Chapter 5

IMPLEMENTATION OF 5s CONCEPT AND KANBAN SYSTEM IN GARMENT INDUSTRIES

A) 5s CONCEPT

5.1, Introduction

Many Japanese firms have been making the most of the practice of 5s concept in order to

enhance human capability and productivity. Since its introduction by Takashi Osada in

the early 1980s, it has been demonstrated that the SS techniques could considerably raise

the performance in production line including housekeeping, health and safety.

'5s' literally means a place for everything and everything in its place, ready for use.

Although 5s technique is a simple tool in the lean glossary, its impact after

implementation is very high in terms of employee motivation and productivity. [ 5 ] It is

observed from the literature survey that most of the medium scale garment industries in

India are not taking advantage of 5s.

It is known that in any garment manufacturing unit, the challenge is to keep the

environment clean due to the dusty working conditions. 5s was thought of as a possible

and potential tool to provide a solution to the above. A medium scale garment industry in

Bangalore (Alpha Garment Industry) which evinced keen interest in 5 s implementation

was chosen for the analysis and implementation. After initial discussions with the

management, requisite information was gathered from the concerned managers and

supervisors of the above firm.

* Part of the contents of this chapter has been presented and published in the

proceedings as follows.

"Implementation of 5S - Lean technique to improve garment warehouse eficiency " -

ln~ernational Congress on Productivity, Quality, Reliability, Optimization and Modeling

(ICPQROM). 7-Bt' February 2011, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Essential information was collected before the implementation of 5s plan, an approach

was proposed and implemented, and finally the feedback was collected once again to

make appropriate inferences. Details are discussed below.

5.2 Aim

To introduce 5s concepts in order to make the g m e n t manufacturers utilize the benefits

of good house-keeping procedures.

5.3 Observations and problem identincation

After analyzing and critically examining the existing stores, the following observations

(which speak of the poor housekeeping) were made.

Fabric rolls and accessories received in the Material Inward area were stored

unscientifically.

The crates for accommodating the fabric rolls and accessories were severely bent

due to overloading.

Uneven arrangement of fabric rolls

Very low utilization of storage space

Insufficient information on the fabric storage layout board.

Non availability of storage bins for many accessories.

Used accessories improperly stored

Enormous time to identi@ accessories for retrieval

Total absence of disposal of wastage and un wanted items

Unduly long storage of fabric rolls in the sub-store area instead of quick disposal

Hap hazardous storage of fabric samples, making location time consuming

5.4 Objectives

To establish effective house-keeping procedures in the stores department.

To implement and maintain an effective system to achieve a conducive

environment for quality.

5.5 Methodology adopted

Discussion with managers to identi9 the department for 5s implementation

Using the 5 s master scoring criteria, record the present level of performance

Implementation of 5s tools in the stores.

Evaluate the performance of the stores after SS implementation

Design the audit sheets and conduct the internal audit to gauge the performance.

5.6 Analysis of the existing system

The stores department at Alpha garment industry was categorized under the following

three groups:

1- Fabric Store

2- Disposable itemdrecords store , and

3- Accessories store

After conducting several meetings and discussions with the managers, it was decided to

analyze and implement the 5s housekeeping procedures in the stores deparhnent. The SS

deployment team was constituted involving the supervisor and mtmbers of the stores

department. To start with, the established SS training practices were imparted to the SS

team.

Using the Master scoring criteria, the existing level of performance was recorded. For the

scoring criteria and 5s Scoring, the check sheet was adopted in this exercise [72]. Using

the check list, the existing level or points of the performance was marked for all the three

stores (Red colored italics in Table.5.1). At this stage, the materials and the fabric were

hap hazardously placed in all the stores which resulted in confusion, delays in retrieving

the materials, lqse of time and redundancy.

