27/02/2023

ASSIGNMENT - 1

APPAREL QUALITY
MANAGEMENT

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF :

MS. NANIKA

SUBMITTED BY -

CHANAKYA DODLA PALAK SINGH VARUNI AGRAWAL

BFT/20/103 BFT/20/55 BFT/20/158
 TABLE OF CONTENT
TOPIC PAGE NO.

i. Acknowledgement i
ii. Declaration ii
1. TQM 1
1.a Tools 1
1.b Challenges faced 1
1.1 RMG Industries-Bangladesh (Case study-01) 2
1.1.a About the case 2
1.1.b. Obstacles for TQM Implementation 3
1.2 Textile Factory Knit Asia (Case study-02) 5
1.2.a. Limitations 6
2. Kaizen Introduction 7
2.a Kaizen Characteristics 7
2.b The benefits of kaizen 7
2.c Methodology 7
2.1 Thuan Phuong- Vietnam Case Study -1 8
2.1.a About Thuan Phuong group 8
2.1.b The areas for Improvement 8
2.1.c Software 8
2.1.d Training 9
2.1.e Results 9
2.2 Apparel industry Bangladesh 10
2.2.a Implementation of kaizen technique 10
2.2.b Limitations of kaizen 10
2.2.c Recommendations of kaizen 10
2.2.d Conclusion 10
 TABLE OF CONTENT
TOPIC PAGE NO.

3. VSM Introduction 12
3.1 Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka (Case study-01) 13
3.1.a Current VSM map 13
3.1.b Future Stage Value Stream Mapping 14
3.1.c Creating cellular layout 15
3.1.d Through put time 16
3.1.e Conclusion 16
3.2 Apparel Industry- Bangladesh 17
3.2.a. Value Stream Mapping 17
3.2.b Current State Mapping 17
3.2.c Future State Mapping 17
3.2.d Steps to improve current state map 18
3.2.e Improvement of Current State 18
3.2.f Comparison of State Mapping 20
3.2.g Conclusion 20
4. PDCA Introduction 21
4.a When to use PDCA ? 21
4.1 Interstoff Apparels limited (Case Study-01) 22
4.1.a Introduction 22
4.1.b Background of the Study 22
4.1.c Steps Involved 23
4.1.d Findings and Data Analysis 24
4.1.e Application of PDCA 27
4.1.f Suggestions to Reduce Defects 30
 TABLE OF CONTENT
TOPIC PAGE NO.

4.2 Apparel Industry Vietnam (Case study-02) 31

4.2.a Introduction 31
4.2.b Applying PDCA cycle 31
4.2.c Plan 31
4.2.d DO 32
4.2.e Check 32
4.2.f Fact 33
4.2.g Conclusion 33
Reference iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We, Chanakya Dodla, Palak Singh, Varuni Agrawal would like to gratefully
acknowledge the contributions and efforts of everyone who made this endeavour
possible. It gives us great pleasure to acknowledge the assistance and the
contribution of a number of individuals towards this great opportunity.

We are obliged to National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru and the

department of fashion technology for providing us with a platform to gain
experience and turn our theoretical learning into practical and for providing all the
required components to make the project. We would also like to express our
gratitude towards Ms. Nanika, our subject faculty of Apparel Quality Management,
for guiding us and supporting us throughout our study and under whom we are able
to accomplish the project and writing this report.

Group members :
Chanakya Dodla
Palak Singh
Varuni Agrawal

Date : 27/02/2023 Department of Fashion Technology

Place : Bengaluru National Institute of Fashion Technology

i
 DECLARATION
We, Chanakya Dodla, Palak Singh, Varuni Agrawal hereby declare that this
document submitted to the department of Bachelor of Fashion Technology, NIFT
Bengaluru as a part of our assignment 1 of Apparel Quality Management is an
original work done by us under the guidance of our subject faculties, Ms. Nanika,
NIFT Bengaluru. Every part of this report on is genuinely the result of our sincere
efforts. It has not been submitted earlier, either partly or fully to any other
University, Institute or Company and that the work has not been published in any
journal or magazine. We also assure that the information contained in it is true to the
best of our knowledge.

Group members :
Chanakya Dodla
Palak Singh
Varuni Agrawal

Date : 27/02/2023 Department of Fashion Technology

Place : Bengaluru National Institute of Fashion Technology

ii
 1. TQM
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a system focusing on customer satisfaction
through a concept of "continuous improvement". This concept emerged after the
1980s with the purpose of developing and expanding quality management strategy
by adding more aspects related to quality.
Total: every person is involved (its customers and suppliers)
Quality: customer requirements are met exactly
Management: senior executives are fully committed

