Production Balancing

The phrase that spreads fear into managers and supervisors & students?

Production Balancing
The views of someone who has: -been there -done that -got the T-shirt -been driven crazy by it all

Factory watch
Production targets not being met Production targets being met exactly Operators sitting idle Operators complaining about being constantly moved between jobs Large build up of work in progress No work in progress

YES

You have a production balancing and production management problem!

Production Balancing -A Definition

Ensuring that input = output on all operations and work sections. X Ensuring that input= output on all operations and work sections and that all operations and operators have the opportunity to work to their maximum potential.

Water tanks
a
OP 1 OP 1

OP 2

Each tank has its own inlet & outlet valves Valves are difficult to open to exactly correct settings Each tank contains an amount of water

OP 3

Water tanks - operations

Each operation has a different labour content. S.A.M. S.M.V. Every operator works at a different pace. Many operators work inconsistently. Machines break quality problems absence

Production Balancing
Initial Balance - planning skills matrix operation list SMVs Running the section initial balance skills matrix W.I.P. levels Live output data

Operator information
What tasks can Recent not old they do? history How well can they Potential output do them? Factual-numerical Performance/ Based on abilitygarments per hour not previous output Hold on a skills matrix

Operator performance
Do not rely only on historical information. Circumstances may have affected performance e.g. lack of work Find out potential performance from cycle timing and come to decision about performance level to be used.

Potential performance
Find cycle time Compare with basic time. Example SMV = 0.60 Allowances = 20% Bundle handling allowance = 0.02 Average cycle time = 0.70

Potential performance
Basic time = (smv bundling) allowances = (0.60-0.02) 20% = 0.464 Basic time = 0.464 Cycle time = 0.70 Potential Performance = basic time x 100 cycle time = 0.464 = 66% 0.70

Potential performance
SMV = 0.60 Potential performance = 66% @ 100% output per hour = 60/0.60 = 100 Potential performance = 66% therefore potential output per hour = 100 x 66% = 66 pieces per hour

Potential performance
Using cycle time and potential performance is absolutely essential in effective balancing/setting up of modular manufacturing teams.

Potential performance and output

SMV = 0.36 Bundling 0.015 Allowances 18% Average cycle time = 0.25 Potential performance? Potential hourly output? SMV = 0.45 Bundling 0.02 Allowances 15% Average cycle time = 0.40 Potential performance? Potential hourly output?

Potential performance and output

0.36 0.015 = 0.345 0.345 18%of SMV = 0.283 basic time Cycle = 0.25 P.perf. = basic =0.283 cycle 0.25 = 113% 0.45-0.02 = 0.43 0.43 15%of SMV = 0.366 basic time Cycle = 0.40 = basic = 0.366 cycle 0.40 = 91%

Skills Matrix
Operator/job title Doreen Duresha Geetha Indrani Elasticate 75 100 120 90 100 100 75 90 120 90 120 100 Backs yokes lace t/s front sh & slvs bind neck slvs in hem 75 t/s hem

Iromi
Jeevani Mangalika Neetha Nirosha Pushpa Thushanti Shirani 50 25 50 75 50 75 75 100 75 50 120 120 100 100

100
100 75 120

75
100 75 65 120 100

50 75 50 50 75 75 50 50 75 50 25

100 75 50

Skills Matrix
Supervisors will tell you a skills matrix is not necessary they know what people can do! Problem. What is in their head is not available to others! What if an operator changes section or the supervisor changes section or leaves. People forget things! Do not depend upon the operator to tell you what the can do.

Skills matrix
A skills matrix gives you a picture and pictures are easy to understand. At a glance you can see cover, number of operators that can do an operation You can see how multi-skilled each operator is. Helps with multi-skilling plans It is of limited value if held in the computer in Industrial engineering. Keep it up to date- people leave or learn new operations, performances change.

Initial balance
What is Shirani &Thushantis role in the section? NEVER, NEVER, EVER include the floater in the initial balance When they are included in the initial balance they are not available to perform floating jobs and cease to be a floater BEWARE: Supervisors will use floaters as repair hands, helper, trainer, sample hand or leave them where they are useful and doing a good job.