Table-5.1 : SS Master Scoring Criteria

Sort

-

Straighten

Shine

Points 5 4

3 2 1

Points 5

4

3 -

2 I

5

4

3

Description Unneeded items have been completely disposed? All unneeded items are stored away fmm work place (awaiting disposition) - It is easy to distinguish between needed and unneeded items It is difficull to distinguish between needed and unneeded items. ,vt ~ i t l l l Nlti 1 ~ 1 1 1 1 ~ ~ ~ , I t 11 l l l t f ! l \ 111 t l l l l t t ~ l i ' ro,q1 i l 1 i V

Description All tools and gauges are identified and their proper location. Supplies and raw material areas are clearly marked for part number and quantity per location. Colour coding, outlining or other methods are used to facilitate placement of tools, gauges, supplies and materials. Location and item indicators are used for tools, gauges, supplies and raw materials. Aisles are clearly marked. It is difficult to distinguish what goes where in what quantities. It i.\ not por \rhli to d ( ~ / r ~ r . r ~ ~ r r i c ~ rcjhirt ,yoi r t t hc'ri r r i r r l rrr 11 lrrrr y ~ t ~ l t i t j t ~ ~ ' . \

Cleaning tasks has been combined with dirt prevention methods. Tools, fixtures and gauges are free of residual magnetism. Cleaning tasks and cleanliness inspection checklists have been combined. The work area is cleaned daily.

Sustain

3

2 1

Improvements are identified and implemented. 5s audits are performed throughout the facility. Improvement areas are identified but not yet implemented. 5s activity is apparent in some areas. 5S training has heen @cn ro all uCIvFvociut~, hul there is vro othrr evidence of SS uctirti!y.

The above critical obscnations at the storcs department \\.ere discussed with tlic mansper and the supeniscv. It was unanimously felt that action was warranted to i lnpro~e thc perlhnllance of the stores.

5.7.1 SORT:

Fabric rolls. materials and reccjrcis ~ c r c physically scgrrgated and groupcd. A M ' i~~iiilyal:,

u a s conducted Ibr the rnutc.r~als and the rc~ulrs arc gi\cri he lo^ 111 figurt' 5.1 ancl tahlc

. , i: : ; : ,: 8: i: ,r

CUMlJLATlVE 4'0 OF ITEMS

Figure 5.1 : ABC Classification

Table 5.2: Number of items classified according to ABC

I t was found that there were 2 empty racks in each row of the stand in the fabric store.

C Class Items

'Total no. of Class ltems --- Cumulative % o f Class Items

B Class Items /bartirularr A Class Items

I 1

-- 1 I / 49 = 22.44%

2 0

." - 63.25%

--

18

-- 100%

2 empty racks x 4 rows = 8 empty racks across 4 rows

Total no. of racks = 6 racks in each row x 4 rows = 24

% of space not being used = 8/24 X l00= 0.3333 X 100 = 33.33%.

As the first step of improvement, the fabric rolls were rearranged and the empty racks

were filled. A suitable ladder was deployed so that the top rack was also easily

accessible.

The Comparative Analysis that resulted after implementing the first S-Sort 1 shown in

Table 5.3.

Table-5.3: Comparison between existing and proposed SORT states

Existing

1 storage not being used ( 1 1

33.33% of storage space in the form of empty racks in the fabric layout

effectively. I

Proposed Benefits 1 The storage space used effectively by placing

100% utilization storage space.

Infrequently and frequently used fabric rolls and inventory stored haphazardly in the sub store.

5.7.1.1 Proposed Tag System For Sorting:

fabric rolls. ;i!

' ~ropkr methodologies and procedures not used for identifying and retrieving of accessories

The existing system in the stores department did not provide any identification tags for

the materials. To rectify this, the following material identification tags (each of' a

specified colour) were prepared and classified as A, B or C as shown in Figure 5.2

62

Infrequently and frequently used fabric rolls and accessories sorted and properly placed.

Easy retrieval of items.

Less clutter to interfere with productive work

ABC analysis implemented wherein accessories are sorted. Color tags also used.

Easy visual identification and retrieval of accessories.

Simplification of tasks

All the A class itetns were identified using the green tags.

All the 13 class iten~s wlt.rc identified ~lsing the yellow tags.

All the C class ite~ns wcre identified using thc rcd tags

Figure-5.2: Different Tags to identify materials

The fabrics received in the stores department from various suppliers wcre lirst subjected

to quality assessment. A small piece of the fabric called 'swatch' was cut tfotn every roll

and was sent to quality inspection.

The status of the garment rolls at each rack was not known in the existing system. Hence.

a new display board was designed (shown in Table 5.4). This provides the vital

information of the rack board, and can used as a visual display for different fabrics and

their status.

