Importance of Operation Breakdown in Garment Industry

What is Operation Breakdown?
Breakdown may be a listing of the content of employment by elements. A garment consists of some parts and some group of operations. An operation is one of the processes that must be completed in converting materials into finished garments. An operation breakdown is a sequential list of all operations involved in assembling a garment, component or style. It involves breaking down the manufacturing process into individual operations, such as cutting fabric, sewing seams, attaching buttons, adding labels, and so on.

Purpose of Operation Breakdown in Garment Industry:
The operation breakdown of a garment is done to understand garment construction – like stitch class & seam types used in making the sample garment. It helps in estimating production time, calculating costs, allocate resources, improve efficiency, plan labor, control quality, & monitor production progress. Each operation is typically assigned a code or number for identification & tracking purposes. It plays a crucial role in optimizing the production process & achieving successful outcomes in garment manufacturing.

Benefit of Operation Breakdown in Garment Industry:
The operation breakdown in the garment industry offers several benefits that contribute to the overall efficiency & success of the manufacturing process. Here are some key benefits:

1. Could notice all operations of the garment at a time.
2. Enhanced visibility & understanding of the production process.
3. Could expect the difficulties of doing a crucial operation.
4. Could make layout in an easy, simple & less time-consuming way.
5. Could calculate the SMV for target setting & equal time distribution to the operator during layout.
6. Easy to select appropriate operator for the specific process.
7. Could know the quantity & kind of machine required to produce the required garment.
8. Can achieve the production target within a very short period.
9. Could be aware about quality to meet the buyers standard.
10. Could know about additional guide, folder & attachment.
11. Improved cost estimation & control.
12. Efficient allocation of resources.
13. Better time management & scheduling.
14. Streamlined production planning.
15. Enhanced quality control & assurance.
16. Facilitates performance evaluation & improvement.
17. Supports training & skill development.
18. Enables continuous process improvement.

Formula for Calculation of Operation Breakdown:

…………………. ………Worker x Working hour x 60
1. Target per hour = ———————————————– x Efficiency %
…………………… ………………….SMV

………………………………………………SMV
2. Basic Pitch Time (BPT) = —————————————-
………………………………………..Total Manpower

………………………………………………………………..BPT
3. Upper Control Limit (UCL) = ————————————————————–
……………………………………………Wanted Organizational Efficiency (0.85)

4. Lower Control Limit (LCL) = BPT x 2 – UCL

Importance of Operation Breakdown in Garment Industry:
The importance of Operation Breakdown in the garment industry can be summarized as follows:

a) Efficiency & Productivity: Operation Breakdown allows for the analysis & optimization of the production process, leading to increased efficiency & productivity. By breaking down tasks into smaller operations, manufacturers can identify bottlenecks, streamline workflows, & allocate resources effectively.

b) Time Management: It helps in conducting time studies & determining the standard time required for each operation. This enables manufacturers to plan production schedules accurately, meet deadlines, & ensure timely delivery of garments to customers.

c) Cost Control: By breaking down the production process & estimating the cost associated with each operation, Operation Breakdown facilitates accurate cost calculations. This information helps in identifying cost-intensive operations, optimizing resource allocation, & minimizing production costs.

d) Quality Assurance: It plays a crucial role in ensuring consistent quality standards. By identifying critical operations & allocating sufficient time & resources to them, manufacturers can maintain high-quality outputs & reduce the risk of defects or errors.

e) Skill Development & Training: Breaking down complex tasks into smaller operations makes it easier to train new operators & develop their skills. It provides a structured approach for learning & ensures consistent performance across the workforce.

f) Continuous Improvement: Operation Breakdown allows for the identification of process improvement opportunities. By analyzing each operation, manufacturers can identify areas for optimization, implement changes, & drive continuous improvement in the production process.

g) Standardization & Documentation: It enables the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) by breaking down operations into standardized tasks. This promotes consistency, reduces errors, & facilitates knowledge sharing & training.

h) Capacity Planning: Operation Breakdown helps in determining production capacity & allocating resources effectively. By analyzing operation times & resource requirements, manufacturers can optimize their capacity planning & handle customer demands efficiently.

i) Performance Evaluation: It provides a basis for evaluating individual & team performance. By comparing standard & actual times, manufacturers can identify variations, inefficiencies and areas for improvement, enabling performance evaluation & incentive programs.

j) Customer Satisfaction: By optimizing production processes, controlling costs, ensuring quality and meeting delivery deadlines, Operation Breakdown contributes to overall customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat customers & recommend the brand to others.

Conclusion:
Operation Breakdown is a widely used technique in the garment industry to analyze & optimize the production process. It involves breaking down the manufacturing process into smaller, manageable operations or tasks. Each operation is assigned a specific time duration and the cumulative time of all operations determines the total production time for a garment.

References:

1. Apparel Manufacturing Technology by T. Karthik, P. Ganesan, and D. Gopalakrishnan
2. Practice of Garments Merchandising and Management by Engr. Md. Faruk Hosen
3. Industrial Engineering in Apparel Production By V. Ramesh Babu

You may also like: Role of Production Planning and Control (PPC) in Apparel Industry