LEAN TOOLS USED IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

A. 5S

5S is the first step to implement lean manufacturing, it helps to keep workplace organize and clean. It is actually tools of continuous improvement.

Sort:

Classify tools, parts, instructions into necessary and unnecessary. Get rid of the later

·        High use Equipment Used hour by hour, day by day. Keep within arms reach of point of use.

·        Medium Use Equipment Used once a month. Keep within work area.

·        Low use Equipment Used once a year Store in a distant location.

·        Unneeded Equipment Throw it away.

Set in Order:

Make it visible and easy to use:

·        Place for every thing .

·        Everything in place

·        Easy to get part in short time.

·        No waste.

·        3 Es = easy to see, easy to get, and easy to return.

Shine-Cleaning:

Cleaning is a workplace inspection process. Cleaning is done with the purpose to identify and eliminate the sources of contamination!

Standardize:

Put a system in place to readily identify abnormal conditions.

·        Standardize - identification methods are consistently applied

·        Everything in its place.

·        Visual Maps.

·        Standards Clear.( Procedures – work station process )

·        Using standard color coding

Actions Need to Implement 5S:

1. Take “before” photographs.
2. Check that the first three S’s are implemented properly.
3. All team activity documents/checklists should be publicly displayed on a 5S board.
4. Establish the routines and standard practices for regularly and systematically repeating the first three S’s.
5. Standardize red tag procedures and holding area rules (see Seiri).
6. Create a maintenance system for housekeeping. Make a schedule for cleaning the workplace. A common approach is to ask a cross-functional team to do it.
7. Inter-departmental competition is an effective means of sustaining and enhancing interest in 5S.
8. Assign responsibility to individuals for a work area and machinery.
9. Regular inspection/audit and evaluation by a special team (including senior management persons) to be continued.
10. Instead of criticizing poor cases, praise and commend good practices or good performers.
11. Take “after” photographs and post them on the 5S board(s).
12. Give a reward for the top-scoring section.

 

B. Bottleneck analysis

Bottleneck is a process which is the slowest among manufacturing all process hampering production. Bottleneck analysis very much important for garments sewing and finishing section, because it has effects on production flow.

How to identify Bottlenecks?

1.      Visualize the process

2.      Map the activities or process

3.      Measure the cycle time per stages or per process

Key tools in Bottleneck Analysis:

·        Theory of constraints (TOC):

 A method for finding the constraint, testing it, and improving it.

1. Identify the constraint: Again, look for those signs, or talk with the person who raised the concern. The people closest to the bottleneck will have helpful information and may also have ideas for how to resolve whatever is causing it.
2. Exploit the constraint: Don’t let it stop for any reason. This will produce the effects consistently and make them easier to observe. Ideally, this step won’t take very long. 
3. Subordinate to the constraint all other steps in the process: Let the constraint set the Takt time for the rest of the process. Observe what else needs to change in order to match that Takt time and evaluate what that means for the rest of the line.
4. Elevate the constraint: In this case, “elevate” means to improve the process at the constraint, or bottleneck. Do this as quickly as possible to reduce the number of mistakes.
5. Repeat the TOC process: Making improvements at one point in the process will probably cause a bottleneck at another point, so be ready to repeat this process until the whole line is improved. Clear communication channels, both from the project team to the other operators and vice versa can streamline how the improvements are identified and implemented. It can also prime everyone’s brain to notice when they may be seeing an effect of the bottleneck or improvements. Communication is key to reducing frustration and rumors.

·        DMAIC: 

A five step methodology that relies on data to improve a process.

1. Define your project.
2. Measure the process activities, effects of the bottleneck, and the process’s ability to meet the established specifications.
3. Analyze the data you’ve collected to find the root cause. (Helpful tools: Root Cause Analysis, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, or a Multi-vari chart)
4. Improve the process by finding ways to remove the root cause, or causes. (Helpful tools: Design of Experiments and Kaizen events)
5. Control the improved process and monitor the performance, including tools like 5S and Poka-yokes.

 

 

C. Kanban Board

Kanban is visual display board for visualizing to do list, command what to do to reduce overproduction in the manufacturing floor.  