63

Table-5.4: Status of fabric rolls in stores

5.7.2 STRAIGHTEN:

Final goal: To remove unwanted I unnecessary items and

To retain only those which are wantedi necessary

All the materials in the stores dcpartmcnt were considered and those items that secnl to

be unwanted1 unnecessary wcre identified and class~fied. Materials that wcre used on a

daily basis were given Material Identification 'I'ags according to ABC' classification. Retl

tags (Format shown in Fig. 5.3) were designed to indicate materials that will bc cithcr

used in future or materials that will be scrapped.

Reasons: ------I Item Name:

Disposition Required I Action Taken I

Classification:

Tag number. Tag Date.

Action Description :

Tagged By: ...-,..-..-* ".. .,

Figure.5.3: Red Tag Form

New Location:

Red Tag Log: Red Tag log (Table. 5.5) was suggested to record information about all

tags used on a Red Tag so that disposition is tracked easily.

Table 5.5: Red Tag Log

New Cell/ Area: Approved By:

Date:

Materials and records were then organized in such a way that the necessary items are

placed close to where they are needed and in such a way that any waste or abnornlality is

apparent. In this situation, the store personnel can quickly assess the condition of the

material and determine whether or not abnormal conditions exist.

The comparative analysis carried out after implementing the second S-Straighten is

shown in Table 5.6.

accessories

Table-5.6: Cornparison between existing and proposed STRAIGHTEN states

Existing

Fabric rolls manually transported consuming about 1 0 minutes.

Easy recognition accessories and frequently used items at hand 1

Racks and materials kept in sub store not used and the materials arranged haphazardly.

Unnecessary and infrequently used materials

I removed.

Proposed

Material handling equipment used which reduces the time taken to about 5 minutes.

Unused materials removed and disposed off.

Simple material handling equipments that are proposed to cany accessories and the fabric

rolls inside the stores are shown in Figure 5.4 and 5.5

-. Benefits

50% of total transportation time is saved with less human efbrl.

Figure-5.4: Container for accessories Figure-5.5: Container for fabric rolls

5.7.3 SHINE:

The stores department was full of dirt and materials were dumped everywhere. Regular cleaning should be a habit and stores pemnnel should consider i t as a fbrm of inspection. Irregularities or malfunctions can be easily noticed if the surrounding is clean. This was one of the objectives of this second S-Shine exercise.

The comparative Analysis taken up subsequent to implementing the sccond S-Shine is shown in Table 5.7.

Table 5.7: Comparison between existing and proposed SHINE states

I Existing State I Proposed State I Benefits I Racks not properly maintained. Evidence of rusting.

. - -. . ---

display of matena! flow and not seen properly. storage space boundaries.

5s corner (all cleaning agents and sweeping supplies) not provided.

5.7.4 STANDARDIZE:

Racks painted periodically and cleaned on a regular basis.

5 s checklist was designed and suggested to be frequently employed as a standard

avoided.

5s comer placed at the sub-store area.

practice. Table 5.8 shows the obvious advantages to be reaped.

Cleaning agcnt available readily at hand

Table-5.8: Comparison between existing and proposed STANDARDIZE states

Existing

I Hardly any Visual display i Use of visual communication. i Avoids c o n f u ~ n a n d h e l p s l

5 s activity not performed prior to commencement of every shift

1 used I Some suggested methods are: I higher concentration on the I

Proposed Benefits

5 s activity performed 15-30 minutes prior to commencement of every shiA on daily basis or weekly basis

I -Use of labels

Makes work easier without wastage of time and distraction during work.

-Colour coding

-Indication where things are to be put

work to be done.

-Directional arrowst marks

Slogans on 5S and Quality Standards absent.

-Performance indicators I I

Slogans on 5 s and Quality 1 Workers motivated to do Standards to be displayed. ( the job right the first time

suggested: I The following slogans are

-Do things Right the First time.

and also focus on the job.

/ -Our aim is Zero defects.

I -Plan the Work, Work the Plan.

-Self calibrate the inspection and measuring instruments

5.7.5 SUSTAIN:

New checklists for all the three stores were prepared. By considering the functions of the

stores, new audit sheets were also designed and multiple audit were conducted .The

schedule proposed to the stores department was to conduct monthly internal audit, find

non -conformities and take remedial measures.

