Chapter 1: Introductory

1.1. Introduction

Lean manufacturing is a set of tools and methodologies that aims for the continuous elimination
of all waste in the production process which is a system for improving productivity and product
quality. Laconically more value with less work. Lean manufacturing is a manufacturing
philosophy that shortens the time between the customer order and the product build or shipment
by eliminating sources of waste. Another way of looking at lean is that it aims to achieve the
same output with less input- less time, less space, less human effort, less machinery, less
material, less costs. Japanese manufacturers’ re-building after the Second World War was facing
declining human, material and financial resources. The problems they faced in manufacturing
were vastly different from their Western counterparts. These circumstances led to the
development of new and lower cost manufacturing practices. Early Japanese leaders such as the
Toyota Motor Company’s Eiji Toyoda, Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo developed a disciplined,
process-focused production system now known as the “Toyota Production System”, or “Lean
Production”. The objective of this system was to minimize the consumption of resources that
added no value to a product. When a U.S. equipment manufacturing company, Lantech
completed the implementation of lean in 1995, they reported the following improvements
compared to their batch-based system in 1991; manufacturing space per machine was reduced by
45%, defects were reduced by 90%, production cycle time was reduced from 16 weeks to 14
hours-5days and product delivery lead time was reduced from 4-20 weeks to 1-4 weeks

1
 1.2. Background of the Study

There is a significant potential to increase the competitiveness of Bangladesh’s RMG industry by

improving its productivity. One approach is through lean manufacturing, which has been
introduced by PROGRESS, a joint program of the Governments of Bangladesh and Germany
implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH and
BKMEA.

Lean manufacturing (LM) involves improvement measures that reengineer the entire production
process from cutting the fabric to packaging the product, skill enhancement and training of
factory staff, workers and line supervisors. The implementation time of the modular line concept,
a key component of LM, stretches over six months. However, factory-wide LM is regarded as an
ongoing process that creates a culture in which everyone in the organization continuously works
to improve processes and production, minimize delays, reduce costs and improve quality.

To test the feasibility of the LM concept in Bangladesh, PROGRESS and BKMEA carried out a
productivity improvement pilot. BKMEA productivity officers first received extensive training
in LM. International consultants and BKMEA team then drew up value stream maps in four
knitwear factories to identify where the wastages in the process were. The last stage involved
devising of improvement programs for each pilot factory.

The main results of the baseline analysis (before improvement) were as follows:

 Waste in production occurs mainly due to losses in line balancing (46%).

 Average labor productivity level in pilot factories hovers around 29%.
 Non-value-added activities comprise up to 80% of the total production process.
 In monetary terms, this means that the US$3.00 cost of manufacturing contains up to
US$2.40 related to waste, which could be saved and transformed into profit.

The improvements realized per re-engineered production line were:

 Labor productivity improvements of 85%

 Production costs reduced by 39%
 Reduction of lead time by 75%
 Floor space utilization improvement of 51%
 Better utilization of labor (70% reduction in numbers of helpers per production line)
 Higher income per worker due to higher productivity
 Retention of surplus labor through upgrading helpers to operators

The following key preconditions for the successful implementation of a LM change program
were identified:

2
  All managers (esp. production managers) and workers must be made aware of the process
and benefits of LM prior to any overall change. Staff awareness and training reduces
resistance to change.
 Management must be 100% committed to LM, providing the necessary support and
designating a full-time core team to carry out the improvements.
 Workers demonstrate a high level of ability to learn and adapt when encouraged by the
management. Therefore, management must be ready to reward improvements.
 Implementing a small-scale trial (from incoming fabric to shipping) before undertaking
factory-wide changes is essential in order to evaluate staff behavior and attitudes, support
and weaknesses in the management system.
 Setting milestones and conducting continuous monitoring, evaluation and adjustments
allow for optimal results.

Based on the experience and lessons learned from the successful pilot project, BKMEA started
providing LM services to its member factories. So far the Productivity Improvement Cell has
carried out productivity improvement schemes in more than 20 of its member factories.