1.a TOOLS
Qualitative - Seven quality control tools, flow chart, cause-and-effect diagrams,
multi-voting, affinity diagram, process action teams, brainstorming, election
grids, and task list)
Quantitative - Shewaryt cycle (PDCA), Pareto charts, control chart, histogram,
run chart, and sampling
A technique has a wider application, often resulting in the need for more
thought, skill and training to be used effectively, such as SPC, benchmarking,
quality function deployment. The most popular sets of TQM tools are as below-
1. Pareto Principle: Identifying the key problems
2. Control Charts: Variation Control
3. Cause and Effects, Fishbone, Ishikawa Diagram
4. Histogram or Bar Graph
5. Traffic Light System
6. 5S
7. Quality Function Deployment
8. Failure Mode & Effect Analysis

1.b CHALLENGES FACED

Quality definition - Most of the factory workers don’t have a clear idea about
what is quality and what they should do to ensure the customers’ expectations.
Culture - The culture of SME may not be conducive to TQM.
Communication - Most of the workers in the Apparel Manufacturing industry
in Bangladesh are local but the top management are foreigners, so language is
the main obstacle to improving the communication between workers themselves
from one side, and with their bosses on the other.

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 1.1 RMG INDUSTRIES - BANGLADESH
Case Study - 1

The Readymade Garment (RMG) sector is trying hard to position themselves at the
top-level across the globe. To achieve this goal, managers are utilizing the total
quality management (TQM) system.

1.1.a ABOUT THE CASE

Target Population - At present there are nearly 5150 export oriented garment
industries in Bangladesh (BGMEA, 2015-2016). For the study, 3488 garment
firms had been considered as a population on the basis of the importance of the
locations.
Sampling Procedure - For the study purpose, 133 garment manufacturing units
were initially selected as sample using stratified sampling technique which is
shown in table 1. Due to time and budget constraints, lastly we had considered
71 firms by using purposive sampling technique.
Sample Size - The difficulty in accessibility into the garment industries has
made the sample selection very restricted. A total of 71 garment firms had been
selected initially. Due to inconsistency in the response, 11 garment firms have
been excluded. Finally, 60 firms have been selected as a sample which is
statistically a good size.

Table 1. Average ratings of opinion for each of the categories

Table 2. Ranking of TQM barriers

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1.1.b OBSTACLES FOR TQM IMPLEMENTATION
Commitment to Quality -
1. Lack of senior management commitment - Quality policies are not actively
communicated to all employees. With such reluctance and lack of commitments
from this top level of managers, the quality message may not even reach in its
original form. More than 50 per cent of the RMG firms in Bangladesh have no
commitment towards quality from their management side.
2. Lack of long-term strategy or vision - Despite the need for long-term strategy
for quality, managers are still looking for short-term strategies like profits, costs,
sales turnover, return on investments, and so on. Nearly 20 percent (Twelve out
of seventy-one) firms are sending their employees for training regularly.
3. Lack of time spent on TQM activities - In most of the cases, the managers are
not interested in taking quality management initiatives. Some managers see
quality as a lesser function than other departments like finance, production or
marketing. As a result, less time is spent on quality issues. It is found from our
survey that senior managers probably spend less than 5 percent of their working
time in a week managing quality.

Quality Systems -
1. Barriers created by quality certification and measurement issues - Most of
the RMG firms are using their quality certifications like ISO 90001:2008 for
marketing purposes to increase sales rather than commitments to continuous
quality improvement.
2. Monotony in record keeping - Due to the excessive paperwork, employees are
losing their interest in ISO 9001:2008 quality systems. As a result, it is adding
little value to quality improvement.

Customer Focus -
1. Lack of customer feedback system - Very few companies are continuing their
customer feedback system through receiving customer complaints. This type of
survey is very much essential for determining customer satisfaction with the
company’s products. About 40 percent of the firms are not conducting their
customer feedback system.
2. Lack of quick response to customer complaints - Most of the firms have no
customer contact department. They are giving less attention to the quick
response of customer complaints. A quick response to the customer's complaints
is the most important key for customer satisfaction.

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 Increasing Growth and Profitability -
1. Barriers between various departments' functions - TQM implementation is
highly affected by Power and politics within the organization. It is a common
scenario in most of the companies that marketing, HR, finance people pay less
attention to TQM culture rather than production. Continuous improvement is not
possible without the co-operation and communication between the departments.
2. High labor turnover - Nowadays, high employee turnover rate is the most
critical issue for all RMG firms. This decreases the willingness of the employer
to spend effort and money to train their employees regarding TQM. Regular
improvement of the quality is discontinued due to high turnover rate of the
employee in the organization.

Quality Costs -
1. Not keeping the quality cost report - Majority of the company do not have any
idea how to address the loss of the company due to poor quality. Mealy 3
percent of the firms keep the record of cost of quality.
2. Lack of awareness about the cost of quality loss among the employee - As
most of the firms are not maintaining the quality cost report, they fail to make
their employees aware of losing their profits due to poor quality. Thus, the level
of scrap and rework at the shop floor are increasing day by day.

