Materials Today: Proceedings 33 (2020) 3486–3490

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Materials Today: Proceedings

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Analysis of lean manufacturing layout in a textile industry

Sivakumar Annamalai a, H. Vinoth Kumar b,⇑, N. Bagathsingh c
a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai, Erode, Tamilnadu, India
b
Department of Mechanical Engineering, M.Kumarasamy College of Engineering, Karur, Tamilnadu, India
c
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chettinad College of Engineering and Technology, Karur, Tamilnadu, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The research is focused on the garment industry in Tamilnadu to assess the efficacy of the lean model. The
Received 9 May 2020 garment export sector is the most significant and competitive contribution to the economy of Tamilnadu.
Accepted 14 May 2020 Distributors became increasingly competitive, with fast delivery times, to satisfy consumer demand.
Available online 21 June 2020
Retailers tend to exhibit a small inventory and stock just in time to avoid the high taxes and increase
interest rates. Dynamic facility structure design decreases processing time, improves the volume and pro-
Keywords: ductivity of the factory. There’s no trend in today’s world for more than a month. With the changeover of
Lean Manufacturing
style, an efficient configuration is set up to minimize the lack of productivity by reducing the changeover
Apparel Industry Layouts
Employee Satisfaction
period by cultivating multi-skilled workers and fast swapping of machines for the scale of the layout. The
Organizational Performance results of this study suggest that there are two factors that need to be tackled in order for the lean model
to be successful. The factors are improved corporate efficiency and employee satisfaction. Organizational
efficiency was calculated by using quality, speed, versatility, reliability and price. Employee satisfaction
was assessed using protection and ergonomics, revenue generated, partnership and guidance earned
from managers, colleagues and support staff, skills development opportunities and job advancement.
Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Confer-
ence on Nanotechnology: Ideas, Innovation and Industries.

1. Introduction
The research is conducted in a textile industry which is located
in Erode, Tamilnadu. The company, which is one of the biggest gar-
ment manufacturers in South India, operates in 5 places with more
than 5000 workers. In its lean path, the organization has accom-
plished significant mile stones and made dramatic changes to the
system, one of which is the lean production style. Now, the indus-
try use 6 lean layouts and 14 other forms of layouts. The company
has not explicitly defined the true advantages of the lean produc-
tion layout. The industry performs this system on a trial and error
basis and has a need to assess the feasibility of this type of layout.
Faster delivery times avoid loss of customers and rise flow of
money, constant quick turnaround helps firms obtain grip and out-
perform the competitors. In the social environment, new trends in
today’s culture have not been going on for more than a month.
With latest trends emerging out every month, the aim of quick
fashion is for customers to purchase as many clothes as possible.
Accordingly, the core focus of the study was ‘‘Identifying the use-
⇑ Corresponding author.
fulness of the lean production model in the enterprise” and the
clear goals are,
 Assure the style of layout that contributes more to the organiza-
tion’s success.
 Evaluate the satisfaction of the workers working in a lean
layout.
 Recognize the association among employee satisfaction and
lean model efficiency.
Lean production is a systematic technique of waste elimination
in the production process. Promote lean development as a multi-
dimensional strategy that incorporates a broad variety of manage-
rial activities, involving on-time, quality processes, workplace
forces, cellular manufacturing, supply management, etc., in an
interconnected environment. The key principle of lean manufac-
turing is that which generates finished goods in the presence of
consumer demand with little to no waste. Lean operating practices
in industrial systems are known as lean manufacturing or Toyota
Production System. Henry Ford had used elements of Lean as late
as the 1920 s and claimed that one of the most significant
successes of holding the cost of Ford goods down is the steady