3
 1.3. Literature Review

In recent years, huge literature has extensively documented the implementation of lean
philosophy into various manufacturing sectors, but very few have addressed the garments
environment. Lean manufacturing has received a sample attention in academic literature and
practical performance, from how the lean production concept was formulated and disseminated
until recent comprehensive literature review. This research addresses the confusion and
inconsistency associated with “lean production”. They attempted to clarify the semantic
confusion surrounding lean production by conducting an extensive literature review using a
historical evolutionary perspective in tracing its main components. They identified a key set of
measurement items by charting the linkages between measurement instruments that have been
used to measure its various components, and using case study by which we can get the way of
implementation procedure of lean manufacturing tools and technique. The case study consists of
different experimental discussion, experimental result & discussion. We affirm that it is not
possible to define the context without including the product and the manufacturing process, at
least from an operational and technological perspective. In this sense, some real and detailed case
study provides the sufficient items to evaluate the implementation and under what conditions,
allowing the benchmarking between practical of companies. The methodology is similar, using
lean tools, and is adapted to the study variables, but the improvement point and the results
achieved are different. Furthermore, in line with Milterburg (Miltenburg, 2001) (Bamber and
Dale, 2000), how an implementation can be done is a subject that benefits from research. In
addition, “a line of interesting researches is one that follows real one-piece flow production
systems over time to learn what problems are most difficult at different points in time, how these
problems are solved” (Bamber and Dale, 2000). An assembly line comprises a sequence of
workstations through which a predefined set of tasks are performed repeatedly on product units
while they are moving along the line. It was originally developed to support mass production of
single homogeneous standardized com- modify to gain a competitive unit cost. As a consequence
of just-in-time (JIT) implementation, manufacturers aim to achieve continuously improved
productivity, cost, and product quality by eliminating all wastes in their production systems.
However, the straight line cannot fully support the adoption of JIT principles to manufacturing
especially in the utilization of multi-skilled operators. Hence, such companies replaced their
traditional straight lines with U-shaped production lines, called U-lines hereafter. It was
suggested a hierarchical structure in their research to model the design process of a lean
production system, which consisted of design parameters and process variables (Houshmand and
Jamshidnezhad, 2006). VSM means working on the big picture not on the individual processes
and improving the whole flow but not just optimizing the process, which facilities more
thoughtful decisions to value stream mapping. VSM is prescribed as part of the lean toolkit and
has been applied in a variety of industries. I have also introduced 5S. 5S is needed to stabilize the

4
process and reduce the much non value activities. Lean goals are not achievable without reliable
machinery and processes, on the other hand, TPM is more effective in Lean driven enterprises.

1.4. Problem Statement and Objective

In India due to lower skill levels and traditional manufacturing systems, the garment industries
are able to achieve 50% to 60% productivity level .This project is done in an apparel industry in
Gajipur, Savar mostly. They are manufacturers of woven and knit garments.

The primary objective of the present study is to investigate the garment manufacturing processes
to identify the bottle-neck operations through lean diagnostic tools. Appropriate lean tools are to
be implemented until the productivity is improved by eliminating the waste operations.

The broad objective of this study is to achieve operational excellence in production process
through lean manufacturing focused on RMG Industry of Bangladesh. There are some other
specific objectives of this study. These are given below:

 To identify various lean manufacturing tools.

 To explore how the identified lean tools lead to obtain operational excellence in the
production process of a garment company.
 To identify the business challenges faced by garment industry of Bangladesh to practice
lean.
 To identify the areas where changes need to be made to implement lean in garment
industry of Bangladesh.

5
 1.5. Methodology

The main goal of this study is to ascertain how lean manufacturing (LM) practices affect layout
facility designing. In order to investigate this effect, it is classified concerned company as
traditional or lean. For this division, six sets of LM practices are used:

 Process focus,
 Pull production,
 Quality programs,
 Increase in equipment efficiency,
 Form of lean organization,
 Continuous improvement.

