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 • Each tank has its own
OP 1 OP 1 inlet & outlet valves
• Valves are difficult to
open to exactly
OP 2 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 ability- garments 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 • SMV = 0.45
• Bundling 0.015 • Bundling 0.02
• Allowances 18% • Allowances 15%
• Average cycle time = • Average cycle time =
0.25 0.40
• Potential • Potential
performance? performance?
• Potential hourly • Potential hourly
output? output?
 Potential performance and output
• 0.36 – 0.015 = 0.345 • 0.45-0.02 = 0.43
• 0.345 – 18% • 0.43 – 15%
= 0.283 basic time = 0.366 basic time
Cycle = 0.25 Cycle = 0.40
• P.perf. = basic =0.283 • = basic = 0.366
cycle 0.25 cycle 0.40
= 113% = 91%
 Skills Matrix

Operator/job title Elasticate Backs yokes lace t/s front sh & slvs bind neck slvs in hem t/s hem

Doreen 75 75

Duresha 100 90 90 90

Geetha 120 100 120 120

Indrani 100 75 100

Iromi 100 75

Jeevani 100 100 100 100

Mangalika 75 75 65

Neetha 120 120 120 120

Nirosha 75 100

Pushpa 100 50 100

Thushanti 50 50 50 75 75 50 75 50 50 75
Shirani 25 75 75 50 50 75 50 75 25 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 &Thushanti’s 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 operator machine exp. Perf expected spare time garments
output type % per hour

1.elasticate 0.70 86

2.back seam 1.00 60

3.yokes 1.20 50

4.lace 1.00 60

5.t/s front 1.00 60

6. sh & slvs 1.10 55

7. bind neck 0.70 86

8.slvs in 1.40 43

9. hem 0.90 67

10.t/s neck 1.00 60

 Initial Balance- 60 hour
Op. Number S.M.V. standard operator machine exp. Perf expected spare time garments
output type % per hour

1.elasticate 0.70 86 Doreen 75 64 +4

2.back seam 1.00 60

3.yokes 1.20 50

4.lace 1.00 60

5.t/s front 1.00 60

6. sh & slvs 1.10 55

7. bind neck 0.70 86

8.slvs in 1.40 43

9. hem 0.90 67

10.t/s neck 1.00 60

 Initial Balance
Op. Number S.M.V. standard operator machine exp. Perf expected spare time garments

output type % per hour

1.elasticate 0.70 86 Doreen elasticator 75 64 0.07 4

2.back seam 1.00 60 Duresha 2n o/l 100 60 0.00 0

3.yokes 1.20 50 Geetha o/l frill 120 60 0.00 0

4.lace 1.00 60 Indrani l/s diff 100 60 0.00 0

5.t/s front 1.00 60 Iromi 2n o/l 100 60 0.00 0

6. sh & slvs 1.10 55 Jeevani 2n o/l 100 55 -0.10 -5

7. bind neck 0.70 86 Mangalika l/s diff 75 64 0.07 4

8.slvs in 1.40 43 Neetha 2n o/l diff 120 51 -0.17 -9

9. hem 0.90 67 Nirosha hemmer 100 67 0.10 7

10.t/s neck 1.00 60 Pushpa l/s 100 60 0.00 0

 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

1 2 3
 Running the line
Section: 1. Supervisor: Raveen
Operation Manning 8.00 TO 10.00 10.00 TO 12.00
W.I.P. INPUT OUTPUT W.I.P INPUT OUTPUT W.I.P

1. elasticate Doreen 48 128 128 48

2. Back seams Duresha 48 128
3. front yoke Geetha 48
4.Lace to yoke Indrani 48
5. L/s yoke Iromi 48
6. Shoulder & Jeevani
slv sms 48
7 lace to neck Mangalika 48
8 Attach sleeves Neetha 48
9. Hem Nirosha 48
10. Top sew Pushpa 48
 Running the line
Section: 1. Supervisor: Raveen
Operation Manning 1.00 TO 3.00 3.00 TO 5.00
W.I.P. INPUT OUTPUT W.I.P INPUT OUTPUT W.I.P

1. elasticate Doreen 48
2. Back seams Duresha

3. front yoke Geetha

4.Lace to yoke Indrani

5. L/s yoke Iromi

6. Shoulder & Jeevani

slv sms

7 lace to neck Mangalika

8 Attach sleeves Neetha

9. Hem Nirosha

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

Huda 100

Sabreen 120

Shadia 112

Aydaa 100

Saffa 94

Kareem 94

Ahlam 83

Nora 83

Aisha 72

Hamida 94

Hwidaa 86
 Skills inventory. Fronts section
Attach
Serge Flly &
Operator/job title front zipper Run pkt Topsew Secure J Runstitch topsew crotch bartack

Asmaa 101

Nadra 117

Mahmoud 75

Eman 76

Rasha 78

Karema 100

Alham(2) 85

Afaf 120
78
Hamida(2)

Amina 100

Fatma 48
 Skills inventory. Fronts section
Attach
Serge Flly &
Operator/job title front zipper Run pkt Topsew Secure J Runstitch topsew crotch bartack

Samah 120
Ahmad 100
Hamdia 102
Bossi 80

90
Abbier
 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