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.05.409
2214-7853/Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Nanotechnology: Ideas, Innovation and Industries.
 S. Annamalai et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 33 (2020) 3486–3490
reduction of the manufacturing process. The further the product is
in the production cycle and the more it moves, the better the final
cost. The National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufac-
turing Extension stated lean manufacturing as, ‘‘lean manufactur-
ing is systematic approach of identifying and eliminating waste
through continuous improvement, flow the product at the pull of
the customer in pursuit of perfection” [1–3]. The fashion industry
is now experiencing delays in output due to costly and long pro-
duction processes. In a textile business, production times slow out-
put as various parts of the product are installed in this process. The
garment industry, particularly those who rely on limited quantities
and demands, must adapt rapidly to changes in design. It is impor-
tant to be aware of the current condition of the network for the
timely delivery of orders. The key problem, however, is the hard
times in the industrial industry, as demonstrated by a sluggish
and unreliable distribution process. The Cellular Manufacturing
System (CMS) has originated as a creative and effective approach
for the production of medium and medium-volume production
systems. This stems from the idea of group manufacturing and
incorporates the benefits of both versatile and mass manufacturing
methods. The key benefits of CMS development are: lowering of
set-up time, work-in-process receivables, lead times, equipment
demands and process control expenses. It may also contribute to
impressive changes in product efficiency, profitability and output
management. Some of the main stages in the Cellular Manufactur-
ing System layout cycle are the formation of cell. It entails gather-
ing parts with identical design elements or processing
characteristics into part families and arranging equipment into
machine units on the basis of the procedure needed by part fami-
lies. As a function of extraordinary circumstances, the material
movement between the processing cells is a significant barrier to
obtaining the advantages of Cellular Manufacturing Systems [4–
5]. The incorporation of the lean model increases corporate effi-
ciency and customer loyalty by reducing lead times and prices
and supplying consumers with higher quality goods. The advan-
tages of lean manufacturing are much broader and one of the
advantages illustrated are stock elimination, quality enhancement,
improved efficiency and reduced lead time [6].
Performance is a structure of several aspects. The record of an
individual’s success can be related to as results. It’s outside of
intent, so it’s something beyond the person’s power. Organiza-
tional performance is a structure with several aspects. As per the
organizational philosophy, the description of organizational suc-
cess can be productivity and effectiveness. The amount to which
the intended organizational objectives are accomplished is refer
to as productivity, whereas the percentage of inputs from the oper-
ational tool used to produce the results. Recent work has demon-
strated a tendency to have customer-related results in industry.
Considering market success, productivity, competitiveness and
customer loyalty helps to assess the performance of an enterprise
[7]. There are a variety of concerns relating to leaning that can dif-
fer from nation to nation, geographical position within the region,
and the work culture of the organisation. Technically, incorrect
procurement procedures, unorganized structure and coordination
holes, however, lead to many losses and duplication within the
enterprise that eventually make the company inefficient [8].
Employee fulfilment is commonly defined as the impression of
pleasure or happiness that workers derive from the jobs; whether
or not they are able to work, see the work as important, or the
degree to which their job has a negative physical / psychological
impact. Workers satisfaction is regarded as one of the most signif-
icant indicators of workplace success, efficiency and retention. Sat-
isfied workers work more, become more inspired, and have a
higher morality. The standard of internal service allows workers
to do their work better, helping them feel more comfortable [9].
In particular, the relation among lean and Workplace Health and
3487
Safety is not well known, and this is especially relevant for the
ready-made apparel industry. The textile industry suits best with
the features of labour-intensive and manual labour groups, where
the evidence shows both emotional health threats to workers. To
date, awareness of the implications for Workplace Health and
Safety of lean technology in the ready-made clothing sector is very
minimal and inaccurate [10].
2. Methodology
2.1. Structure of the study
The structure of the considered variables for this study with
Hypothesis allocation is shown in Fig. 1.
H1: Positive relation between Organizational Performance and
Lean layout success
H2: Positive relation between Employee satisfaction and Lean
layout success
This research was primarily a quantitative analytical research
using relatively less complicated and common statistical methods
like, multiple regression analysis, correlation coefficients and
descriptive statistics.
2.2. Sampling and population
In this analysis, the textile industry based in Tamilnadu was
chosen as the population and the main unit as the sample to test
the hypothesis. All available layout forms in that unit are chosen
to calculate the organizational output variables. The data is
obtained from an institutional database and direct evaluation has
been used to assess organizational performance. To assess
employee satisfaction, a study is carried out by using question-
naire. Five like rate scale questions on the basis of concentrations
are included in the questionnaire. To define the sample population
for the satisfaction Survey of Workers, a simple random sampling
is conducted among the members of the team currently employed
in such layouts. Sample group was 80 staff members operating in
three layouts of the sector. Correlation coefficient comparison,
Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis and are used
to interpret the results. In Hypothesis H1, Organizational perfor-
mance is considered with the variables like Quality, Pace, Reliabil-
ity, Versatility and Pace. In Hypothesis H2, Employee satisfaction is
considered with the variables like Ergonomic aspects, Relation and
support, Wages, Training and career growth. List of the considered
variables and their indications, sources are mentioned in the
Table 1.
 1to 5 scale rated as, 1 – Excellent, 2 – Good, 3 – Average, 4 –
Poor, 5 – Very poor.
3. Results and discussion
There are three types of layouts available according to the stan-
dardized questions posed to the participants. The existing layouts
are Process Layout, Product layout and Lean layout as shown in
Figs. 2, 3 and 4.
The ranking of the organization performance is given in the
scale 1 to 3. For every considered variable in the organization per-
formance, data has been taken from the industry database. With
the base of the database, score has been allotted to the variables
from 1 to 3 and rated as 1 – Good, 2 – Average, 3 – Poor. The scores
are plotted in the Table 2.
As per the Table 2, the greatest contributor to operational effi-
ciency is the lean manufacturing layout, since it has the lowest rat-
ing average of 1, then the process layout and finally the product
3488 S. Annamalai et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 33 (2020) 3486–3490

Fig. 1. Theoretical Model.