Other Barriers
1. Training barriers - People who do not hold any formal business qualifications
operate a large portion of SME’s.
2. Management awareness barriers - There is wide acceptance that without full
management commitment, successful TQM implementation is unlikely

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1.2 TEXTILE FACTORY KNIT ASIA
Case Study - 2

Table 3. Statistics showing after or rework % (without TQM implementation)

Table 4. Statistics showing after or rework % (with TQM implementation)

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 Table 5. Comparative statistics of before and after TQM implementation

In apparel manufacturing processes, especially in sewing there are so many faults or

alters may occur. Two cases have been considered - one before implementing TQM
and one after. The results conclude that production has increased and the number of
pieces being altered or rejected has reduced.

1.2.a LIMITATIONS
Since the TQM as a topic is almost new in developing countries, and never been
fully implemented in the Apparel Manufacturing industry in Bangladesh, the
literature review is based on work done in the developed countries such as
Japan, UK and USA.
Newly proposed TQM framework has been applied in only one Apparel
Manufacturing industry as its very vast concept needs to change the whole
factory set-up.
The proposed TQM framework has been applied in two separate but almost
same type sewing lines having the same style running through it.
It was not possible to do the experiment in the same sewing line with the same
garment styles as garment order has a very short lead time for sewing. That’s
why two parallel sewing lines have been taken; one with TQM and another
without TQM.

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 2. KAIZEN INTRODUCTION
Industry 4.0 helps companies be more flexible in the production process and the
supply chain. Thereby creating quality products and services at low prices, saving
time and costs in manufacturing. Kaizen is known as an advanced tool in the
application of a series of methods to eliminate waste, improve the quality and
efficiency, reduce cost and delivery times of production activities in enterprises in
Japan. It improve and bring excellent efficiency in saving costs.

2.a KAIZEN CHARACTERISTICS

Composition: from employees to senior management. Kaizen encourages
employees to make suggestions within the organization.
Continuity: Activities that consist of small daily efforts, when combined,
produce large results.
This is a statistically based scientific method.
It encourages the use of the intelligence of everyone in the organization.

2.b THE BENEFITS OF KAIZEN

Reduces cost and delivery time
Enhances communication and also builds a network
Creates an organization that grows and grows with it
Kaizen changes the mindset of both employees and managers
Kaizen creates a very comfortable and safe working environment for everyone.

2.c METHODOLOGY
KAIZEN SOFTWARE
Real-time - Data is updated continuously in real-time.
Automatic reporting - All reports in Kaizen are generated automatically by the
Kaizen software based on the data.
Fast process - The project approval process is done using software and waiting
time is reduced.
No paperwork - Input data on the software so no paperwork is needed
Increase user satisfaction - Users can use modern software and not waste time
PDCA CYCLE
Kaizen is built on an iterative PDCA cycle. The PDCA cycle stands for Plan -
Do - Check - Act. It is also referred to as the Deming Cycle

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 2.1 THUAN PHUONG - VIETNAM
Case Study - 1

2.1.a ABOUT THUAN PHUONG GROUP

It was founded in 1983 and has since grown to become one of Vietnam's leading
private export embroidery companies.
It is one of Vietnam's leading embroidery companies, with over 7,000
professionally trained employees.
Working environment that meets 5S international standards, a clean and
beautiful factory, an experienced management team.

2.1.b THE AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Primarily concentrated in the IE (industrial engineering) team and have not
spread to other departments or larger organizations, suppliers, distributors,
retailers, and customers.
The factory lacks an improvement evaluation system; all improvements are
managed solely through Excel software.
Failing to timely encourage employees who are making good progress in order
to promote continuous improvement at the factory.
There is no improved emulation system among Group factories.
There is still a lot of waste in the factory.

2.1.c SOFTWARE
Step 1 - Input improvement ideas: the step will be done by everyone in the
company including all departments, from sales, human resources, planning, and
production
Step 2 - Approval of improvement ideas: After receiving improvement ideas, the
Kaizen department in the company arranges ideas according to criteria such as
feasibility analysis, analysis of benefits of improvement, the urgency of
improvement, investment cost.
Step 3 - Fill in the information after implementing the idea: After the project has
been implemented, the improvement department is responsible for entering the
information achieved after implementation, including time, costs, and benefits
received from improvement.
Step 4 - Project approval after implementation: After the project implementation
results are available. The Kaizen department rewards individuals/organizations
who come up with ideas for improvement and individuals/organizations that

8
make improvements. This awarding is held weekly in the presence of all employees
in the company to encourage and motivate the spirit of improvement throughout the
factory.

2.1.d TRAINING
Training employees to use new software is considered very important by Thuan
Phuong company. When employees understand and follow the construction software
steps correctly, then there will be results. Thuan Phuong company also organizes
training courses on Kaizen, innovation and Lean manufacturing tools so that all
employees have certain knowledge to develop ideas.

2.1.e RESULTS
The application of Kaizen software system has been gradually applied by Thuan
Phuong company to all factories in the group since 2020. In the first year of
implementation, Thuan Phuong Group saved 47,000 hours, more than 10 times
higher than in 2019 (when Kaizen software was not applied). By 2021, despite being
heavily affected by the stagnation in production and business due to the Covid 19
pandemic, the company has reduced 45,000 hours, equivalent to more than 1 billion
VND.