It is expected that the companies in the lean companies cluster use these sets of practices more
intensely than do traditional companies, thus earning a higher average score for these sets of
practices. For successful completion, a severe case study was conducted in a company more
specifically their garments finishing section. At the very beginning a detailed work measurement
of their existing finishing section’s layout was conducted. In sewing section, the sewing
procedures of T-shirt style of three of their most prominent buyers naming Puma, M&S and G-
star was been targeted. Then taking 15 pieces of garments at a time, the overall value stream
mapping (VSM) was designed. Then after seven days of proper monitoring of hourly production
capacity and workforce analysis in their sewing section, a fruitful product cluster was formed. At
the bottom part some optimum and leaned process flow patterns, facility layouts and their VSM
design is proposed for that company for future implementation. Here for further justification of
the proposed process flow pattern ARENA simulation software is also used. Simulation is very
important to implement lean manufacturing (Law [10]). With this work, it certainly provides a
road map for people who are ready to transform their traditional production system from process
orientation to cellular orientation. This continuous feedback and improvement procedure is in
agreement with the spirit of lean thinking and Kaizen activities. From the schematic scenario
process flow diagram for different buyers are identified.

6
 1.6. Significance of the Study

The espoused goals of lean manufacturing systems differ between various authors. While some
maintain an internal focus, e.g. to increase profit for the organization, others claim that
improvements should be done for the sake of the customer.

Some commonly mentioned goals are:

 Improve quality: To stay competitive in today's marketplace, a company must

understand its customers' wants and needs and design processes to meet their
expectations and requirements.
 Eliminate waste: Waste is any activity that consumes time, resources, or space but does
not add any value to the product or service.
 Reduce time: Reducing the time it takes to finish an activity from start to finish is one of
the most effective ways to eliminate waste and lower costs.
 Reduce total costs: To minimize cost, a company must produce only to customer
demand. Overproduction increases a company’s inventory costs because of storage needs.

The strategic elements of lean can be quite complex, and comprise multiple elements. Four
different notions of lean have been identified:

 Lean as a fixed state or goal (being lean)

 Lean as a continuous change process (becoming lean)
 Lean as a set of tools or methods (doing lean/toolbox lean)
 Lean as a philosophy (lean thinking)

1.7. Limitations

Usually a research requires a huge investment of time to be conducted properly. Unfortunately I

am in shortage of that much of time. In addition to lack of time, constraints such as lack of
budget, lack of proper information, unavailability of trusted information sources also accompany
as the limitations for conducting a research. Despite the fact, I assure you that I would try my
best to satisfy you by my work, with your cooperation and support.

Chapter 2
Literature Review

7
 2.1. Review of Related Literature

In recent years, huge literature has extensively documented the implementation of lean
philosophy into various manufacturing sectors, but very few have addressed the garments
environment. Lean manufacturing has received a sample attention in academic literature and
practical performance, from how the lean production concept was formulated and disseminated
until recent comprehensive literature review. This research addresses the confusion and
inconsistency associated with “lean production”. They attempted to clarify the semantic
confusion surrounding lean production by conducting an extensive literature review using a
historical evolutionary perspective in tracing its main components. They identified a key set of
measurement items by charting the linkages between measurement instruments that have been
used to measure its various components, and using case study by which we can get the way of
implementation procedure of lean manufacturing tools and technique. The case study consists of
different experimental discussion, experimental result & discussion. We affirm that it is not
possible to define the context without including the product and the manufacturing process, at
least from an operational and technological perspective. In this sense, some real and detailed case
study provides the sufficient items to evaluate the implementation and under what conditions,
allowing the benchmarking between practical of companies. The methodology is similar, using
lean tools, and is adapted to the study variables, but the improvement point and the results
achieved are different. Furthermore, in line with Milterburg (Miltenburg, 2001) (Bamber and
Dale, 2000), how an implementation can be done is a subject that benefits from research. In
addition, “a line of interesting researches is one that follows real one-piece flow production
systems over time to learn what problems are most difficult at different points in time, how these
problems are solved” (Bamber and Dale, 2000). An assembly line comprises a sequence of
workstations through which a predefined set of tasks are performed repeatedly on product units
while they are moving along the line. It was originally developed to support mass production of
single homogeneous standardized com- modify to gain a competitive unit cost. As a consequence
of just-in-time (JIT) implementation, manufacturers aim to achieve continuously improved
productivity, cost, and product quality by eliminating all wastes in their production systems.
However, the straight line cannot fully support the adoption of JIT principles to manufacturing
especially in the utilization of multi-skilled operators. Hence, such companies replaced their
traditional straight lines with U-shaped production lines, called U-lines hereafter. It was
suggested a hierarchical structure in their research to model the design process of a lean
production system, which consisted of design parameters and process variables (Houshmand and
Jamshidnezhad, 2006). VSM means working on the big picture not on the individual processes
and improving the whole flow but not just optimizing the process, which facilities more
thoughtful decisions to value stream mapping. VSM is prescribed as part of the lean toolkit and
has been applied in a variety of industries. I have also introduced 5S. 5S is needed to stabilize the