Table 1
Process of Hypothesis factors.

Hypothesis Variable Indication Dimensions Basis

H1 Quality Failure rate (Number of failed products) Percentage Industry Database
Pace Work in Progress (Number of products in the machine) Counts On spot observation
Throughput time (From input to output) Minutes On spot observation
Reliability Number of orders deliver to customer Percentage Industry Database
Versatility Change over time Minutes On spot observation
Price Standard hours Minutes Industry Database
H2 Ergonomic aspects Safety equipments Scale 1 to 5 Questionnaire
Relation and Support Peer review with superiors Scale 1 to 5 Questionnaire
Earn Improved wages Income levels Scale 1 to 5 Questionnaire
Chance for talent growth Training programs and sponsor from management Scale 1 to 5 Questionnaire
Job development Training programs and sponsor from management Scale 1 to 5 Questionnaire

Fig. 2. Process Layout.

Fig. 3. Product Layout.

layout. The Employee satisfaction ranking is done by the question- gathered and processed to find the mean. Mean is shown in the
naire methods. Set of questions were framed with the base of vari- Table 3.
ables mentioned in Table 3. Employees provided the score rated As per the Table 3, it can be inferred that workers are satisfied to
from 1 to 5 as mentioned early. Scores from the participants are operate in lean layout as the estimated value of the four factors
 S. Annamalai et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 33 (2020) 3486–3490 3489

Fig. 4. Product Layout.

Table 2
Performance ranking. 4. Conclusion
Indication Process Layout Product Layout Lean Layout
 The throughput time of the lean design is high relative to other
Failure rate 3 2 1
Work in Progress 3 2 1 forms of layout, and can also be the outcome of the work in the
Throughput time 2 2 1 module phase, in order to increase the time the organization
Change over time 2 1 1 should discuss line balancing or do time tests and system tests
Standard hours 2 1 2 in order to enhance the throughput time of the system. If work-
Average 2.4 1.6 1.2
ers do not have the requisite experience, they will fail to recog-
nize the changes that they can make. Worse still, undertrained
Table 3 workers can unintentionally trigger delays because they may
Employee satisfaction ranking.
not realize the whole manufacturing cycle and how a shift or
Indication Mean Level of 1 to 5 scale modification saves them a minute causes 7 min of extra work
Safety Equipments 1.4 Excellent for someone else. It is also important to have proper training
Income 2.8 Good and education.
Relationship with superior 2.5 Good  Improved changeover time results in reduction of regular hours
Training and sponsor 2.9 Good generated according to experts, currently at the lean model
there is a changeover period of an average of 20 min which
that decide employee satisfaction is as strong as the grading scale can be increased by planning for system setting and preparation
given. The relationship between employee satisfaction and work- of team members before the changeover so as to reduce the
ing in a Lean Layout to the variables like Safety, Income, and Rela- changeover period, and the researcher would also like to recom-
tionship with superiors and Skill Development is identified mend an task review to test the reasons.
through Hypothesis results. P Value and Pearson Correlation were  Number of products in work in the progress of the lean style is
found and same was shown in Table 4. comparatively weaker than the straight line model. According
As per the Table 4, all 4 factors used for research have a favor- to the lean theory, work in advance is a mistake and masks
able association or positive effect on the productivity of workers issues. If that is that, issues can be found easily and addressed
working in a lean model. in a timely manner. Unnecessary movements, absences, bad line
spacing were found as the reasons for this. Time and gesture
Table 4
Hypothesis Results.
research should be performed to establish a clear visual cycle
such that repetitive gestures can be avoided. Let multi-skilled
Factors P Pearson Strength
workers work in a secure, efficient production environment that
Value Correlation
reliably delivers a premium product within the negotiated
H1 : Safety Equipments 0.000 0.450 Weak positive timeline. Job intervals should be made to keep workers aware
H2 : Income 0.000 0.512 Moderate
positive
of each level of production.
H3 : Relationship with 0.001 0.320 Weak positive  The research found differences in housekeeping procedures in
superior the configuration, no guidelines were developed to preserve
H4 : Training and sponsor 0.000 0.510 Moderate supplies, and the cleanliness of the shop floor needed to be
positive
strengthened. The researcher would recommend delimiting
3490 S. Annamalai et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 33 (2020) 3486–3490
the floor spaces and making the staff aware of housecleaning
activities, according to the lean system of Toyota production
system housekeeping is the basis for creating a lean company.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
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