible, i.e. required machine no. is less or equal to half. 

Calculated Machine number = (SMV @ target efficiency * Hourly production target/60) 

Or 

Calculated Machine number = (SMV @ target efficiency * Daily production target/Total minutes
in a shift day) 
You can also use pitch time for the calculation of calculated machine no. Formula: 

Calculated Machine number =operation SMV / Pitch. 

Step #8: Calculate estimated production per hour

It is calculated according to the machine assigned to each operation. It may be different for few
operations than calculated production per hour (step #6) as you set machine numbers to round up
value. Formula used - 

Estimated Production/Hour = (No. of machine assigned * Hourly target qty.)/Calculated no. of

machines 

Step #9: Calculate Machine summary

At the bottom of the OB add one table for machine summary. This table will help you to quickly
find how many actual machines are required for each machine types. In this table add formula to
calculate machine summary automatically when you enter number of machines. See following
sample OB sheet. 

Your Operation Bulletin is ready. 

Image 1: Sample Operation Bulletin Sheet

Click on the image to Zoom

Prior to defining SAM of the garment, detailed operation breakdown is

made by engineer. Both manual and machine operations are included
in the operation list. Then a skilled operator is given to do operations
one by one.

5 to 10 samples are studied.

 Mens Shirt (Image source:dk.gant.com)

All operations are studied by GSD expert for motion analysis. At the
same time all operations are videoed for future reference. Calculated
SAM of the operations for a Formal Shirt has been shown in the
following table. This has been defined by a GSD practitioner of a large
size Indian garment export company using GSD software.

The following SAM of each individual operation will help to understand

how a shirt’s SAM reach up to a certain value. The SAM of the
operation may vary according to the changes styling of the shirts,
seam length, attachment and work aids used, motion sequence used
by the operator and machine type.  

Product: Full Sleeve Men’s Formal Shirt. Brand: Arrow 

Total Garment SAM: 22.32 minutes.

Sl. No. Operation List SAM 

1 Pinning to profile 0.234

2 Run stitch collar 0.219

3 Trim collar 0.285

4 Clip and turn collar 0.223

5 Crease collar 0.381

6 Top stitch collar 0.42

7 Run stitch (R/s) collar band 0.291

8 Crease collar band 0.317

9 Insert collar in neck band 0.799

10 Turn and crease collar 0.452

11 Attach bias piece to cuff 0.874

12 Crease cuff 0.458

13 Hem cuff 0.501

14  R/s cuff 0.565

15 Trim cuff 0.36

16 Turn cuff 0.527

17 Crease cuff bottom 0.566

18 Attach placket to sleeve 0.795

19 Lock and make diamond 1.026

20 Sew pleats (4 no.) 0.389

21 Hem right front 0.494

22  Attach front placket 0.603

23 Crease pocket 0.542

24 Hem pocket mouth 0.28

25 Attach pocket to front 0.861

26 Attach brand label and tack loop 0.589

27 Crease patch pieces 0.236

28 Attach patch piece 0.333

29 Sew pleats 0.278

 30 Attach yoke to back 0.475

31 Top stitch back yoke 0.365

32 Join shoulder 0.64

33 Top stitch shoulder 0.656

34 Attach collar 0.535

35 Close collar with size label 1.01

36 Sleeve attach 0.862

37 Top stitch armhole 0.678

38 Top stitch side seam 1.036

39 Attach & close cuff 0.696

40 Top stitch cuff 0.524

41 Hem bottom 0.947

Total SAM 22.322

Introduction:
To profitably run a garment production factory an effective operator
training system is essential; however many companies either have no
facility or one that is not fit for purpose to meet the demands of the
modern industry. Training can take two separate identities, the giving
of skills and knowledge to new recruits and the upgrading of the
abilities of existing workers.

High labour turnover in the first few days of training is often reported
but is something that can be actively attacked and reduced. It is a
symptom of poor selection, ineffective initial training or a combination
of both. Pre employment tests such as dexterity and eyesight are
essential but must be allied to structured trainability assessment. The
ability to absorb, remember and act upon information is crucial if
training is to be worthwhile but unfortunately not all applicants will
have these qualities. Not everyone can be trained to become a sewing
industry operator? Thirty minutes spent assessing a potential recruit
will save wasted time, effort and money by eliminating unsuitable
people.

A closer look to the existing training system:

After recruitment the initial stages of training are crucial. If a new

trainee is allowed to sit around and wait, learn in an unstructured way,
learn the wrong things or learn slowly then high labour turnover will
occur as those motivated to progress, (the ones you want to retain)
will become frustrated and leave. Additionally those recruits who are
prepared to sit around and work slowly (the ones you do not want) will
stay in a version of reverse selection. Training times will also be
extended with graduates poorly equipped for the demands of the
production lines. If a factory has an initial training programme of more
than one week duration then it is probably training in an incorrect
manner creating problems in the production area and costing
considerable sums of money. (The salary of a trainee is almost
irrelevant in the training process. The real cost is the loss of output
and therefore recovery of overheads due to extended stays in the
training area).

