Process Optimization and Productivity Improvement by Waste Reduction

Abstract

This research identifies the root causes of waste and defects in a sewing line within the apparel manufacturing industry by employing various lean manufacturing tools, including Value Stream Mapping (VSM), 5S, Pareto Chart, Cause-Effect Diagram and Kaizen. Key non-value-added activities such as unnecessary movement, waiting time, and manual counting were significantly reduced to 6.5%. As a result, the defect rate improved from 9.16% to 6.91%, and the 5S score increased from 2.40 to 3.80, reflecting a more organized workspace. Additionally, process cycle efficiency rose from 59.21% to 60.81%, and cycle time decreased from 192.62 seconds to 187.54 seconds per unit. Overall, this study provides effective solutions to enhance production efficiency and responsiveness to customer demand in the apparel industry. This study may provide the industries with a way out or solutions to the abovementioned drawbacks.