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2.2 APPAREL INDUSTRY - BANGLADESH
Case Study - 2

2.2.a IMPLEMENTATION OF KAIZEN TECHNIQUE

Step 1 - Brainstorming
Step 2 - Goal set up
Step 3 - Data Collection
Step 4 - Plan
Step 5 - Do
Step 6 - Check
Step 7 - Action
Step 8 - Results

2.2.b LIMITATIONS OF KAIZEN

This approach for implementing kaizen has some drawbacks. Manufacturing lines
are continuously active. As a result, performing a time study to calculate SMV is
never easy. The workers in the factory are also quite busy with their allocated tasks.
Sometimes they are too busy working to respond soon. Kaizen implementation for a
running production line is also risky due to the worry of a production halt.

2.2.c RECOMMENDATIONS OF KAIZEN

After conducting this study, We have come to the conclusion that the greatest way to
decrease the number of defects is through effective training and employee
awareness. If necessary, a factory owner might motivate employees by providing
extra pay, food, gratuities, time off, and good manners. Factory owners can seek
assistance from BKMEA to ensure that their employees receive suitable training.

2.2.d CONCLUSION
The method of continuous improvement began with a small region and worked its
way out to increase output, effectiveness, and quality. Throughout the industrial
shop floor, effective teamwork and collaboration with team members surpass the
standard. The outcomes both before and after the implementation of Kaizen are
extremely fruitful. Here, the factory raised production line efficiency from 45% to
60% by using the Kaizen approach. To manufacture, it is incredibly cost-effective.
Significant reductions are made in sewing errors. The factory's working atmosphere
has also improved. To improve outcomes in the future, a 15-day improvement plan
will be implemented.

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 3. VSM INTRODUCTION
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a methodology originally developed and
popularized by Toyota. A value stream is the collection of all actions, both value-
added and non-value-added, required to move a product or group of products
through the main stream, from raw materials to the customer's arm, using the same
resources. .

According to Mehmet et al. Value stream mapping is a method of visually showing

the flow of information and materials in the manufacturing of a product. Lhasa et al.
He ran the VSM application at a company that manufactures the plastic parts that
make up mobile phone housings, button units and keypads. The production lead time
was reduced from 26 days to 20 days and the value added lead time was reduced
from 0.7 to 0.5 days. They also reported cost savings and reduced inventories of raw
materials, semi-finished products and finished goods. Mr. Silva confirmed the
applicability of his VSM to the garment industry in Sri Lanka.

VSM is an important lean tool that has been used in the manufacturing industry to
reduce product waste and improve quality.

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 3.1 APPAREL INDUSTRY - SRI LANKA
Case Study - 1

The research's approach was based on the application of the Value Stream Mapping
(VSM) theoretical framework in a

India's garment industry. The planned study is carried out at ABC Clothes Ltd., a
company specialising in knitted clothing.
Using time study methodologies to create a pictorial depiction of the current stage of
VSM, the researcher documented the standard operating time for each operation in
order to reduce process waste in the producing line. The researcher then examined
the causes of process waste, areas for improvement, and options for choosing
alternative relevant lean methods.

3.1.a CURRENT VSM MAP

The product manufacturing line is carefully examined, and the necessary data is
gathered, in order to develop a current state Value Stream Map (VSM) for the
product.

To better comprehend the material flow within the plant, a map of the plant's layout
is obtained. For the purpose of creating the value stream map, data on things like
machine setup times, machine usage, inventory counts between operations, and takt
time (customer requirements) are gathered. By dividing the daily client demand for
each style by the number of operation hours per day, the takt time of the product is
determined.

Information from the client is sent to ABC's business planning department via
electronic data interchange (EDI).

ABC manufactures clothing mostly in repeating garment designs. The delivery

schedule and method are in accordance with the buyer's requirements, and orders are
typically received every three months via EDI. The majority of ABC's clients
anticipate greater product quality and prompt shipment delivery.

When a purchase order is received, the business planning department determines

how soon the plant can prepare it. On a weekly basis, the planning section sets the
schedule. Next, arrive at the production-level day-by-day plan.

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 Table 6. Operation wise details of current VSM for knitted trouser

3.1.b FUTURE STAGE VALUE STREAM MAPPING

Looking at the current status map, a few things stand out.
Large inventory, large gap between production lead time and value added time,
process assigned to supermarket area (lean tools) between first layout and second
run, very low process ratio on its own schedule. The goal of lean manufacturing is to
improve meeting customer demands across the value stream.
The basic idea is that inventory increases lead times, so reducing lead times and
inventory exposes other types of waste to the surface, creating opportunities to
remove them.