Comparative Analysis after implementing the Fifth S-Sustain is shown in Table 5.9

Table: 5.9: Comparison between existing and proposed SUSTAIN states

I No audit sheets and I Internal auditing using audit I Audit sheets help in I

Present

No check list for the stores

Proposed

New checklist considering all materials designed

procedures

Hardly any employee

earlier viz., Fabric Store 1, Disposable itemsirecords Store 2 and Accessories Store 3

were indentified along with a leader and team for each area. These identified personnel

were trained for Five S deployment (with the help of standard audit check sheet templates

that are shown in Appendices -11 & 111).

Benefits

No redundancy increased accountability I*

involvement

With the help of identified team members, the as- is basis 5S basic audit of each

identified area was completed. As a result, the gaps were identified for basic '5s'

improvements. The team members were immediately advised to improve their respective

areas with systematic action plan and to show considerable improvement. The Area-wise

Consolidated Audit results conducted subsequently are shown in Table. 5.10. Major

observations and actions needed are listed in Table.5.11. The audit was conducted using

the Marking Criteria: 1= Very Bad, 2 = Bad, 3 = Average, 4 = Good, 5 = Very Good.

sheets

More employee involvement

continuous improvement. .-

Increased employee morale

As a part of the 'Five S' deployment in the stores department, the 3 sections mentioned

Table 5.10: Area-wise consolidated audit results

S1. No.

March 2010

I Basic 5s I Audit 1 second Audit I Audit Conducted

- April 2010

Area I

Score of / Score of First 1 Score of / Score of third

- Fabric Store 1

i teh~slrecords Store 2

I I I I

Audit conducted as is basis

30

Disposable

Store 3

I I I I

Table: 5.11: Audit observations

Conducted

75 -

Accessories

- -- -- SI. No. 1 Area I Observations

Conducted

1 I Fabric Store 1 I Very good Improvement observed.

30

Labeling on shelf and drawers to be improved / Further Classification of files and folden needed.

75 7 5

20

80

55 65 70

2

5.7.6 Strengthening of 'Five S' and Traceability of Documentation:

3

In view of the audit, special care was taken on housekeeping and traceability and retrieval

Disposable itemslrecords

Store 2

of files, folders, records, reports and control samples. The following targets were met for

Appreciable Improvement observed, Small Items such as Packing Label to be placed systematically

Accessories Store 3

retrieve-ability as shown in table 5.12. (The target times for retrieval at all the three stores

Improvement observed, Further improvement needed in classification and storage of records.

were set by the manager of the stores by considering past data and experiences). The

tightened target of five S (5s) for retrieval of items for all the 3 stores is designed as part

of the continuous improvement. (Appendix IV)

Table: 5.12: Aggregate Audit Results

S1 AreaKategory Retrieval no Time

1 3 ( Average retrieval time at Store 3 1 32 Seconds I Target Achieved I

5.7.7 Overall Improvement:

After 5s implementation in the garment Industry, the following results were obtained (as

per the 5s master scoring criteria) as indicated in table 5.13

Table-5.13: Improvement after 5S implementation

r - Sort / points / Description - 1

Straighten

Wine 1 Points / Description 1

5

/ 5 Cleaning tasks combined with dirt prevention m e t h o d s 7 1

5

Points

All tools & gauges and their exact locations identified. Supplies

and raw material areas clearly marked for part number and

quantity per location.

I I

Schedule I Points 1 Description 1

Un-needed items completely disposed off -----

Description

1 first three steps of 5s at the highest possible levels for the entire I I facility.

I I

Sustain I Points I Description 1 1 5

A disciplined system of control and maintenance in place to?

assure appropriate sorting, straightening and sweeping I

5.8 Conclusions

The primary aim of the 5 s implementation was to achieve improved safety, efficiency,

and employee morale in Alpha garment Industry. With the full co-operation of the

management and employees, the implementation was completed. By deciding what

should be kept, where it should be kept, and how it should be kept, 5 s eliminated

wasteful clutter and created ownership of processes among workers. The results of 5s

were both visually and economically impressive.

However, there are obstacles in the effective implementation of the 5s. The most note-

worthy barriers identified are related to communication gap between the top management

and shop floor employees and the lack of training and consciousness of this activity

amongst the staff,

The outcome of implementing the 5s house keeping procedures clearly demonstrates that

the 5s is as an effective technique that can improve housekeeping, environmental

performance and health and safety standards in an integrated holistic way. The rcsults

achieved in this factory stand proof to the potent benefits of 5s.