8
process and reduce the much non value activities. Lean goals are not achievable without reliable
machinery and processes, on the other hand, TPM is more effective in Lean driven enterprises

2.2. Concept Overview of Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating wastes (non-value

added activities) through continuous improvement by conveying the product at the pull of the
customer in pursuit of production. In a more basic term, more value with less work. Since lean
manufacturing eliminates many of the problems associated with poor production scheduling and
line balancing, lean manufacturing is particularly appropriate for companies that do not have
ERP systems in place or do not have strong material requirements planning (MRP), production
scheduling, or production allocation systems in place. This is particularly significant in
Bangladesh, where many private Bangladeshi garment manufacturing companies are operating
significantly below their potential capacity, or experiencing a high level of late-deliveries, due to
problems with their current production scheduling and production management systems.
Considering all those facts this paper provides a roadmap as well as a framework to those
manufacturing companies who are really operating significantly below their potential capacity.
In this work, the existing layouts were studied and then layouts are proposed to enhance the
production system and value stream mapping (VSM) is used as a basic lean manufacturing tool
and some cellular manufacturing philosophies to find out the improved level of performance and
productivity particularly in the garments section of Bangladesh. At the final stage, research work
is reinforced by using a simulation software ARENA to judge the sustainability of proposal.

Lean is a term to describe a system that produces what the customer wants, when they want it,
with minimum waste -it is based on the Toyota production system. Lean thinking focuses on
value-added lean and consists of best practices, tools and techniques from throughout industry
with the aims of reducing waste and maximizing the flow and efficiency of the overall system to
achieve the ultimate customer satisfaction. Lean manufacturing is a manufacturing philosophy
that shortens the time between the customer order and the product build/shipment by eliminating
sources of waste. Another way of looking at lean is that it aims to achieve the same output with
less input- less time, less space, less human effort, less machinery, less material, less costs
(Nahmias [17]). Japanese manufacturers’ re-building after the Second World War was facing
declining human, material and financial resources. The problems they faced in manufacturing

9
were vastly different from their Western counterparts. These circumstances led to the
development of new and lower cost manufacturing practices. Early

Japanese leaders such as the Toyota Motor Company’s Eiji Toyoda, Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo
Shingo developed a disciplined, process-focused production system now known as the “Toyota
Production System” (Monden [16]), or “Lean Production”. The objective of this system was to
minimize the consumption of resources that added no value to a product. When a U.S. equipment
manufacturing company, Lantech, completed the implementation of lean in 1995, they reported
the following improvements compared to their batch-based system in 1991: manufacturing space
per machine was reduced by 45%, defects were reduced by 90%, production cycle time was
reduced from 16 weeks to 14 hours-5days; and product delivery lead time was reduced from 4-
20 weeks to 1-4 weeks.