The effective operator training format: 

To achieve a throughput of recruits in a short time that are able to
perform to required standards of output and quality requires a
dedicated and specialised facility that follows a systematic training
policy. Such a facility will be cost effective as it supplies valuable
workers to the line and will dramatically reduce training times and
enable recruits to work to sensible performances. 
Training should be conducted by specialised, suitably trained
instructors that work in both the initial training area and in lines as
required. All training will be conducted on fabric pieces and will from
the first activity expect trainees to work to speed and quality
standards. To implement such a regime the trainee/instructor ratio
must be reduced to a 3:1 to enable the required amount of time to be
dedicated to each trainee. Such a ratio will increase the flow of trained
recruits as they are typically sent through in one week with minimal
losses against the often used 1:20 that leads to losses and six to eight
week training periods.

After one week recruits will typically go to the lines but they must not
at this point be abandoned by training staff. Additional trainers should,
working on a 1:10 ratio support the new workers until they can achieve
the prescribed performance targets (75-80%). Supervisors do not
have the time and expertise to work with new workers. These trainers
may not, dependent upon the flow of new workers be fully occupied.
This is when they can work on the most cost effective phase of
systematic training regimes, the improvement of low performing
existing operators.

A low performing operator can be defined as one who is not achieving

the required standards of performance i.e. quality and/or quantity.
Every factory has low performing operators that cause bottlenecks,
missed deliveries and quality problems. These workers are not
considered to be idle or inadequate but that they have problems for
which they need help and support .A suitably trained instructor
working within a systematic training facility will be able to problem
solve and work with the low performer to increase their abilities. Such
an instructor will repay their salary many times over if correctly
deployed.

Conclusion: 
A systematic training programme is an essential part of the
management structure of a garment production factory. Without such
a facility the manager will not be able to fully meet his objectives.
Many managers recognise by utilising data from labour cost control
systems that they have a training or skill problem in the lines but do
not have the assets to do anything about it. Trained instructors give
him that ability to positively address problems as part of a
performance improvement initiative.

In apparel Manufacturing, “Production capacity” is one of the most

important criteria used for vendor selection by the buyers. It is
because; the production time of an order is directly proportional to
vendor’s production capacity. So it is very important that marketing
and planning personnel should aware about the production capacity of
their production units.

Capacity of a factory is primarily expressed in terms of total machines

factory have. Secondly, how much pieces the factory produces on
daily for the specific products? In general, total numbers of machines
in a factory mostly remains same for a period. But factory may
produce various types of product during the season. According to the
product (style) category, machine requirement may change and daily
average production in each style may vary. So to be specific during
booking orders, planner should know exactly how much capacity he or
she needed to procure the order in a given time period. 
 Sewing Floor (Image Credit: Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. via Facebook
page)

A factory’s capacity is presented in total minutes or hours or in pieces

(production per day). The method used to calculate capacity has been
explained in the following. To calculate Daily production capacity (in
pieces) one needs following information. 

1. Factory capacity in hours 

2. Product SAM 
3. Line efficiency (Average)

1. Calculation of factory capacity (in hours): Check how many

machines factory has and how many hours factory runs in a day. For
example suppose, 
Total number of machines = 200 
Shift hours per day = 10 hours 
So total factory capacity (in hours) = 200*10 hours = 2000 hours 
2. Calculation of Product SAM (SAM): Make a list of product
category that you manufacture and get standard minutes (SAM) of all
products you make from work study engineers. If you don’t have
product SAM then calculate the SAM. Or you can use average SAM of
the products. Suppose you are producing shirt and its SAM is 25
minutes.

3. Factory Average Efficiency: This data is collected from industrial

engineer. Or calculate it with historical data. Suppose average line
efficiency is 50%. Read the article - How to calculate efficiency of a
production line or batch?

Calculation of production capacity (in pieces): Once you have

above information use following formula to calculate production
capacity. 
Production capacity (in pieces) = (Capacity in hours*60/product
SAM)*line efficiency 

For Example: Suppose a factory has 8 sewing lines and each line

has 25 machines. Total 200 machines and working shift is 10 hours
per day. Total factory capacity per day is 2000 hours (200 machines *
10 hours). If factory is producing only one style (Shirt) of SAM 25
minutes and used all 200 machines daily production capacity at 50% 

= (2000*60/25)*50% Pieces 
= (2000*60*50) / (25*100) Pieces 
= 2400 Pieces
[Note: Production will vary according to the line efficiency and during
learning curve or in the initial days when style is loaded to the line] 

Production (capacity) planning is normally done based on sewing

capacity. Having knowledge of the capacity in other processes
(internal or external) is also very important. Otherwise planner may fail
and will not be able to meet the dead line. Other departments such as
Cutting room capacity, Finishing room capacity, Washing Capacity
and capacity of the value added jobs.