There are three type of production system use in apparel industry:

· Make through production system

· Modular production system

· Assembly line production system

ü Progressive bundle system (PBS)

ü Unit production system (UPS)

Each system requires different types of:

· Management philosophy

· Material handling arrangement

· Floor layout

· Employee training

· Companies may combine the systems or use only one depending on their need.

Make through production system:

It is the traditional method of manufacture in which an operator makes right through one garment at a time. That is one operator will do all the stages of the sewing operations of one garment and after completing it he will go for the next garment. Some advantage and disadvantage is as following:

Advantages of make through production system:

ü Quick throughput time

ü Easier to supervise

ü Reduce work in progress (WIP)

Disadvantage of make through production system:

ü Low productivity

ü High labor cost

ü Highly experience operator require

ü This process is only suitable for highly fashion garment and sample making.

Assembly line system:

This type of production system is designed for a sequential organization. Each operator is assigned only for one operation. Garment component are move from operator to operator.

PBS (Progressive bundle system):

Parts of various components after being cut in the cutting room are tied with in bundles and distributed out to the sewing section. Bundle ticket is attached to cut parts. One operator is expected to perform the same operation on all the pieces in the bundle. Some advantage and disadvantage of PBS is as following:

Advantages:

ü Cheap labor cost

ü Increase productivity

ü Better utilization of specialized machine

ü Very low variation in the sewing

ü Less chance for loot mix-up, shade variation and size variation

ü Bundle tracking is very easy

Disadvantage:

ü Slow process

ü Line balancing is difficult

ü Increase in WIP that increase inventory cost

ü System is not adaptable for short run production and frequent style change

ü High level of management skill is require

ü Improper planning causes labor turnover, poor quality and less production so highly accurate planning is require

ü Individual operators that work in a PBS are dependent to other.

UPS:

Similar to a relay race, each production operator has a task and passes that garment on to the next person. Normally there is only one garment between operations. The unit of production is single garment and not bundles. The garment components are automatically transported from work station to work station according to pre-determined sequence. The work station are so constructed that the components are presented as close as possible to the operator’s left and in order to reduce the amount of movement required to grasp and position and component to be sewn. All the components for one garment are loaded into a carrier at a work station specially designed for this purpose. The carrier itself is divided into sections, with each section having a quick – release retaining clamp which prevents the components from falling out during movement through the system. When a batch of garments has been loaded into carriers they are fed past a mechanical or electronic device which records the number of the carrier and addresses it to its first destination.

Advantages:

ü Improve productivity

ü Improve load time

ü Minimizes WIP

ü Improve productivity and quality monitor

ü Improve ergonomics (to provide ease to working staff)

ü Keep the factory floor clean

ü Labor cost reduce

Disadvantage:

ü High initial cost required

ü Special training require

ü Down time is potential problem.

Modular production system

A group of people who working together to accomplish individual goals effectively and efficiently while simultaneously accomplishing goals of the team or organization or a team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

· The line layout is U -shaped with garments progressing around the line.

· Each operator is cross trained on a different portion of line (i.e. continuous operation) depending on skills and operation complexity. Ideally all the operators are cross trained on all the operations.

· Thus operators work to predominantly predetermined adjacent tasks.

· Each operator is assigned at least one operation.

· Operatives work on standing workstations & WIP is less

· The first and last operations are uniquely assigned to the first and last operator r