B) IMPLEMENTATION OF KANBAN SYSTEM

5.9 Introduction:

Many industries in India, including the garment industries, believe in holding huge

amount of inventories. Many of the garment manufacturers are practicing the 'push'

system of production. This results in high stocking in the stores, large work-in process

and large volumes of finished goods in the warehouse. Consequently, substantial amount

of capital is tied up, resulting in perennial financial pressures. [61]. According to Taiichi

Ohno, the person credited with developing Just-in-time concept (JIT), Kanban is one

means through which JIT is achieved. Kanban is not an inventory control system. Rather,

it is a scheduling system that pin points what to produce, when to produce it, and how

much to produce. The flow of parts throughout the product line is controlled by Kanban Cards

as proposed by [44]. Kanban system is known to tackle and solvc the situation of inventory

control too. [43] .Hence an attempt was made to introduce and implement the Kanban

system at Messrs Sun Garment Industry (located near Bangalore) where this assignment

was taken up. This research work was carried out with the objective of designing the

Kanban method for controlling the production and material flow in the above ~ndustlg .

5.10 Aim & Objective

To reduce the work-in process at all stages of the fabric flow through the implementation

of Kanban and the design of Kanban cards for production and withdrawal process. (A

typical example of the mass production of 'Formal Shirts' in the factory was chosen for

this exercise).

5.11 Analysis of the existing system

The fabric rolls move from the stores department and undergo various operations as

indicated in Figure 5.6

I , I Stoma

I I r

.J c.. - I Cutting , I

I ' . I F

. - .- ! 1

I Product line 1

8 .?

Assembly line 1 ~ 1

Inspection 1 1

PresslnQ end 1 Packaging '

I

-.i 1' - I

I Dispatch I

I

Figure 5.6: Process chart of the fabric flow

5.12 Data Collection

Product: Formal Shirt.

Lot size (Customer order): 2000 shirts.

From 1 fabric roll (dimensions 20 x 1.5 meters), 1 O shirts arc produced

200 fabric rolls are required for 2000 shirts.

Weight of each Fabric Roll: 3 Kg

Each of the departments shown in Fig.5.6 needs 5 days to complete the respective

individual step of the production for 2000 shirts.

Each department completes its operations for 2000 shirts and then sends the

material to the next department.

In the existing practice, the company (which follows the 'push' system) purchases raw

material (fabrics) as per the customer requirement meant for 2000 shirts i.e., 200 fabric

rolls and holds it in the stores. Then, the cutting department collects all the 200 fabric

rolls for cutting the main body of the fabric as well as all the other components of the

shirt such as the collar, pocket, left panel, right panel, back panel, cuff, button slrip and

sleeves. It takes nearly 5 days to cut all the components for 2000 shirts. These cut

portions are then given to the product line. Here, each component is processed for hrther

operations and it takes 5 days to complete. Next, assembly department collects all the

components and the assembly is completed in 5 days. Finally, the completed shirts are

sent for inspection. Inspection department takes on the job of inspecting all the 2000

shlrts for possible defects. Inspection takes another 5 days, and then the shirts are sent to

the pressing and packaging department for final packing and dispatching. Pressing and

packaging too consume around 5 days. As per the above work plan, it takes nearly

25days to complete production and dispatch 2000 shirts.

This method of push system mandates holding of huge amount of work-in process at

every stage of the material flow.

The inventory piled up at every stage is indicated in the Figure.5.7

Figure.5.7: Existing inventory pile up at every stage

ASSEMBLY

From the stores, 600 Kg of fabric (200 Rolls) is sent to the cutting department. Alter

cutting the fabric, 500 Kg of material is sent to product Line and the lefl over pieces (100

Kg) are scrapped.

In the assembly, the inventory becomes 510 Kg (after adding other bought out

components) and moves thereafter. The work-in process at every department is indicated

in Table.5.14

--+ ---*

INSPECTION

PACKAGING

Table.5.14: Work In process at every stage (Existing Practice)

The existing work-in process and the material flow were discussed in delail with thc

managers and supervisors of the garment industry. It was suggested lo implement the pull

system (in lieu of the push system) by designing new Kanban cards. The number of

Kanban cards required was calculated using the formula of the Toyota production system

(TPS), with necessary modifications needed for the garment industry.