Waste is anything that does not contribute to transforming a part to the customers needs. The aim
of lean manufacturing is the elimination of waste in every area of production including customer
relations, product design, supplier networks, and factory management. Its goal is to incorporate
less human effort, less inventory, less time to develop products, and less space to become highly
responsive to customer demand while producing top quality products in the most efficient and
economical manner possible. Essentially, a “waste” is anything that the customer is not willing to
pay for. Originally seven main kinds of wastes such as transporting, overproducing, waiting,
defects, unnecessary motion, inappropriate processing and unnecessary inventory were
identified as part of the Toyota Production System. On the other hand, applications of lean
manufacturing in the continuous process sector have been far fewer. It has sometimes been
argued that in part, this is because such industries are inherently more efficient and have a
relatively less urgent need for major improvement activities. Managers have also been hesitant to
adopt lean manufacturing tools and techniques to the continuous sector because of other
characteristics that are typical in this sector. These include large, inflexible machines, long setup
times, and the general difficulty in producing in small batches.

Case study from a large integrated garments manufacturer is used here to illustrate the approach
followed. In this approach, value stream mapping (VSM) is first used to map the current
operating state for VG. This map is used to identify sources of waste and identify lean tools for
reducing the waste. A future state map is then developed for the system with lean tools applied to
it. Since the implementation of the recommendations is likely to be both expensive and time-
consuming, a simulation model is developed for the managers at VG in order to quantify the
benefits gained from using lean tools and techniques.

2.3. Process Background

10
Lean is most widely used in industries that are assembly oriented or have a high amount of
repetitive human processes. These are typically industries for which productivity is highly
influenced by the efficiency and attention to detail of the people who are working manually with
tools or operating equipments. For these kinds of companies, improved systems can eliminate
significant levels of waste or inefficiency. Examples of these include wood processing, garment
manufacturing, automobile assembly, electronics assembly and equipment manufacturing.
The study is concentrated on the finishing department of the company. It is observed that the
floor condition was not good and in a haphazard situation. There were lots of in process
inventories between almost every sequential operation. As a result it could not cover the daily
production of the sewing department. Its output was quite less than the sewing. So there is a huge
in process inventory in between. No strict and precise work distribution was followed by many
workers. Materials used to travel large distance from input receiving to cartooning. Many of
these movements and handlings are totally unnecessary. As a result, the productivity was
hampered. It is also observed that, iron men often are not accused of their wrong ironing; the line
supervisors are not strict enough to control the quality right at the first time. So lots of reworks
are there and the total completion time is delayed and the proportion of non–value added time is
increased. Sometimes there are delays than the buyer’s required dates. So, the company has to
pay significant amount of compensations for delayed shipment. This situation is very horrible
and must not likely to occur. So, a smooth, streamlined and continuous flow is really necessary
to avoid all such unexpected occurrence.

Cellular Manufacturing System (CMS): Cellular Manufacturing is a model for workplace

design, and is an integral part of lean manufacturing systems. The goal of lean manufacturing is
the aggressive minimization of waste, called MUDA, to achieve maximum efficiency of
resources. Cellular manufacturing, sometimes called cellular or cell production, arranges factory
floor labor into semi-autonomous and multi-skilled teams, or work cells, who manufacture
complete products or complex components. Properly trained and implemented cells are more
flexible and responsive than the traditional mass-production line, and can manage processes,
defects, scheduling, equipment maintenance, and other manufacturing issues more efficiently.
The first step in designing CMS is to define the functional requirements (FRs) of the system at
the highest level of its hierarchy in the functional domain. Cellular Manufacturing and
work-cells are at the heart of Lean Manufacturing. Their benefits are many and varied. They
increase productivity and quality. Cells simplify material flow, management and even accounting
systems. Cellular Manufacturing seems simple. But beneath this deceptive simplicity are
sophisticated Socio-Technical Systems. Proper functioning depends on subtle interactions of
people and equipment. Each element must fit with the others in a smoothly functioning, self-
regulating and self-improving operation.