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 Table 7. List of operations in current VSM is removed or combined with others

3.1.c CREATING CELLULAR LAYOUT

In this study, a cell layout is proposed to minimize WIP between operations,
increase cost efficiency, improve operator skill, and minimize production lead time.
Some non-value added (NV) operations have been removed from existing VSMs,
and some other operations have been combined to minimize cycle time and operator
involvement.
Table 8. Bottom section module

Table 9. Finishing module

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 Table 10. Waistband module

3.1.d THROUGH PUT TIME

Snap research is conducted by ABC Ltd. It is run daily to measure throughput time
from current PBS production layout to lean layout. In the existing batch production,
the processing time for all selected product lines is 6 hours. On the other hand, for
cellular layouts, this time is less than an hour.

3.1.e CONCLUSION
The primary objective of this study is the development of a general
methodology for the implementation of VSM manufacturing tools and
techniques in the garment industry. VSM's goal is to reduce waste in manpower,
inventory, time to market, and manufacturing space, thereby manufacturing
high-quality products in the most efficient and economical manner while
increasing customer satisfaction. It is understood to be a prompt response to
requests.
Restructuring is done in the sewing room specifically through her VSM
analysis. Value Stream Mapping is an ideal tool for understanding process waste
within your value stream, improving quality, and identifying other suitable lean
process improvement tools. Future State Map development is not the end of the
Asset of Value Stream activity. It should be emphasized that we need to rethink
value streams until the future becomes the present.
The inflexibility problem is eliminated by cell layouts. His WIP in the process is
very low with this layout so he can quickly change the product line if needed.
This allows us to produce different kinds of products on the same production
line according to your needs.

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3.2 APPAREL INDUSTRY - BANGLADESH
CASE STUDY - 2

3.2.a VALUE STREAM MAPPING

Lean manufacturing has recently become popular in the ready-to-wear industry in
Bangladesh. The most crucial task for the apparel sector is to lower lead times and
quality, which is also crucial for long-term steady development, in order to remain
competitive in the global market.

The following elements are highlighted in the article :

See how value stream mapping will be used in the garment production line to
identify common value-added and non-value-added operations. •As part of
value stream mapping, analyse the problems of processing time, retention time,
identifying product families, and production lead time.
The research used empirical as well as quantitative data from thirteen (13)
renowned garments industries, including Ananta, IDS, Standard, jamona,
Panash, Helicon, Apex, Adury, DBL, Hoplun, PN Composite, Palmal, and
Radial group of Bangladesh that are implementing lean. The methodology of the
study was based on theory and process observation to apply value stream
mapping in the garments sector.

3.2.b CURRENT STATE MAPPING

Value stream mapping (VSM) of the factory's current condition will be the
following step after selecting the target product family. Follow a product's
production (materials) path from start to finish, then visually illustrate each step in
the material & information flows, including materials retention, to show how
quickly the initial bundle is processed from door to door. The VSM tool makes it
possible to visually display value streams in order to identify and classify wastes in
the current state.

3.2.c FUTURE STATE MAPPING

It is required to create a future state map of how value should flow after creating the
current VSM (using icons). This is done by thinking lean or by using lean tools.
Also, it demonstrates how information and materials move without the seven deadly
manufacturing wastes. Create some Kaizen (continuous improvement) Milestones to
help you reach the future state mapping KPI results, and then keep an eye on the
results as they change.

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Figure represents 15.71% activities as value added activities to the final product of
the garment industries and other 84.29% activities are non value added activities.
The value added activities are those activities which create more customers value
(Michael Porter) and which change the material state with right first time.

3.2.d STEPS TO IMPROVE CURRENT STATE

The basic steps to improve the current state mapping includes -
1. Identifying the Process Loops
2. Prioritizing the Process Loops
3. Tying Priority to Key Performance Indicators
4. Establishing the Criteria for Prioritization
5. Prioritizing the Work within Each Loop
6. Presenting the Maps to the Workforce
7. Presenting the Maps to the Steering Committee
8. Assigning a Value Stream Manager
9. Attacking the Action Plan

3.2.e IMPROVEMENT OF CURRENT STATE

A wasteful move is any move that does not add value to the product. Wasted motion
isn't just a production line problem.

Moving equipment, reaching unnecessarily, looking for parts and tools, confusing
standards, going in and out of maintenance, poor visual control, floor layout, and
poor sequencing of work items are all wasted moves.

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Defects are often hidden in an over-produced WIP stack. Product defects are caused
by lack of 5S, poor line flow and layout, overproduction, inadequate training,
inaccurate standards and instructions, and inability to hold employees accountable
for continuous failures. will be Scrap causes production stoppages, requiring
operators to rework products that should have been manufactured correctly the first
time. Finally, a major mistake that executives make today is their inability to
identify the skills of individual employees and appropriately leverage those skills to
effectively balance workloads. Not realizing the full potential of individual
employees, or placing them in uncomfortable and error-prone positions, are wasteful
decisions that impact both quality and productivity, and create additional waste.
causes waste problems that lead to domino effect.

