How to Calculate Garment Production
Swati Wadekar
Executive IE officer at Pratibha Syntex, Indore
Email: swatiw1110@gmail.com
The fashion industry has become more competitive day by day and garment manufacturers are struggling to make good profit. To make a good position in the market and to beat the competition, the garment industry must have to streamline the production process and continue to try to make it more efficient. Maintaining a successful garment industry becomes challenging if material preparation during production is not done well.
What is Production?
Production is the total number of pieces made by workers in a line or group in a given time. It’s also called daily output.
What is the Production Process?
Production is a process in which finished products are manufactured from raw material or components. In a garment factory, the production process includes various processes like laying, marking, cutting, stitching, checking, finishing, pressing and packing.
How to Calculate Garment Production?
Garment production calculation is a very important task. It has important role in shipping the goods timely. In the garment industry, people use different ways or formulas to figure out how to calculate the product.
There are some formulas to calculate production in garment manufacturing industry. Most of the industries use Excel sheets for preparing such calculation where formulas are pre filled in excel sheets.
a) Hourly production target:
Hourly production target is calculated for individual target as well as line target. By calculating the hourly production target, we get to know how many pieces can be produced in one hour. Hourly production target calculation is a part of an Operation Bulletin (OB) and daily production report. Following formula is used to calculate hourly target.
Hourly production target = (60/ Operation SAM)
Some examples are given for more understanding.
| Sr. no. | Operation name | SAM | Target/HR (60/SAM) |
| 1 | Join shoulder | 0.30 | 200 |
| 2 | Attached sleeve | 0.72 | 83 |
| 3 | Attach neck rib | 0.55 | 109 |
| 4 | Hem sleeve | 0.44 | 136 |
| 5 | Hem bottom | 0.38 | 158 |
b) Line target:
Like hourly production target, line target also calculated. This target is given to line supervisors. Daily line target calculated by given formula.
Line target = [(No. Of workers * working hours * 60) / SMV] * Efficiency %
Example: No of worker = 30, working hours = 8*60 = 480, Garment SAM = 4.25, Efficiency = 75%
Target/ line = [(30*480)/4.25] * 75%
Target/ line = 2541 pcs/day
c) Operator efficiency:
In the manufacturing industry, an operator efficiency is calculated to measure the operator performance. This efficiency used to make the skill matrix of that operator. By the given formula you can measure the efficiency of an operator.
Operator efficiency % = (Total minutes produce/ Total minutes earned)*100
Total minute produce = Total units produced * SAM of the operation
Example: Total units produced= 500, Operation SAM = 0.78, Total minutes worked = 480 minutes.
Operator efficiency % = (500 X 0.78/480)*100
= 81%
d) Line efficiency:
Like individual operator efficiency, line efficiency is also calculated. Line efficiency is dependent on individual operator efficiency. Line efficiency calculates for measuring line performance. Generally it is observe that the line efficiency goes down from the peak point at the time of style change over. So we try to improve line efficiency as much as possible. Line efficiency is calculated using the following formula.
Line efficiency % = (total min produced / total working minutes)*100
Example: Total units produced = 400
Line efficiency % = (400/480)*100 = 83.33 %
e) Labor cost per unit:
Labor productivity is a key metric in assessing efficiency within a production process. Labor efficiency is calculated using the following formula.
Labor productivity = line output/number of total manpower
f) Machine productivity:
By checking machine productivity helps find the overall daily production for each machine. A sewing line with 40 machines producing 480 joggers and another line with 36 machines producing 400 joggers in the same construction design. How do you know which line is doing better? You can know this by calculating machine utilization percentage. Machine productivity of a production line is calculated using the following formula.
Machine productivity = Line output/number of machine used
g) Machine utilization percentage:
In the garment manufacturing industry, machines and equipment are the key tools. To make the factory work better, use machines and equipment as much as you can. But due to less work, some machines are partially used by factories. Machine utilization is calculated using the below formula.
Machine utilization % = (Actual machine running time *100)/time available
Various Elements Impact the Manufacturing of Garments:
- Machine breakdown
- Issues with improper fabric cutting
- Operator capacity not meets as per the demand
- Improper planning
- Quality not meat as per the demand
- Lack of feeding
- Operator absenteeism
- Imbalance line planning
- Operator not skilled
- Line layout not proper
How to Enhance Productivity with Effective Strategies:
- Effective planning
- Continuous training of operators, supervisors and managers
- Motivated workplace culture
- Use effective line layout
- Reduce line setting time
- Use updated Machines and equipment
- Implementation of lean manufacturing
- Implementation of incentive schemes
- Conducting work study
- Reducing defects and improves quality
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the competitive landscape of the fashion industry demands continuous efforts from garment manufacturers to not only survive but thrive. Efficient production processes, accurate calculations, and strategic management of resources are crucial for success. The outlined formulas for calculating production targets, operator efficiency, and machine productivity provide a structured approach to enhancing performance.
Moreover, recognizing and addressing challenges such as machine breakdowns, fabric cutting issues, and workforce-related problems are imperative. By adopting effective strategies like lean manufacturing, continuous training, a motivated workplace culture, and improved line layouts, garment manufacturers can navigate challenges and elevate productivity.
In a dynamic industry where success hinges on adaptability, the emphasis on effective planning, the utilization of modern equipment, and the pursuit of quality improvement are key components for sustained growth. Ultimately, a holistic approach that integrates both calculated processes and strategic initiatives is essential for garment manufacturers to not only meet market demands but also to surpass competition and thrive in the evolving fashion landscape.
References:
- Apparel Merchandising by R Rathinamoorthy and R. Surjit
- Apparel Manufacturing Technology by T. Karthik, P. Ganesan, and D. Gopalakrishnan
- https://www.onlineclothingstudy.com/2016/11/10-formulas-for-production-calculation.html
- https://fashion2apparel.com/how-to-calculate-garment-production/
You may also like:
- SAM and SMV Calculation in Garment Industry
- 15 Ways to Improve Productivity in Garment Production
- Sewing Production Calculations in Garment Industry
- Production Systems Used in Apparel Industry
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