Value Stream Mapping (VSM): Value stream mapping is a method of visually mapping a
product’s production path from “door to door”. It can serve as a starting point to help

11
management, engineers, production associates, schedulers, suppliers and customers recognize
waste and identify its causes. The process includes physically mapping your “Current State”
while also focusing on where you want to be, or your “Future State”. The ultimate goal of VSM
is to identify all types of waste in the value stream and to take steps to try and eliminate these.
While researchers have developed a number of tools to optimize individual operations within a
supply chain, most of these tools fall short in linking and visualizing the nature of the material
and information flow throughout the company’s entire supply chain. Taking the value stream
viewpoint means working on the big picture and not individual processes. VSM creates a
common basis for the production process, thus facilitating more thoughtful decisions to improve
the value stream. VSM is a pencil and paper tool, which is created using a predefined set of
standardized icons. The first step is to choose a particular product or product family as the target
for improvement. The next step is to draw a current state map that is essentially a snapshot
capturing how things are currently being done. This is accomplished while walking along the
actual process, and provides one with a basis for analyzing the system and identifying its
weaknesses. The third step in VSM is to create the future state map, which is a picture of how
the system should look after the inefficiencies in it have been removed. Creating a future state
map is done by answering a set of questions on issues related to efficiency, and on technical
implementation related to the use of lean tools. This map then becomes the basis for making the
necessary changes to the system.

3.1 Historical Background

12
The Readymade Garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh has experienced a remarkable
transformation over the last four decades, emerging as the lifeline of the country's economy. The
industry began its journey in the late 1970s with only a handful of factories. The turning point
came in the 1980s when Bangladesh started exporting garments to Europe and the United States.
Supported by low labor costs, favorable government policies, and global demand for cost-
effective clothing, the sector grew exponentially.

It has been a vital part of the country’s economy, contributing over 80% to the national exports.
XYZ Garments Ltd. is a prominent name in this sector, established in 2001 with the vision to
provide quality garments to international markets. Starting with a single line of production, XYZ
Garments Ltd. has expanded into a massive manufacturing unit employing more than 5,000
skilled workers. The company has gradually adopted Lean Manufacturing practices to cope with
global competition and maintain operational efficiency.

One of the pioneering organizations in this industry, XYZ Garments Ltd., was established in
1983 with a vision to become a leading exporter of high-quality garments. Starting with only 100
workers and a small production unit in Dhaka, the company expanded rapidly. By the 2000s,
XYZ Garments had diversified its product line, increased its workforce to over 10,000, and
established multiple factories across the country. Lean manufacturing principles were introduced
in the late 2010s to improve operational efficiency and reduce waste, positioning XYZ as a
benchmark in sustainable apparel production.

3.2 Corporate Information

XYZ Garments Ltd. is a 100% export-oriented RMG company operating under the umbrella of
the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). The company is
ISO 9001 and OEKO-TEX certified, ensuring compliance with global quality and environmental
standards.

- Company Name: XYZ Garments Ltd.

- Established: 1983
- Head Office: Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Factories: 5 (Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj)

13
- Employees: Approximately 12,000
- Annual Export Volume: $250 million (FY 2023-2024)
- Major Markets: USA, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia
- Certifications: ISO 9001, WRAP, OEKO-TEX, BSCI

3.3 Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives

- Vision:
To be the most innovative and sustainable apparel manufacturer in South Asia.

- Mission:
To deliver high-quality garments through lean production methods, ensuring customer
satisfaction, employee well-being, and environmental sustainability.

- Goals:
1. Achieve zero-defect manufacturing.
2. Reduce lead time by 20% within the next two years.
3. Enhance worker safety and satisfaction.
4. Expand into at least three new international markets by 2026.

- Objectives:
- Implement lean manufacturing across all units.
- Invest in advanced machinery and workforce training.
- Adopt digital tools for better supply chain management.
- Improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprint.

3.4 Organizational Hierarchy

XYZ Garments Ltd. follows a structured hierarchical framework that allows effective
supervision and streamlined operations. The figure below illustrates the organizational structure.

14
 Figure 3.1: Lean Impact Overview
Source: Author

3.5 Major Products and Services

XYZ Garments Ltd. specializes in manufacturing a wide range of readymade garments. The
company produces knitwear, woven garments, and denim products for men, women, and
children. Additionally, it offers services such as design support, fabric sourcing, product

15
development, and logistics coordination.