Table 11. Current state mapping

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3.2.f COMPARISON OF STATE MAPPING
Lead time By marking the value added and the reduction of waste at 100% on the
deliverables chart, the ratio of possible improvement is computed. If the trash is
correctly managed, the future state is mapped and the table value is attainable.

As we map out the current and future states, we can quickly see that there is an
approximate rise in value addition from 15.71% to 69.55% and a notable decrease in
no value contributed activity by retention time, which is shown in a pie chart. Even
yet, some inevitable retention durations were found following value stream
mapping. They can be reduced by implementing high end infrastructure and
technology.

3.2.g CONCLUSION
The advantages of value stream mapping come not only from the creating of the
map but also from the interaction of the mapmakers with the process and from their
on-the-ground observations, which are required to acquire the data for the value
stream maps. The VSM must come first, and then the priorities and actions. In other
words, management must be involved in the creation of value stream maps. A
factory designer may be influenced to only take into account continuous flow,
assembly line layouts, kanban-based Pull scheduling, etc. that are suitable primarily
for high volume and low variety manufacturing systems by VSM, despite its
benefits, as it is unable to handle multiple products that do not have identical maps.
Due to the manual construction method, VSM is unable to quickly build and
evaluate the various "what if" studies needed to prioritise different options for
upgrading a Current State Map when there are time and/or financial constraints.
Lastly, this study has demonstrated the benefits, viability, and applicability of value
stream mapping, serving as a baseline for the implementation of lean for other
garment industries in Bangladesh.

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 4. PDCA INTRODUCTION
The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, also known as the Plan-Do-Study-Act
(PDSA), Deming Wheel, or Deming Cycle, is a quality tool that consists of a four-
step continuous cycle for carrying out improvement and change. This systematic
approach assists businesses in determining what needs to change and then testing it
in a continuous feedback loop with the goal of resolving problems.

The four stages are as follows:

Plan - Identify and analyze the problem or opportunity, generate hypotheses about
what can be changed or done, and choose which to test.
Do - Put the chosen hypothesis to the test, preferably on a small scale, and measure
the results.
Check - Examine the results, assess the effectiveness of the changes, and determine
whether the hypothesis is supported.
Act - If the solution was successful, put it in place across the entire
process/processes.

4.a WHEN TO USE PDCA ?

Beginning a new project, particularly with repetitive work
Implementing a Total Quality Management or Six Sigma methodology
Creating a new or improved design for a product, service, or process.
Able to collect and analyze data

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 4.1 INTERSTOFF APPARELS LIMITED
Case Study - 1

4.1.a INTRODUCTION
In garment production, it is normal that there might be few rejected garments. There
is no ready-made solution that can reduce rejection percentages in a single day. This
case study suggests a method for dealing with defects and reducing rejection costs
while maintaining high production. Bangladesh is the world's leading manufacturer
and exporter of clothing. Bangladesh's main export item is readymade clothing.

The primary cause of clothing rejection is the use of low-quality raw materials such
as fabric and thread, as well as a faulty system or inefficient people. Industry has
begun to identify and implement various strategies to reduce the illness percentage
rate.

Pareto analysis is used to identify the top defect positions among all of the defects
on the facts sheet. The defects are then labelled according to their importance.
Defects usually result in garment rejection, which has a significant impact on an
agency's profit margin. A cause-impact diagram is a very useful tool for determining
the root cause of clothing rejection. It aids in the discovery, kind, and visible display
of the causes of a disorder problem or first-class function problems. The purpose of
an impact diagram is to graphically represent the relationship between a given final
result and all of the elements that affect the result, and then to determine the viable
root causes of the problem.

In this case study, the stitching segment of a garment industry that produces Knit T-
Shirts is investigated. The Pareto chart and purpose effect diagram were used to
identify and categorise the causes of various defects in the manufacturing lines.
Following that, the Plan Do Check Act have implemented in place to reduce the
number of garment defects.

4.1.b BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The readymade garment industry is highly dependent on several factors such as
product quality, manufacturing lead time, production cost, raw material quality,
worker efficiency, production manager supervision, and so on. These factors are
hampered by a variety of product flaws. Repairable defects result in rework, while
non-repairable defects result in rejection.

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To reduce the rework rate, factory personnel must keep an eye on defect rates from
the start. When rework and rejection occur, a company loses profit margins, has a
negative impact on production schedule, a high possibility of the buyer cancelling
the order, and the interest rate on the bank loan rises.
To achieve the overall goal of minimizing defects and rejection of completed
merchandise, it's miles required to set up documentation and maintain a machine
capable of ensuring that products conform in overall to requirements specifications.
This will be required at every level of production. To be effective, the system
requires planned periodic oversight by senior management to ensure its
effectiveness.