Types of Kanban System

Generally, two types of Kanbans or Kanban Cards used in the apparel industry:

Production Kanban

Production Kanban is the first step of Kanban implementation, production Kanban takes the place of standard production orders in material requirements planning (MRP) push.

The production Kan-ban card should have the following information:

·        materials required as inputs at the preceding stage

·        parts required as inputs at the preceding stage

·        information stated on withdrawals Kan-ban

Transportation Kanban

Transportation Kanban system is very important that carried on the trolley, containers that are associated with the transportation to move through the loop again.

A Transportation Kanban usually carries the following information:

·        part number

·        part name

·        lot size

·        routing process

·        name of the next process

·        location of the next process

·        name of the preceding process

·        location of the preceding process

·        container type

·        container capacity

·        number of containers released

Importance of Implementation Kanban Board:

1. Reduce idle time in a production process.
2. Increase productivity, more effective and efficient production
3. Visualize work and optimize the flow of the work
4. Reduce WIP (Work in Process)
5. Improve workflow
6. Avoidance of over-production and limitation of stocks
7. Higher availability of materials
8. Reduce inventories
9. Improve communication between management and operational staff

 

D. Visualize Management

Visual management need for an organization that provides information for everybody who can analyze large amounts of data and produce reports that provide meaningful value. Visualization could become the remedy for generating actionable information for the apparel industry.

What are Generally Visualize in Factory

1. Hourly production board
2. Efficiency graph, individual and line-wise
3. Quality DHU%, RFT
4. Production and Quality target, Target vs Actual
5. A counter sample for the sewing line
6. Production Downtime & Performance Dashboard
7. Delivery performance report
8. All KPI reports
9. Responsibilities of a sewing operator
10. Pareto analysis
11. Kanban board
12. Best sewing line names, best supervisors and operator
13. Section-wise safety assessment list and pictures

List of Tools can be Used to Visualize Factory

1. Visual control boards
2. Digital computerized board
3. Visual workstation
4. Signs, labels, name tags and direction
5. Borders, lines; level scales
6. Board, Shadow board, shadows, color codes and displays (i.e. Colour and shape)

Advantages/ Benefits of Visualization in the Apparel Industry

1. Increase effective communication and easy understanding for all
2. For successful outcomes from the production floor
3. Immediate assessment of the daily and weekly goals
4. To motivate employees
5. To familiarize or set the stage for a performance/event
6. Absorb information quickly.
7. Understand the next steps
8. Share the insights with everyone
9. It’s easy to understand and clarify
10. Proper and regular updates
11. Immediate Performance Information
12. Evidence of actual achievement

 

E. 7 QC Tools

As much as 95 per cent of all quality-related problems in the factory can be solved with seven fundamental quantitative tools. The seven basic tools of quality also known as 7QC tools are very effective in quality management and quality assurance process.

So, businesses who want to ensure competitive and excellent quality of their products and services can utilize the proven 7QC tools for structuring a strategic plan for quality improvement

 

1. Histogram

The histogram is also a bar chart. It is a graphical chart based on numeric value for showing the frequency distribution of the database. People become confused among Histograms and Bar Charts. A histogram is used for continuous data, where the bins represent ranges of data, while a bar chart is a plot of categorical variables. Some authors recommend that bar charts have gaps between the rectangles to clarify the distinction.

2. Check Sheet (Tally Sheet)

The Check Sheet/Tally sheet is a simple document that is used for collecting data in real-time and at the location where the data is generated. A document is typically a blank form that is designed for the quick, easy, and efficient recording of the desired information, which can be either quantitative or qualitative. When the information is quantitative, the check sheet is sometimes called a tally sheet. A tally sheet to collect data on the frequency of occurrences which custom-designed by the user.

3. Cause-and-effect diagram (Ishikawa Diagram / Fishbone Diagram)

A cause-and-effect diagram looks like a fish that’s why it’s called Fishbone Diagram, also called Ishikawa diagram, herringbone diagrams or Ishikawa diagrams, a visualization tool for categorizing the potential causes of a problem in order to identify its root causes.