Department

Stores

Cutting department

Product line

Assembly department

Inspection department

Packaging

5.13 Implementation of Kanban system

Work in process

200 fabric rolls X 3Kg=600 Kg

200 fabric rolls (20Ox3=60OKg) - - - --

500 Kg ofinventory after cutting shirt components from fabric rolls

5 10 Kg of inventory aRer processing in product line

5 10 Kg of inventory

550 Kg of inventory after packaging (including packing materials)

Product: Formal Shirt.

r Lot size (Customer order): 2000 shirts.

r From 1 fabric roll of dimensions 20 x 1.5 meters, 10 shirts are produced

r 200 fabric rolls are required for 2000 shirts.

a Weight of each Fabric Roll: 3 Kg

Number of Kanbans suggested: 2 per day (1 each for the morning session and

the afternoon session)

a Number of shirts covered by each Kanban: 200 shirts

5.14 Kanban calculation

As proposed by Toyota Production System [ I 101, the number of Kanban can be

calculated by using the following formula

RE= Replenishment Coverage

PR=Production Requirement

C RT = Total Replenishment Time =RTl +RT2+RT3+RT4+RT5

RT1 = Travel time from finished good super market to KANBAN post

RT2= Waiting time of the KANBAN and at the KANBAN post box

RT3=Travcling time from KANBAN post to the level board

RT4=waiting time in the level board (Heijunka)

RTS=production time

SNP= Standard Number of Parts (container size)

POT=Planned Occupied Time

LO= Lot Size Coverage

LS= Lot Size

WI- Withdrawal Peak Coverage

WA- Maximum Withdrawal by the customer within one Replenishment Time

TI=Time Coverage

SA=Safety Time Coverage

ST= Safety Time Window

PR x C R T Replenishment Coverage, RE =

SNP x POT

LS Lot Size Coverage, LO = -- - 1

SNP

WA - LS Withdrawal Peak Coverage, WI =

SNP

Titne Coverage, TI= I Tcustomer - Tsupplier I

PRxSTx60 Safety Time Coverage, SA=

POTxSNP

5.15 Data collection for Kanban cards

The following data was accumulated based on the in-puts from the manager and the

supervisors based on the lead time, customer delivery schedule and their past experience:

SNP=50

POT420 min

ST=06min

CRT=l SO rnin

RT 1 =5 rnin

RT2= 10 rnin

RT3=5 rnin

RT4= 10 rnin

RT5= 1 50 rnin

WA=SOunits

LS=SOunits

Tc=7hr

Ts=7hr

LS 50 2 . LO= ----I=--[ = 0 SNP 50

WA-LS-50-50 3. W[=--------=O SNP 50

Therefore, the number of Kanban cards required,

I K= 10 numbers I

It is clear that the proposed system of pull production will have to makc use of 10

Kanban cards to fulfill the customer requirement. Hence, five withdrawals and five

production order Kanban were designed.

INSPECTION PACKAGING

(POK 5)

Flow of i n v e ~ t ~ r y -I Flow of order K I I

Figure.S.8: Kanban flow

The proposed flow of the fabric using production order kanban and withdrawal kanban is

indicated in figure 5.8.

Figures.5.9 to 5.13 refers to Production order Kanban (POK) and Figures. 5.14 to 5.1 8

refer to withdrawal Kanban (WK).The colour of the kanban indicates that it belongs lo

specific department.

Figure: 5.9: Production order Kanhan - I

Figure: 5.10: Production order Kanban -2

Figure: 5.1 1 : Production order Kanhan -3

r

Prioducticm O d w Kanbn Sun garments

Production weer hnban Department

Figure: 5.1 2: Production order Kanban -4

3

, AssernbEy line secttun

Iroducr8osl Orct.lear Kzlnhn Sun @armmts

Figure 5.13: Production order Kanhan - 5

82

Product 1 " t r t Style no 1 % Containers 14

Total number of shirts produced 1 200

Produdan order kanbrn bcp&rtment

-. Prudua Styh no

C3-,

Number af Intppsctacs Type of insp@cticm cm$ainers Quanafties inspr?cteQ Nuinkr elf shims passed PJumkr'orP 521tm fa##)Qd

4 inspectioc~ mation Shirk 1 5 Visual inspectton 4 200

d.