Floater calculation
Theory: Number of operators in section = 30 Average absence = 8% Floaters cover absence therefore 30 x 8% = 2.4 people missing at any time. Floaters are not specialists and will usually work at a lesser rate than regular operator, say 66% therefore 2.4/0.66 = 3.6 = 4 needed

Floater calculation
Practice Sufficient floaters are never allocated and the supervisor has to work with what she has got. Usually an inadequate floater supply mixed with a few operators that are partly multi-skilled.

Operation list
1. Elasticate attach lace elasticator 0.70 & elastic to sleeves 2. Join two back seams 2 needle o/lock 1.00 3. Attach front & back yokes 2 needle o/lock /frill 1.20 4. Attach lace to front yoke L/S Diff feed 1.00 5. L/s yokes and topstitch 2 needle L/S 1.00 sides to hold 6. Join shoulder& sleeve seams 2 needle o/lock 1.10 7. Attach binding, tab & lace to neck L/S Diff feed 0.70 8. Attach sleeves 2 needle o/lock diff 1.40 9. Whip hem Cover stitch 0.90 10. Top sew neck and two sleeves Lockstitch 1.00

Initial balance
We now know operations and sequence Machines & SMVs From skills matrix, what operations each operator can do and at what performance level We can know allocate people to tasks complete the initial balance

Initial Balance
Op. Number S.M.V. standard output 1.elasticate 0.70 86 operator machine type exp. Perf % expected per hour spare time garments

2.back seam
3.yokes 4.lace 5.t/s front 6. sh & slvs 7. bind neck 8.slvs in 9. hem 10.t/s neck

1.00
1.20 1.00 1.00 1.10 0.70 1.40 0.90 1.00

60
50 60 60 55 86 43 67 60

Initial Balance- 60 hour

Op. Number S.M.V. standard output 1.elasticate 0.70 86 operator machine type exp. Perf % expected per hour spare time garments

Doreen

75

64

+4

2.back seam
3.yokes 4.lace 5.t/s front 6. sh & slvs 7. bind neck 8.slvs in 9. hem 10.t/s neck

1.00
1.20 1.00 1.00 1.10 0.70 1.40 0.90 1.00

60
50 60 60 55 86 43 67 60

Initial Balance
Op. Number S.M.V. standard output 1.elasticate 2.back seam 3.yokes 4.lace 5.t/s front 6. sh & slvs 7. bind neck 8.slvs in 9. hem 10.t/s neck 0.70 1.00 1.20 1.00 1.00 1.10 0.70 1.40 0.90 1.00 86 60 50 60 60 55 86 43 67 60 Doreen Duresha Geetha Indrani Iromi Jeevani Mangalika Neetha Nirosha Pushpa operator machine type elasticator 2n o/l o/l frill l/s diff 2n o/l 2n o/l l/s diff 2n o/l diff hemmer l/s exp. Perf % 75 100 120 100 100 100 75 120 100 100 expected per hour 64 60 60 60 60 55 64 51 67 60 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.10 0.07 -0.17 0.10 0.00 4 0 0 0 0 -5 4 -9 7 0 spare time garments

Initial Balance
A perfect balance is not possible unless every operation has the same work content (SMV) and every operator works at the same performance. (this can only be achieved by restricting work supply to the lowest operation output). What efficiency? Be aware of potential imbalances One of the reasons people like modular

Section summary
High performing operators-average 99% Op. 8. sleeve attach is bottle-neck with 51 per hour only despite high performing operator. If traditional approach is taken and section is balanced to lowest operation then section under ideal circumstances will never achieve higher than 83% efficiency Not perfect but no balance will be it is manageable if we know about it and monitor the section

Hourly target why 60 ?

SMV = 10 per garment 10 operators Average efficiency of section is 100% No need to factor in absence as sufficient floater cover. 8% absence average = 0.8 (1) person absent at ay time. floaters work at lesser rate and 2 available.

