Causes and Remedy of Bottleneck in Apparel Industry

Bottleneck Processes and Bottleneck Time in Industrial Engineering:

The highest time taken by an operator to complete her task compared to other operators is referred to as bottleneck time. The process or processes associated with bottleneck time are called bottleneck process. Bottlenecks reduce productivity. The figure given below shows three bottlenecks, two above UCL, and one below LCL. Thus bottlenecks are those processes which go beyond the UCL or LCL.

Under Bangladeshi conditions, bottlenecks going above UCL are more harmful, because they substantially cut down productivity & line balance. So it is urgent to eliminate bottlenecks in a production line. Garments generally pile up beside the operator working with bottlenecks.

How Bottleneck May Arise in Garments Production Sewing Line or Sector?

Bottlenecks are generally created due to the following reasons in readymade garments sector:

• The operation has higher work content,
• The operator does not have the right skill,
• The operator makes more rejects & so repair works take more time,
• The machine is defective,
• The operator is not following work standard,
• The process is comparatively very difficult,
• The worker is hurrying, panicky, under harassment,
• The operator is not motivated,
• The operator is not trained,
• Incorrect issue of supply,
• Pattern problem,
• Material problem,
• Unavailable machine,
• Wrong selection of operators,
• Wrong selection of task,
• Wrong allocation of Task,
• Wrong flow or sequence of works,
• Wrong measurement of task,
• Works negligence by operator,
• Operators absenteeism,
• Machine problem or disturbance,
• Lack of supply,
• Non-serial supply from operators,
• Color shading,
• Quality problem,
• Sickness of related operator,
• Unavailable issue from MCD/ store,
• Delay issue from source,
• Inconsistency or mistake of issue sequence,
• Inconsistency or mistake of bundling.

How to Remove or Reduce Bottleneck in Garments Production?

Ways and Means of Eliminating Bottlenecks:

The bottlenecks may be solved in a number of ways. The supervisor or work-study officers must be creative in eliminating the bottlenecks in apparel manufacturing industry.

1. Use skilled and trained operator for the process,
2. Distribute the operation among more operators if there is higher work content,
3. Assign one helper to the operator if there is higher work content,
4. Mechanize the process if it is a manual one (for example, in case of pocket folding, label creasing, sleeve placket creasing, etc.),
5. Make use of high performance or automatic machinery,
6. Make use of work-aids, folders, attachments,
7. Multi-skill your operators,
8. Arrange pre-production meeting in time,
9. Submitting the layout sheet to maintenance department in time,
10. Checking the pattern before issue in line,
11. Select right operator for right task,
12. Maintain sequence of task,
13. Layout making before input in line,
14. Perfect costing of production,
15. Allocate the task as per standard produced value equally,
16. Reduce excess task from overloaded operator or find capacity where else,
17. Reduce ineffective time or task by production study,
18. Checking the fabrics & accessories before issue in the line,
19. Supply should be forwarded after checking,
20. Set up good method instead of bad method by method analyzing,
21. Keep the supply available in time,
22. Should not forward the reject products,
23. Should not be forwarded inconsistency process,
24. Should not be forwarded faulty product.

Mayedul Islam

Mayedul Islam is a Founder and Editor of Garments Merchandising. He is an Expert in Garments Merchandising. Writing is his passion. He loves to write articles about Apparel, Textile and Garment Washing specially on Merchandising. Mail him at mayedul.islam66@gmail.com