The global apparel industry is a behemoth — with countries like China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Germany, and India at its forefront. These nations have long been the epicentre of garment production, driving economic growth and providing livelihoods to millions.
When we scrutinise the production efficiency of the Apparel Industry in India, it becomes evident that the industry as a whole has fallen short of achieving optimal production goals. This inefficiency trickles through various stages of production, from cutting to final stitching. In this blog, we delve into the underlying issues plaguing the Indian Apparel Industry and the critical need for a transformative approach.
The Manufacturing Conundrum
Despite the industry's prominence, it faces a glaring issue: inefficiency in the apparel manufacturing value chain. From fabric to packaging of the final product, there are numerous challenges — including smaller run sizes, a shallow learning curve, high absenteeism, fabric defects, lack of scientific approach in the cutting room, lack of real-time efficiency data, and untrained middle management.
This results in inefficiency and low productivity — leading to longer lead times and increased manufacturing costs that hinder the growth of the workforce, the company, and the industry as a whole.
Fabric Delivery & Quality: A Concern
Fabric is the key component of a garment — its quality directly affects production. Common fabric quality concerns include bowing, shrinkage, lot variations, uneven width, inconsistent printing, and regular defects, especially from the powerloom sector.
On-time fabric delivery is a persistent issue — mainly due to the lack of a reliable fabric supply chain. Fabric often arrives post the scheduled date, leaving little or no room for a proper quality check, affecting both the end product and the organisation.
Due to the huge investment required in fabric production, there are limited suppliers the sewn product industry can rely upon. This one-sided dependency has in some cases led to a lack of accountability on the supplier's end — which hurts the sewn product industry directly. It is the need of the hour to invest in R&D for fabric and address quality issues at source.
Optimisation of the Cutting Room: Deprioritised
Cutting is a crucial process in apparel production, accounting for 60–70% of the total cost of basic-styled garments. Yet if there is one department in the sewn product industry that lacks a scientific measure of its processes, it is cutting. The production floor drives the cutting room — deprioritising its efficiency in the process.
However, there is enormous potential for improvement. Proper cut order planning, accountability of every centimetre of fabric, monitoring fabric wastage, end bits and end losses, curbing roll variances, and stronger fabric discipline can lead to significant fabric savings.
Production Floor: Far From Being Efficient
The stitching phase gets the maximum attention, yet the majority of inefficiencies belong to the stitching process. This is the leading process in garment manufacturing, employing the maximum number of resources. Inadequate training of sewing machine operators, lack of standardised processes and data availability, inefficient QC mechanisms, lack of QCO practices, long learning curves, and high attrition and absenteeism all contribute to lower productivity and higher DHU.
Streamlining the stitching process through data-driven technology, comprehensive training programmes, and process re-engineering through Lean Manufacturing can greatly enhance production efficiency.
The Way Forward: A Paradigm Shift
To address these inefficiencies, a paradigm shift is imperative — and the mindset of management is of utmost importance in driving the shift. We have witnessed factories achieving 2nd day peak, while others plan a 15-day learning curve to reach 75% efficiency. The mindset and expectations of management play a critical role in deciding the learning curve.
Trained middle management, production planning, strong discipline, Lean concepts, and well-developed SOPs are required to achieve better results. In addition, the apparel industry must embrace real-time data capturing, training, and innovation across all stages of production.
- Investing in data-driven solutions including personalised data tracking
- Strengthening HR practices to curb absenteeism and establish a steep learning curve
- Enabling a standard QMS across the production and quality functions
- Implementing robust training programmes to upskill the workforce at every level
Conclusion
The apparel industry stands at a pivotal juncture where addressing inefficiencies is paramount for sustained growth and competitiveness. By recognising the critical areas of improvement — cutting and stitching — and implementing transformative measures, the industry can unlock new levels of efficiency and profitability. Through collective efforts and a commitment to training, data, and continuous improvement, the apparel industry can not only meet but surpass its production goals — ensuring a brighter and more sustainable future for all stakeholders.