Hourly target why 60 ?

10 operators = 600 attended minutes available in one hour. 600/smv of 10 = 60 per hour. IF floater cover we not available we would have needed to reduce target by 8% for absence. 60 8% = 55 per hour.

Running the line

2 things can be guaranteed about a plan (initial balance) It will immediately go out of date It will immediately go wrong. IT is a starting point You need to manage people and WIP (Work-in-progress) to make the line work

Running the line. Regular checks

Input to every operation Output from every operation Work-in progress levels

Running the line

Section: 1.
Operation Manning

Supervisor: Raveen

8.00
W.I.P.

TO
INPUT

10.00
OUTPUT

10.00
W.I.P

TO
INPUT

12.00
OUTPUT W.I.P

1. elasticate 2. Back seams

Doreen Duresha

48

128

128

48

48 48
48 48 48 48 48 48 48

128

3. front yoke
4.Lace to yoke 5. L/s yoke 6. Shoulder & slv sms 7 lace to neck 8 Attach sleeves 9. Hem 10. Top sew

Geetha
Indrani Iromi Jeevani Mangalika Neetha Nirosha Pushpa

Running the line

Section: 1.
Operation Manning

Supervisor: Raveen

1.00
W.I.P.

TO
INPUT

3.00
OUTPUT

3.00
W.I.P

TO
INPUT

5.00
OUTPUT W.I.P

1. elasticate 2. Back seams

Doreen Duresha

48

3. front yoke
4.Lace to yoke 5. L/s yoke 6. Shoulder & slv sms 7 lace to neck 8 Attach sleeves 9. Hem 10. Top sew

Geetha
Indrani Iromi Jeevani Mangalika Neetha Nirosha Pushpa

Running the line

Every operator works to their potential as shown on the skills matrix. Iromi is absent. Factory rules state that no operator (including floaters) can be moved for less than one hour and can only be moved in whole hours.

Exercise summary
There were multi-skilled operators available. The section was reasonably well balanced. Floater cover was available. WIP was available.

Line Balancing

Welcome to the real world. An actual example from a real factory.

Operation list standard 5 pocket jean Fronts section

Operation Serge front Attach zipper Run stitch pockets (bags to fronts) Topsew front pkts Secure pkts at sides& waist J stitch fly Run stitch front to Secure Topsew front seam Join crotch Bartack pkts Front sub total.. M/C 3 thread o/lock S/NL/S S/N L/S D/N L/S S/N L/S D/N L/S ubt S/N L/S ubt D/N L/S ubt D/N L/S ubt Bartack S.M.V. @100% 0.130 450 0.400 150 0.370 161 0.410 0.458 0.340 0.260 0.250 0.290 0.170 3.278 147 131 176 232 240 205 360

Skills inventory. Fronts section

Operator/job title Serge front Attach Flly & zipper Run pkt Topsew Secure J Runstitch topsew crotch bartack

Huda Sabreen Shadia Aydaa Saffa Kareem Ahlam Nora Aisha Hamida Hwidaa

100 120 112 100 94 94 83 83 72 94 86

Skills inventory. Fronts section

Operator/job title Serge front Attach Flly & zipper Run pkt Topsew Secure J Runstitch topsew crotch bartack

Asmaa Nadra Mahmoud Eman Rasha Karema Alham(2) Afaf Hamida(2)

101 117 75 76 78 100 85 120 78

Amina
Fatma

100
48

Skills inventory. Fronts section

Operator/job title Serge front Attach Flly & zipper Run pkt Topsew Secure J Runstitch topsew crotch bartack

Samah Ahmad

120 100

Hamdia
Bossi Abbier

102
80 90

Initial balance
No skills matrix was available. Compiled by engineers doing cycle timing. No means available of measuring efficiency. Floaters included in section. No section absence information available. Target of 400 hour imposed by management.

Initial calculation 400 hour

SMV = 3.278 per front 27 operators available 400 per hour needed. 400 x 3.278 = 21.86 std hours needed. 60 21.86 = 81% efficiency needed (absence) 27