Causal diagrams created by Kaoru Ishikawa that show the causes of a specific event. Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa developed the “Fishbone Diagram” at the University of Tokyo in 1943. To break down (in successive layers of detail) root causes that potentially contribute to a particular effect. This diagram is used in process improvement methods to identify all of the contributing root causes likely to be causing a problem.

 How to Work on Fishbone

If you find a problem and want to make a fishbone diagram. First, need brainstorming about the defect to find out types of causes based on 6 basic things. These are:

• Machine
• Manpower
• Environment
• Method
• Materials
• Measurement

Brainstorm all the possible causes of the problem. Ask: “Why does this happen?” As each idea is given, the facilitator writes it as a branch from the appropriate category. Causes can be written in several places if they relate to several categories. For example, you can see fishbone in the below:

4.     Pareto Chart (80/20 Rule)

A Pareto chart is a bar graph. The lengths of the bars represent frequency or cost (time or money) and are arranged with the longest bars on the left and the shortest to the right. In this way, the chart visually depicts which situations are more significant.

The Pareto principle

The Pareto principle (also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. More generally, the Pareto Principle is the observation (not law) that most things in life are not distributed evenly. In the apparel industry, you can see the data in the below that first 5 defects covered 50% of a total defect. So 80-20 rules will not cover all-time 80% problem for 20% causes. It can mean all of the following things:

• 20% of the defects number cumulate 80% of the total defects
• 20% of the operator produce 80% of the defects
• 20% of the customers create 80% of the revenue

5. Scatter Diagram

The scatter diagram graphs pairs of numerical data, with one variable on each axis, to look for a relationship between them. If the variables are correlated, the points will fall along a line or curve. The better the correlation, the tighter the points will hug the line. The scatter diagram Collect pairs of data where a relationship is suspected.

 6. Control Chart (Shewhart Chart)

Control charts, also known as Shewhart charts or process-behavior charts, are a statistical process control tool used to determine if a manufacturing or business process is in a state of control.

A control chart shows how data frequency changes, defects trends and compares with a previous time record. Control chart monitor process and hypothetical prediction. The apparel industry needs to reduce defect frequency to get quality improvement.

7. Stratification (Divide and Conquer), can be alternative of flow chart or run chart

Stratification is a method of dividing data into subcategories and classify data based on a group, division, class, or level that helps in deriving meaningful information to understand an existing problem. The main purpose of Stratification is to divide the data and conquer the meaningful information to solve a problem. The visual nature of the chart makes patterns jump out.

 

F. Total Quality Management (TQM)

Total quality management is the management approach of an organization, centered on quality, based on the participation of its entire membership and aiming at long term success through customer satisfaction. 

TQM is long time oriented teamwork that requires leadership of top management and continuous involvement.  

Philosophy of TQM

Customer focus	A goal is to identify and meet customer needs
Continuous improvement	A Philosophy of never-ending improvement
Employee empowerment	Employees are expected to seek out, identify and correct quality problems
Use of quality tools	Ongoing employee training in the use of quality tools
Product design	A product needs to be designed to meet customer expectations.
Process management	Quality should be built into the process; the source of quality problems should be identified and corrected.
Managing supplier quality	Quality concepts must extend to a company’s suppliers

 

Total quality management benefits and advantages:

·    Strengthened competitive position

·    Adaptability to changing or emerging market conditions and to environmental and other government regulations

·    Higher productivity

·    Enhanced market image

·    Elimination of defects and waste

·    Reduced costs and better cost management

·    Higher profitability

·    Improved customer focus and satisfaction

·    Increased customer loyalty and retention

·    Increased job security

·    Improved employee morale

·    Enhanced shareholder and stakeholder value

·    Improved and innovative processes

 

G. Continuous Flow

Continuous flow means running, moving or producing product continuously of every piece from raw material to finished product, not batch-wise production, called “1-piece flow”.

“One piece flow” is all about reducing WIP to the point where everything is either waiting to be started, in progress, or complete. That’s why it’s also called “single piece flow” and “continuous flow”, as everything is constantly progressing and only one item is in any given queue at a time. That means that there is a maximum of one item at any given stage of the process. Multiple items can be in the process as a whole, but nothing has to queue up and take up space from the moment it starts until the moment it’s complete.