- Major Products:
- T-shirts
- Polo shirts
- Denim jeans
- Casual shirts
- Jackets
- Sportswear

- Value-Added Services:
- Embroidery and printing
- Washing and finishing
- Packaging and labeling
- Just-in-time delivery

XYZ Garments Ltd. specializes in a wide range of apparel products, including:

• Knitwear: T-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies
• Woven wear: Shirts, trousers, jackets
• Denim: Jeans, overalls, skirts
• Workwear: Uniforms, industrial wear
• Sportswear: Jerseys, tracksuits, yoga wear

Lean Manufacturing plays a critical role in optimizing production, ensuring on-time delivery and
reducing costs. The graph below shows improvements in productivity and waste reduction after
implementing lean techniques.

Figure 3.2: Impact of Lean Manufacturing on Productivity and Waste

16
Source: Internal Efficiency Audit Report, XYZ Garments Ltd.

Chapter 4
Results & Findings

17
4.1. Existing Process Flow

18
19
20
There are many limitations in existing process flow, which are:

 The flow of garments from sewing is not uniform as a result the ratio of packaging is
difficult to maintain.
 Lack of information flow and long travel distance.
 High level of in-process inventory.
 Processes are highly disintegrated therefore; there exist a high level of non-value added
time.
 Low level of coordination and integration.
 Accessories are not available all the time, as a result sewed garments are stacked
throughout the flow.
 Haphazard layout results huge amount of cross and back flows of garments.
 Low level of productivity than it should be with the existing level of resources.
 Housekeeping is not maintained properly.
 Ineffective record keeping procedure and daily Target is set based on experience.
 Inefficient use of manpower which is not uniformly distributed.
 Processed are not broken down properly.
 Garments quality should be checked properly in every stages of production; sometimes
sewed garments do not satisfy their quality due to sewing and fabric properties and which
is found in the finishing section, which should not be happened.

Work Measurement of M&S for Existing Layout

Processing time and waiting time are collected from the existing layout of the system. Data are
collected for 15 pieces of products. Processing time and waiting time for M&S are collected and
shown in Table 1. These data are used to develop value stream mapping (VSM) for buyer M&S.

VSM for M&S (Polo Shirt with Long Sleeves): Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a method of
visually mapping a product’s production path (material & information) from “door to door”. The
process includes physically mapping the “current state” while also focusing on the “ future
state”, which can serve as the foundation for other Lean improvement strategies in shorten
process and lead time to market. A value stream is all the actions (both value added and non-
value added) currently required to bring a product through the main flows essential to every
product. First of all the processes are listed squally with in a rectangular box. The arrow shows
the movement of product from one process to another and the triangle under the arrow shows the
in-process inventory. Then below the process flow line it is showed the value added, non-value
added and necessary non-value added activities with three distinct colours. It is also listed the
time required for each activity. Finally total value added and non-value added time is calculated.
For M&S polo shirt, total value added time is 27 minutes 20 seconds and total non-value added

21
time is 201min 40sec. Therefore the percentage of value added time is 12% of total processing
time and non-value added time is 88% of total processing time. The main focus is to reduce this
non-value added time as much as possible with the help of cellular product design and effective
manpower utilization.

Existing Hourly Production Report: The hourly production reports contain hourly outputs of
the sewing section for all the buyers for 52 lines. It contains data for each item that is produced.
From that reports how many hours each item are in production, actual outputs for those hours
and the total productions for each buyer considering 11 hours a day production are sorted out.
Then the percentages of production is calculated for three main buyers, PUMA, M&S and G-Star
as these three buyers are considered in all calculations throughout this report. From this study it
is seen that for M&S the maximum percentage of production in a day is 38% which accounts for
about 15200 pcs, considering the maximum daily output of sewing section which is 40,000 pcs.

22
 4.2. Proposed Process Flow

Proposed Clusters for Different Buyers

After studying the existing system, some drawbacks have been found. To improve the system
clusters, process flow diagram and layouts are proposed and implemented. From the data of
hourly production capacity report a cluster of products is proposed accordingly those have nearly
similar hourly output and the same production line for those. Different production line is
suggested for different cluster.