4.1.c STEPS INVOLVED

Factory selection - Interstoff Apparels Limited which is situated in Kaliakoir,
Gazipur, Dhaka.
Conducting a Case study - The demography of the situated organization is
presented in Table 1

Table 12. Demography of “InterstoffApparels Limited”

Company Name Interstoff Apparels Limited

Location Kaliakoir, Gazipur, Dhaka

Total Number of Worker Male: 1850 | Female: 650 Total : 2500

Production Capacity 1200000 PCS/YEAR

Working Hour Per Day 10 Hours (Maximum)

Gathering information - This step involved gathering information of the

sewing defects section of the chosen garment factory. Data was collected on
various sewing defects provided by management, which was used for the study's
analysis.
Identification of problems - The primary goal of this research is to identify the
problem. Repeated defects was observed in sewing section. As a result, main
focus was to research on this section, which is our primary concern.

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 Analysis and Suggestions - This step involves performing Pareto Analysis,
which is required to identify major areas of concern. Following that, Cause-
Effect Diagrams for top finishing defect types were created. Then some
recommendations to reduce the frequency of those defects.

4.1.d FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS

For findings and data analysis, data was collected from the selected factory
“Interstoff Apparels Limited” for the months April 2017. Summary of defects
presented in Table 2

Table 13. Summary of Defects

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 Pareto Analysis - From the above data, pareto analysis shows the top defect
positions.

Observation from Pareto Analysis -

1. Other is the most frequent defect with as much as 19% of the total.
2. Broken stitch is the second most frequent defect with 17% of the total. Also,
skip stitch 12%, Open seam 11%, Pleat 10%, Point up down 6%, down stitch
5% is other defect of the total.
3. So, broken stitch, skip stitch is the “Vital Few”.

Cause Effect Diagram :

1. Broken Stitch - From the Pareto chart, it is clear that broken stitch is a major
type of defect in the sewing section. Broken stitch is created and increasing
defects for the tendency of producing more and garment become tampered. The
major causes observed, are responsible for man, machine materials, and
methods. The cause-effect diagram for broken stitch as shown in below:

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The tension of the thread must be properly adjusted to solve this problem and reduce
broken stitches. Regular inspection of the needlepoint and checking for points that
are sharp or burred are required. Sharp edges of the needle plate, the pressure foot,
and the needle holes should be removed. Needle and thread sizes should be matched.
During washing, the product should be handled with care. Materials weak thread is
choosing high-quality thread that is free of flaws.

2. Skip Stitch -

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Another major flaw in garments is skip stitching. This can be caused by rough
material handling. To solve this problem, the operator should handle the material
with care while operating. Slipstitching can be caused by the machine's stitch per
inch (SPI). To achieve the continuous stitch, appropriate maintenance should be
performed to keep the machine in good working order.

3. Open seam Stitch -

Lack skilled operators are responsible for open seam defects. A well-skilled operator
who knows very well how to handle the materials. A standard operation video can
be shown to the operator. Faulty feed dog can create an open seam, so these should
be checked periodically.

4.1.e APPLICATION OF PDCA

ISO 9001:2000, which systematically identifies and manages the processes that
combine the quality systems and the interactions between the processes, promoted
the theory of the PDCA cycle process. This procedure is referred to as the Plan-Do-
Check-Action cycle (PDCA). This method is applicable to all processes used to
control production quality. Finding an opportunity is the first step in implementing
the PDCA cycle. The defect percentages are calculated in the table below, and
PDCA will be used to reduce and eliminate waste:

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 Table 14. Percentage of Defects

Here, it has been found that the most defects happen at broken stitch, skip stitch, and
open seam and pleat. In addition, their percentage is 17.51%, 11.84%, 11.04%,
9.77%. After analysis those defects, below causes are identified:-

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Table 15. PDCA of Defects

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4.1.f SUGGESTIONS TO REDUCE DEFECTS
Three high-quality controllers at the in-line and quality controllers at the output
desk are strongly advised at some point during a working method inside the
stitching line to become aware of the causes and consequences and to provide
the correct answer.
Statistics of checklist for inspection of add-ons and packing cloth, statistics of
swatch cards of authorised accessories, statistics of manufacturing swatch,
statistics of daily quality control document, statistics of slicing hassle record,
and others must all be nicely accompanied.
Measure all applicable seam houses, such as stitches according to cm,
extensibility, and seam electricity, before recording seams and stitches for
garment assembly.
Determine the collection of assembly operations, seams and threads to be used,
and system availability, keeping alternatives in mind if machines are
unavailable.
Examine the completed garment. Take a look and compare it to the picture.
Examine all technical aspects of any material flaws, sewing thread flaws,
seaming flaws, and so on.
All faults discovered during final inspection should be recorded for quick
correction and to determine the need for preventative action at a specific level of
production.