Advantages of One piece flow:

1.      Improves safety

2.      Builds in Quality

3.      Improves flexibility

4.      Improves scalability

5.      Reduces Inventory

6.      Improves productivity

7.      Frees up floor space

 H. Right First Time (RFT)

RFT is quality improvement tools, very much important apparel industry; every section has a target to achieve certain RFT level. Right, First Time is lean tools that mean doing the thing right in the first time which can remove eliminate or repair and defects producing in garments manufacturing. RFT percent is one of the key performance indicator.

Right First Time = (Number of passed goods or Lot / Number of total produced Garments or Lot) x 100

Advantages/Benefits/Importance of Producing Right the First time

1. Reduce cost and penalty of quality failure
2. Improve quality and productivity
3. Remove re-work and repairing
4. Save time and energy
5. Save defects rectification cost
6. Improve work accuracy

I. A3 Problem Solving

A3 is a problem-solving tool, a challenge is to write explanation and solution in one page. The purpose of A3 tools is to analysis problem with root cause and define a direct solution.

Plan

1.     Define the Problem:

The first step is to define the problem or identify the need for improvement:

·        Define the ideal state, the operational standard or the desired condition

·        Describe the current situation or status

·        Identify the Gap or problem

o   How is the current status different from the desired state or operational standard?

·        State your goals and explain how performing the A3 and closing the gap would benefit the organization

o   What value will be realized by completion of the A3 exercise?

2.     Containment:

In some A3 formats, a section is included for immediate countermeasures or containment actions. The purpose of containment is to prevent further problems from occurring or prevent the current problem from causing negative effects to other processes, products or departments.

3.     Breakdown the Problem:

Next, the team should breakdown or further define the problem. Ask any relevant 5W (What, When, Where, Who, Why) and 2H (How, How many / How often) questions. There also may be more than one issue contributing to the problem or more detail required to properly address the problem. Prioritize the issues and identify the point of occurrence or escape point.

4.     Define goals:

The A3 team should set goals regarding the improvement desired as a result of the exercise. This could include a percentage of improvement in process throughput, reduction in number of defects per unit or processing time. The goals should be specific, measureable, realistic, achievable and timely. Many companies are adopting the SMART goal approach.

5.     Root Cause Analysis:

The team should perform a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) of the problem by using various quality tools. The tools could include, but are not limited to data analysis or completing a Cause and Effect or Ishikawa diagram followed by a 5 Why exercise. Whatever method selected, it is important to get past the symptoms of the problem and down to the root cause.

6.     Countermeasures:

Permanent countermeasures or corrective actions must then be determined to address the root cause. The countermeasures must be clearly defined, achievable by the person responsible and have a due date. Corrective actions that do not have an owner or due date are seldom achieved.

Do

7.     Implementation:

A plan for implementation of the corrective actions should be developed. The plan should include the team members, resources and time required to complete each task. In some cases, support from outside resources or test facilities are required. Some countermeasures may require repair or replacement of tooling or other capital expenditures. Therefore, proper levels of management should be kept informed throughout the process to assure adequate resources are available for implementing any corrective actions.

Check

8.     Monitoring and Validation:

The A3 team should next confirm the effectiveness of the countermeasures. This can be accomplished in many ways, including but not limited to additional quality checks, Statistical Process Control (SPC) data, process or product audits and customer feedback.

Act

9.     Standardize and Improve:

During this phase of the A3, the team should take action to standardize the process changes or improvements. The team must update all standard work, work instructions and process control plans, etc. In addition, it is a good practice to perform a short Things Gone Right / Things Gone Wrong (TGR/TGW) exercise and document in the A3 report what went well during the process and what could use improvement. The management team should also promote continuous improvement of the A3 tool within the organization.

