Performance

Enhancement
Proposal for EPIC
Vietnam
Raymond Chong
October 28 2008

1
 Scope and Aim
 EPIC Vietnam is one of the
important part in whole EPIC
Group family
 Customers – Jones New York
( 60% )
Kohl’s, Costo and Next
( 40% )
 Workers – 1,500 workers

 Quantity – 250,000 pcs per month

 Quality – Which is EPIC Group

tenet for providing service to our 2
3
 Hardware – Space (1)
 Fabric in Warehouse / Cutting
Department
 Fabric –
• Fabric Relaxation for all Stretch
Fabric
• Unroll fabric for cutting both roll
end and middle of roll for
shrinkage wash test
 Solution –
• Trolleys and Trays can be option
for getting more space to relax
fabric 4
 Hardware – Space (2)
 Checkpoint QC – Sewing Line
 QC means Quality Control ( not
Inspector ) –
• Control Quality should be at the
beginning and in the front of the sewing
line
• Small part /component is error sewn will
kill the whole process for repairing
• If QC found the problem at the end of the
line that means the QC is an Inspector
 Solution –
• Switch the experienced QC to the front of
the sewing line temporarily
• Create more space to have more 5
 Hardware – Space (3)
 Finishing and Final Audit ( Unit 2 )
 Measuring Garment –
• QC has no space for measuring
garment and flipping around
caused low efficiency
• Cannot get the accurate
measurement if garment cannot be
laying flat on the table
 Solution –
• Purchase more Plastic Shelf for the
back log garments after pressing
• Create more space for letting 6
 Hardware - Logistic
 Between Unit 1 and Unit 2
 Garment lost, damage ( oil stain,
dirt mark ) and wastage due to
transportation –
• Garment lost due to missing
counting in and out from Unit 1 to
Unit 2
• Oil stain and dirt mark caused
wastage
• Mistake found in Unit 2 which the
production is still continuous in
Unit 1
• Fabric Warehouse should be the
7
 Hardware – Equipment /
Facility (1)
 Textile Pre-Shrink / Sponge
Machine
 Stretch Fabric –
• Comfort for the end consumer
• Popular in the market
• Fabric Shrinkage is unstable in the
market
 Solution –
• Fabric Relaxation overnight
• Fabric Shrinkage / Wash Test
• Textile Pre-Shrink / Sponge 8
 Hardware – Equipment /
Facility (2)
 Current Sewing Machine
 Old Chinese stated to do good job
should have good tools first.
Efficiency is low because the
machines have to be maintenance
always
• Some of current sewing machines
are too old which are not operated
well
• Have to be fixed / repaired by
maintenance always caused low
efficiency 9
 Hardware – Equipment /
Facility (3)
 Drill Hole Machine
 Helpsewing working to have
accuracy –
• By manually folding dart the
placement is up to the sewing
worker whatever
• By the welt pocket placement is up
to where is the back dart
placement should be
• Drill hole machine should be used
after cutting right away, no need to
have extra work and have accuracy 10
 Hardware – Equipment /
Facility (3)
 Needle Detector
 Child Safety – Childrenwear
• Needle detector is the one of most
important if we have to run
business for childrenwear
• Next requested to have every
garment ( Test Order ) to be
passing through the needle
detector without any metal before
shipment
PS : Even the childrenwear from
Kohl’s is asking for passing 11
 Hardware – Tools from
Buyer (1)
 Construction Rule
 JonesNew York has their own
construction rule for garment –
• Merchandising and CAD
department must have a set of
copy which is updated
• Better to print the construction
rule to let everyone know about
• Translate to Vietnamese and put on
board of sewing line
• Any updated should be chopped
the date, highlighted and replace
on board for sewing workers
12
 Hardware – Tools from
Buyer (2)
 How to Measure Manual
 CADdepartment, QC and Final
Audit must have one set which is
updated –
• Pattern maker must follow the
individual manual from different
customer to create pattern
especially waist circum or hip level
etc.
• QC and Final Audit must follow
individual Manual when measuring
garment
13
 Hardware – Correct
Guidance
 Standard of Procedure
 Quality Right 1st Time –
• Workers are weak on proper
mindset, and no correct concept
and appropriate mentality
• Quality Control should follow
correct guidance to do their job
( not number of piece )
 Solution –
• Leaders should implant workers for
correct concept as always
• Establish a Standard of Procedure 14
 Hardware – Quality
Management System
 TQM / ISO 9000 / 5-S Principal / 6
Sigma
 QualityManagement System can
help housekeeping, enhance
quality, performance and even
self-discipline and self-initiative
also
• Though it will be a long process to
get the system to be certified
• The first thing we have to do is to
fine tune/ make better progress of
our system
• With Quality Management System 15
16
Software – Quality Award
(1)
 Quality Award – Productivity
against Quality
 Everyone is looking at number of
piece as company set-up the
Productivity Award
• Quality Control can get Productivity
Award also which is not right, and
against whose job natural at all
• 1,200 pcs output with difficult for
repairing or damage garment
versus 1,000 pcs without repairing
concept must be implanted 17
Software – Quality Award
(2)
 Quality Award ( continuous … )
 Solution –
