An Exploration of how Work Study Techniques can optimize production in Zimbabwe’s Clothing Industry
All manufacturing companies aspire to succeed in their operations, and those in the clothing manufacturing business are no exception. Clothing manufacturing requires the implementation of innovative management systems in production processes in order to meet order deadlines, reduce lead times, and optimize material use, with the ultimate goal of being competitive. In business, organizations have to be constantly
aware of their competitors’ products, prices, and quality output, as these are important success factors. Strategies vary and may either lead to the maximum output through increasing the sales volume or increasing the maximum profit by reducing cost.
Paneru (2011) asserts that traditionally- operated clothing industries face problems such as low productivity, longer production lead times, high re-work and rejection, poor line balancing, and low flexibility of style changeover, among numerous other problems. Such is the case of Zimbabwean clothing manufacturing businesses, which are facing many challenges, resulting in poor performance and, in turn, downsizing by some, and closure of operations by others. It has been reported that secondhand clothing continues to flood the Zimbabwean market, taking a significant share of the clothing market, presenting serious competition to local manufacturers, and leaving local clothing manufacturers with no option but to close operations. The major source of these second-hand clothes is United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Another problem cited by clothing manufacturers is the failure to access funds to re-capitalize their operations. Due to the dollarization of the Zimbabwean economy in the year 2009, operational costs have soared, giving rise to higher priced products. The locally-produced apparel products are usually priced above the competing imports, such that consumers prefer to buy the cheaper imports.
In order to improve the efficiency in productivity, clothing manufacturers in Zimbabwe have to carry out an analysis of their operations to see where the overall costs incurred in the production line can be reduced. This should allow for the manufacture of a competitive product that can penetrate the international market. Several methodologies have been tried and tested in improving manufacturing processes. These include the Kanban system, lean manufacturing, just in time (JIT) and Toyota production system (TPS). In a study on clothing companies in Zimbabwe, Mpofu (2013) asserted that most manufacturing entities closed down and some were operating below capacity during that operating period due to a lack of work study knowledge. Singh and Mahmood (2014) opined that manufacturing process efficiency could be achieved through processing speed, cost, flexibility, and reliability which influence business performance. This study seeks to find how work study could be a solution to the problems facing Zimbabwean clothing manufacturers, making them more competitive.
Statement of the problem
Clothing manufacturing companies are faced with the dual challenges of producing at full capacity and remaining competitive. They cannot withstand the pressures emanating from the local market or, worse still, international markets. Such clothing entities have resorted to downsizing, operating below capacity, and working on selected number of days a week, while some have closed down completely (Nyoni, 2016). Closing and downsizing have destroyed investor confidence, resulted in job losses for the majority of Zimbabweans, and has ruined the country’s economy. Locally-produced clothing items have become very expensive on the market when compared to imports, prompting consumers to prefer the latter. This study proposes work study as a means of investigating the challenges faced by manufacturing companies, and ultimately turning around their fortunes by reducing waste, removing winding procedures,
improving production systems, and managing excess time to achieve lower production costs.
Research Objectives
This research seeks to:
– Examine how work study can be applied to improve production in Zimbabwean clothing companies
– Assess the manufacturing strategies currently being employed by clothing companies in Zimbabwe
– Evaluate the extent to which clothing companies are using lean principles in their organizations.
Literature review
The clothing manufacturing industry is forced to seek work simplification, job design, and value analysis techniques to improve production, reduce production costs, and produce products of the expected quality to survive in today’s competitive business environment. Work measurement is the application of techniques to determine the amount of time taken to do effective physical and mental work producing units in specific tasks.
Method Study and Work Measurement Method study is a technique employed to gain an understanding of how a task can (should) be accomplished. Work measurement, meanwhile, is the application of techniques to determine the amount of time taken to do effective physical and mental work producing units for specific tasks (Moyo et al. Singh and Garg, (2011) have affirmed that without work measurements, there can be no effective management, since work measurement sets down allowed standard times for operations in the clothing industry, confirming its reliability as a measuring tool.
Time Study and Motion Study The time study technique seeks to measure how long the average worker takes to finish a task at a normal pace. Using an experienced or trained person, the time study procedure involves timing a sample of the worker’s performance and using it to set a standard for the particular task (Heizer & Render, 2000).
The Just In Time Concept The just in time (JIT) concept implies producing the right part in the right quantity at the right time, thus reducing manufacturing waste. The paradigm relates to the understanding of some intricate issues that give a human face to research problems concerning the implementations of work study in the clothing industry. The study targeted the clothing manufacturing companies in Harare regardless of their line of production.
Results and Discussion Work study-knowledge and training Of the eighteen respondents, nine indicated that they had some knowledge and understanding of work study. On further probing, it was revealed that despite this understanding, they were not sure of how the work study technique could be implemented to improve productivity. This study establishes that there were few dedicated institutions in the country that offered training for the clothing industry especially in the areas of work study and production management.
Work in progress and order completion The study established that the companies were failing to meet their order deadlines due to poor planning. Through work study, one cannot look exclusively at methods of work and work measurement while overlooking quality aspects. Capital requirements from the public and private sectors are needed to upgrade the clothing manufacturing industry through training programs that will better prepare industrialists and improve business planning through work study initiatives intending to support the growth of the clothing industry.
Vocational training institutions, colleges, and universities need to be encouraged to have a framework that underpins their skills development strategies, and this framework should be used to draw investors and entice them to come open clothing manufacturing companies and to instill confidence to nation at large in getting employment in the clothing industry.