4.1.g CONLUSION
Quality is the most important factor in determining customer satisfaction. Good
quality increases customer satisfaction by increasing the value of the product.
Defects in the apparel industry are one type of major loss or profit reduction.
Product defects usually result in rejection, rework, time-consuming, extra working
time, and customer dissatisfaction. Lean tools are used in the apparel industry to
solve all of these problems while minimizing waste.
According to the Pareto chart, the major cumulative defects are others (19%),
broken stitch (36%), slip stitch (48%), open seam (59%), and so on. We can easily
identify the most significant defects using this chart, and then use the cause-effect
diagram to identify the major causes of that defect. We use the PDCA cycle assists
in planning for continuous quality improvement by removing defects, performing on
the process based on the plan, and then checking and monitoring the process to
ensure that it is following the correct procedures. Finally, corrective action is taken
to improve further.

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 4.2 APPAREL INDUSTRY - VIETNAM
Case Study - 2

4.2.a INTRODUCTION
Packaging plays an important role not only in increasing customer satisfaction with
a product, but also in increasing a company's economic profits. In recent years,
developing and implementing sustainable packaging has become a worldwide
concern in order to protect the environment and reduce the burden of waste
treatment for future generations. The packaging industry's development trends are
centerd on cost reduction: Saving energy during packaging processing; reducing raw
materials; using recycled, bio-degradable materials; creating a package that is
durable and flexible for reuse; and developing smart and interactive packaging for
consumers. In Vietnam, current packaging method is carton box.
Increasing product packaging quality and professionalism is a current trend in
management strategy, particularly as Vietnamese companies expand their exports to
Europe and developed countries. However, the additional cost for packaging can
result in significantly lower company profits. The objectives is to develop a
simplified combination of PDCA cycle and quality tools for quality packaging
improvement.

4.2.b APPLYING PDCA CYCLE

To improve packaging quality, the PDCA methodology was used. Cracks on the
bottom are the most common defects caused by poor packaging methods.
Furthermore, the current packaging method is criticised for using non-
environmentally friendly materials.

4.2.c PLAN
The first step in the PDCA cycle is Plan. This step includes defining problems and
collecting all relevant data. Then the team has to find out the problems’ root causes
to develop an actionable tested plan. The increasing percentage of the cracked
packages from the pre-shipment stage to customers’ storage checking leads to
customer dissatisfaction. In addition, current consumers and industry prefer using
sustainable materials for packaging also put the company in the need of improving
the packaging sustainability.

In Plan step, there are several useful tools which helps in problem solving :

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 5 Whys technique - The basis of this effective approach is to ask why five
times for a specific problem. The meaning to strive for 5 whys is to not give up
easily until finding a root cause instead of ending up with a “symptom”. Beside
be used individually, the 5 Why technique is usually as a part of the Ishikawa
diagram to identify the causes.
A cause and effect diagram - This is also called a fishbone diagram or an
Ishikawa diagram. Using this diagram for a given problem, all its possible
failure causes can be identified, categorized, and displayed. Ishikawa diagram is
used to evaluate the root causes and to brainstorm solutions to them.

transportation storage
bad road condition wrong product arrangement
driver steering habit incompetent employees

CRACKS ON PRODUCT
poor material
edges are not fixed

packaging

5W2H, five W’s two H’s - 5W2H represents: Who, what, when , where, why,
how, and how much (or many). It usually is used when defining or analyzing a
process or a problem for improvement opportunities as well as planning.

4.2.d DO
In the Do phase, the team firstly finds new material or better quality material for
packaging which is biodegradable and recyclable. Another important action in the
Do phase of this case study is to change packaging design.

4.2.e CHECK
The team analyses and compares experiment results with the target goals stated in
the plan step during the Check stage. The check step is crucial in making decisions
and defining next steps. According to the manufacturer's specifications, the package
must withstand drag, stretch, torn, and drop conditions. When the product is
delivered from the manufacturing site to the customer's hand, it retains its function
and appearance.

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4.2.f ACT
During the Act phase, the team documents the results and decides whether or not to
implement the changes. It should be noted that PDCA is used for continuous
improvement, so it is not a beginning-to-end process. Another plan to look for an
even better-improved way should be continued during the Act phase.

4.2.g CONCLUSION
This study emphasises the advantages of PDCA methodology in quality
improvement. It explains how to practise this method in a simplified manner using
support tools such as the 5 Whys, Ishikawa diagrams, and 5W2H. PDCA combined
these tools in the packaging case study to analyse packaging defects, identify root
causes, and facilitate the development of more sustainable solutions to problems.

The Plan stage should produce a root-cause analysis, potential solutions, and a
detailed implementation schedule with time constraints. Implementing, refining, and
finalising countermeasures are critical actions during the Do phase. Using the
appropriate tools and techniques for these tasks will result in shorter testing times
and lower costs. Proper evaluation methods and plans help to avoid erroneous data
collection in the Check stage, which can lead to incorrect decisions in the Act stage.
Finally, the Act phase should include tasks in documenting results, process
standardization, sharing learnings, and planning of further steps.

This simplified PDCA cycle can be effectively applied in creating new designs,
reducing defects, and continuously improving quality in any manufacturing field.

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 11. REFERENCE
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sk4bwNHTm-bBScHZVUKnzOyCDEJ-
cqX7?usp=sharing
(link consists of 8 case study)

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