Figure-5.14: Withdrawal Kanhan-I

Preceding Qpermt3cul - . "

S u c c e e d i ~ Opp?ti&tian Quantity

>Pe - -- Container Handling

InW&arr Dispatch 200 AssernNed Shirt 4 Manually

Figure.5. IS: Withdrawal Kanban-2

Withdrawal Kanban 2 Sun garments

Department Product Preceding Operation Succeeding Operation

Inspection Shirt Assern bly Packaging

Quantity 1 200 TY I= f Assembled Shirt Container WandEtng

4 Manually

Figrrre.S. 16: Withdrawal Kanban-3

Figure5 17: Withdrawal Kan ban-4

84

Figure.S.18: Withdrawal Kanhan-5

5.16 Production Pracess as per the New System

Using the above Kanbans, pull production system was enlploycd instcad of' the pus11

production system. Fig.S.8 shows the Kanban flow.

The stores department now negotiates w ~ t h thc supplier and sets thc rcviscd schedule to

deliver 40 fabric rolls per day. After getting an order of 2000 shirts, withdrawal kanban-l

is prepared by packaging department and is given to inspection department. Withdrawal

Kanban (WK) is prepared for 200shir-t~ per session i t . , 400 shirts per day. Inspection

department organizes w~thdrawal kanban-2 1i)r 200 shirts pcr session which is then

passed on to the assembly department. Similarly, assembly departrnent will send

withdrawal kanban-3 for each componcnl of' shirt which is then transferred to the product

line. Product line department sends withdrawal Kanhan-4 to the cutting departrncnt.

Finally cutting department will prepare withdrawal Kanban- 5 to stores.

Stores section supplies the raw materials as mentioned in withdrawal Kanban- 5 to the

cutting department. Cutting department will prepare production order Kanban (POK) to

cut shirt components of quantity as mentioned in withdrawal Kanban-4 requested by the

product line. All the shirt components will be sent to the product line along with the

withdrawal Kanban-rl for verification. The pmduct line will further pmcess the

components and will pass them on to assembly line along with withdrawal Kanbm-3.

Similarly, assembly department will assemble 200 shirts per session and sent them to

inspection department along with withdrawal Kanban-2. Inspection department will

inspect shirts and will forward the lot to the packaging department for pressing and

packaging. 400 shirts will be preparcd per day. There is no work in process inventory at

any stage of production process. 2000 shirts will be prepared in 5 days.

Tablc5.15: Work in process at every stage using Kanban cards

I Department I Work in process I I

Cutting department 1 20 fabric rolls (20X3=60Kg) I Stores 40 rolls X 3 Kg = 120 Kg

Assembly

Product ready line

I department I product ready line I

50 Kg of inventory after cutting shirt components from fabric rolls

Inspection department

After implementing the Kanban system in the entire flow of fabric - from stores to

packaging - substantial amount of work-in process was saved, as indicated in

Table.5.15.The comparison of the existing system without Kanban and the one after

implementing Kanban is shown in Table.5.16. The reduction in work-in process is

5 1 Kg of inventory -1 Packaging

evident.

55 Kg of inventory aAer packaging 1

Table.5.16: Comparison between existing system and Kanban system:

I Work in process I Department

Stores

Assembly de~artment

Cutting department

Product ready line

Existing system

600 Kg 120Kg I 480 Kg 600 Kg 500 Kg

Inspection department

5.17 Conclusions

Kanban system

Packaging

Feeling the need for an immediate action plan to reduce the enormous inventory in the

medium size Garment Factory (Sun Garments), an extensive study was carried out to

collect all the data pertaining to the existing mode of operation. This leads to the

conclusion that there was an immediate need to introduce an effective system in lieu of

the 'push' system being adopted.

Reduction in WIP after imp~emention of

Kanban system

60 Kg 50 Kg

510 Kg

Accordingly, a Kanban 'pull' system was conceived and implemented across various

stages of the garment flow. This resulted spontaneously in reduced inventory,

minimum damage to the materials and higher clarity in the material flow. More than

450 Kg of inventory of fabric has been reduced at every section. This has resulted in

enormous saving in inventory carrying cost. In addition, production is well-stream

lined and the morale of the employees has been boosted up. Gross and net profits of

the company are bound to escalate as a direct result of the appreciably reduced

inventory costs.

540 Kg ----"--

450 Kg

550 Kg

51 Kg 459 Kg

55 Kg 495 Kg

Such an effective implementation of Kanban is not confined to the medium size

garment industry. Other industries in general, and all the garment industries in

particular (ranging from tiny size to very large scale) will do well to go in for this

valuable tool that is fast, inexpensive and potent.