Proposed Process Flow Diagram

The current layouts have lots of difficulties and shortcomings. To get rid of those limitations,
layout is proposed. Here cellular layout concept is incorporated. The maximum sewing output
per day is considered for calculating number of required cells to meet it. From the hourly
production report, it is calculated that, for 11 hours production, the maximum percentage of
production for M&S is 38% which is about 15,200pcs/day. So, the hourly sewing output
for M&S can be easily calculated dividing 15,200 by 11 and the value is about 1382pcs/hour. 11
cells are proposed to meet the output. As each of the proposed cells has the hourly productivity
of 131pcs, 11 cells are needed to meet the sewing output. The productivity of the existing layout
of M&S is 14,500pcs/day, whereas our proposed one which consists of 11 identical cells yields a
productivity of 16,000pcs/day. So, productivity is increased by 10.34%, which is really
noticeable.

Proposed Layouts

As compared to the current layout, where the material has to travel much longer distance, here
the distance is minimized significantly. From the layout in the figure 5, it is seen that, each cell
consists of 6 workers and 6 tables. There is no gap between the tables. The table sizes are also be
identical. Two workers iron the bodies and pass to the two workers in front of them who inspects
the ironing, print and embroideries, measurements, labels and then attach the tags at required
places. Then he passes it to the man who performs hangering, polying and then attaches the
barcodes. As soon as he finishes his tasks, he passes the body to the man who stores the bodies in
stand, needle check and also supervises the whole cell. Then he passes it to the cartooning
section. As a result, there is no chance of in-process inventory. There is a smooth and continuous
material flow.

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 Chapter 5
Conclusion & Recommendation

Conclusion

Lean manufacturing principles have been implemented in different industries for several years,
but few implementations are found in the sewing industry. The VSM is an important tool that
enhances the implementation of lean manufacturing techniques by highlighting the different
sources of waste in the process. In performing this research, a variety of lean manufacturing tools
were scanned to test their applicability to be implemented in the sewing industry, where manual
work is essential. The most effective lean techniques that are suited to sewing are layout
redesign, line balancing, and quality at the source. These techniques work together to reduce five
types of waste in a sewing line, defects, inventory, overproduction, transportation, and waiting
time. Lean manufacturing implementation resulted in approximately 96% savings in waste cost
compared to statistics before lean implementation. In addition, implementing lean manufacturing
techniques in the sewing industry resulted in reducing lead time by approximately 43%.Lean
manufacturing is an appropriate strategy to consider for improving process without high
investment in machining, technology, or human training. Results of this research give some
evidence of the applicability of lean manufacturing techniques in a labor-based industry, such as
the sewing industry.

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 Recommendation

Lack of knowledge, specifically in production systems and resources management of the

operations manager of BY Garments, resulted to the low productivity and efficiency of
manpower. The lean manufacturing system is a continuous improvement method; thereby, its
implementation helps the company minimize waste, enhance quality of products and definitely
create its sustainability. Lean manufacturing tools contribute to the productivity of both workers
and the company. The Time Study monitoring system, an output of the study, is an effective and
efficient tool to enhance productivity in the entire sewing section, whose benefits extend to the
whole organization. In this research, only the operations in Line 1 at sewing section were
standardized due to time limitation of research. But this work can be extended for any new style
or model. Time study and standard time for each operation must be established for other styles to
fully implement lean environment at BY Garments Industries, Inc. The company may recall the
revious 5‟S Team for the continuance of their function to further implementation of 5‟S. They
can be motivated in this endeavor by using the system of group of incentive and rewards to
employees such as “Employee of the Month”, “Best in 5‟S Group”, etc. By encouraging 5S
practice in groups, all workers will also be motivated to practice the 5‟S daily until it develops
into regular routine while inside the company. BY Garments may consider hiring an Industrial
Engineer who can facilitate the overall production system, including manpower allocation,
general supervision and management initiatives and resources optimization.

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