 

Advantages/ Benefits of A3 problem solving:

1.      It is transportable and easy to pin anywhere

2.      It standardizes a troubleshooting methodology

3.      It forces a logical reasoning to the problems

4.      It does not require major technological resources

 

J. Poka-yoke (Mistake Proofing)

Poka-yoke is mistake-proofing tools which help to eliminate mistake in manufacturing floor, a quality control technique.

Stepwise process to apply Poka-yoke:

1. Identify the operation or process.
2. Analyze the 5-whys and the ways a process can fail.
3. Choose the right Poka-Yoke approach, such as using a shutout type (preventing an error being made) or an attention type (highlighting that an error has been made).
4. Take a comprehensive approach instead of thinking of Poka Yokes just as limit switches or automatic shutoff.
5. Determine whether a contact (use of shape, size, or other physical attributes for detection), constant number (error triggered if a certain number of actions are not made), or a sequencing method (use of a checklist to ensure completing all process steps) is most appropriate.
6. Test the method and see if it works.
7. Train the operator, review performance, and measure success.

Advantages of Poka-yoke:

• elimination of set-up errors and improved quality.
• decreased set-up times with associated reduction in production time and improved production capacity.
• simplified and improved housekeeping.
• increased safety.
• lower costs.
• lower skill requirements.
• increased production flexibility.
• improved operator attitudes.

 

K. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

Total productive maintenance (TPM) is developed in 1960 based on 5S for effective machine and equipment to maximize operational efficiency increment.

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) emphasizes total participation of employees to achieve maintenance free operations through prevention of six major equipment losses such as equipment failures, set-up & adjustment losses,idling & minor stoppages, reduced speed, process defect losses, yield losses and through development of eight plus one major TPM pillars .Measuring and monitoring overall performance using Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) is a holistic approach to equipment maintenance that strives to achieve perfect production:

• No Breakdowns
• No Small Stops or Slow Running
• No Defects

In addition it values a safe working environment:

• No Accidents

The Eight Pillars

The eight pillars of TPM are mostly focused on proactive and preventative techniques for improving equipment reliability.

Pillar	What Is It?	How Does It Help?
Autonomous Maintenance	Places responsibility for routine maintenance, such as cleaning, lubricating, and inspection, in the hands of operators.	Gives operators greater “ownership” of their equipment. Increases operators’ knowledge of their equipment. Ensures equipment is well-cleaned and lubricated. Identifies emergent issues before they become failures. Frees maintenance personnel for higher-level tasks.
Planned Maintenance	Schedules maintenance tasks based on predicted and/or measured failure rates.	Significantly reduces instances of unplanned stop time. Enables most maintenance to be planned for times when equipment is not scheduled for production. Reduces inventory through better control of wear-prone and failure-prone parts.
Quality Maintenance	Design error detection and prevention into production processes. Apply Root Cause Analysis to eliminate recurring sources of quality defects.	Specifically targets quality issues with improvement projects focused on removing root sources of defects. Reduces number of defects. Reduces cost by catching defects early (it is expensive and unreliable to find defects through inspection).
Focused Improvement	Have small groups of employees work together proactively to achieve regular, incremental improvements in equipment operation.	Recurring problems are identified and resolved by cross-functional teams. Combines the collective talents of a company to create an engine for continuous improvement.
Early Equipment Management	Directs practical knowledge and understanding of manufacturing equipment gained through TPM towards improving the design of new equipment.	New equipment reaches planned performance levels much faster due to fewer startup issues. Maintenance is simpler and more robust due to practical review and employee involvement prior to installation.
Training and Education	Fill in knowledge gaps necessary to achieve TPM goals. Applies to operators, maintenance personnel and managers.	Operators develop skills to routinely maintain equipment and identify emerging problems. Maintenance personnel learn techniques for proactive and preventative maintenance. Managers are trained on TPM principles as well as on employee coaching and development.
Safety, Health, Environment	Maintain a safe and healthy working environment.	Eliminates potential health and safety risks, resulting in a safer workplace. Specifically targets the goal of an accident-free workplace.
TPM in Administration	Apply TPM techniques to administrative functions.	Extends TPM benefits beyond the plant floor by addressing waste in administrative functions. Supports production through improved administrative operations (e.g. order processing, procurement, and scheduling).