• Suggest to set-up Quality Award to
emerge the importance
• Award any worker who doing good
job without or less return for
repairing
• Billboard the monthly Quality
Award ( if possible ) to let all
workers know
• Make an announcement and memo
to let all workers understand how 18
 Software – Punishment
Scheme
 Punishment Scheme
 Punish
any worker if they did
many mistakes
• Set-up Verbal Warning System for
certain number of Minor Mistakes
return for repairing ( E.g. more
than 3% )
• Set-up Written Warning System for
Major Mistake occurred caused
damage garment or high wastage
( E.g. only 1 time )
• By the end of the year, number of
warnings will count into the
19
 Software – Accuracy (2)
 Information provide from HK
merchandising
 Quality
Right 1st Right is from
accurate information
• HK merchandising should always
be specific when writing e-mail
with details information
• Factory always need clear details
and instruction to process
• E-mail should be better point by
point in Bullets and Numbering to
provide clear information 20
 Software – Accuracy (2)
 Fabric – Shrinkage / Handling
 Fabric
is the most expensive in a
garment
• Fabric Department should get
involved for fabric inspection when
shipment is ready from mill not
until problem found in factory
• Factory should pull the roll end and
middle roll of fabric for shrinkage
wash test
• Unroll the fabric for relaxation
properly without die crease 21
 Software – Accuracy (3)
 Shrinkage build-in method ( CAD
department )
 How build-in shrinkage without
distort the fit is an acknowledge
• Pattern maker used their own way
to build-in shrinkage on pattern
• The way is not correct method and
will be distorted the fit as what
buyer approved
• Suggest to use the function in the
CAD system provided for build-in
the shrinkage based on fabric form, 22
 Software – Accuracy (4)
 Cutting Department
 Quality
Right 1st Right is starting
from here –
• Cutting must be on the line
EXACTLY of the marker provided
• Notch must be added during
cutting based on marker provided
• Should return the marker to CAD
department if the notch provided is
not clear or missing on the marker
• Any mis-cut panel should be re-cut
or re-trim before passing to next 23
 Software – Accuracy (5)
 Sewing Department
 Marking/ Sewing and Notch
matching is the next step to
achieve Quality Right 1st Time
• Any mis-cut panel should be
returned to cutting department to
re-cut or re-trim, do not start
sewing
• Marking / Sewing must be accurate
using the actual pattern with seam
allowance consistence
• Sewing must be followed all
notches matching provided from
24
 Software – Accuracy (6)
 Washing Department
 Shrinkage built-in on pattern and
marker is based on approved wash
standard
• Should conduct Pilot Run of
washing before bulk washing to
see the result is stable
• Any measurement discrepancy is
found should inform CAD
department to adjust the pattern
and marker for the following cut
• Any dirt mark or oil stain is found 25
 Software – Accuracy (7)
 Pilot Run VS Shrinkage
 Pilot
Run has to make sure all
preparation is done
• Used the approval PPS Pattern to
cut the Pilot Run for building in
shrinkage for bulk is risky
• Suggest to make 2nd round if the 1st
round Pilot Run is too far away on
measurement
• If we have to make a 2nd round Pilot
Run it has to be done
• The orders we have going forward 26
 Software – Accuracy (8)
 Measurement ( Before Wash
Garment )
 Due to Group Marker from various
shrinkage
• Within 2% for Missy and Petite
style
• Within 1% for Women style
• Even measurement is perfect, the
final measurement is still varied
due Group Marker
• CAD / Pattern Department must
provide the shrinkage pattern 27
 Software – Efficiency (1)
 CAD Department
 Pattern
Makers should be trained
the same vision for fitting
requirement
• Fitting is on the mannequin or live
model in 3 dimensions, not flat
pattern in 2 dimensions
• Should not trace the number of
measurement as provided as it can
be revised from buyer as always.
• How to control the fit after PPS
sample is approved, number of 28
 Software – Efficiency (2)
 Communication and Updated
Information
 Face
to Face touch-base is very
important
• Suggest HK merchandising team
should visit factory monthly to
have more communication
• Suggest daily regular phone call
( E.g. Skype ) should be need to
clear up any pending issue
• Any updated should be
communicated each other to avoid 29
 Software – Efficiency (3)
 Communication Difficulty
 Different Language
• Difficulty of communication
between leader and local workers
• Message from management cannot
be reached to the bottom due to
different language
• Suggest to have 1 worker or leader
in each sewing line who is familiar
of English for better
communication to avoid confusion
30
 Software – Efficiency (4)
 Communication Gap
 Some error or mistake occurred
due to communication problem
between departments
• As leader who should make sure
the communication to be
throughout to another department
to get job well done
• By assumption or guessing is not
the appropriate action as a leader
• To take proactive initiative to lead
as a leader – Training is need 31
Software – Self Discipline
 Leadership
 Must be the Paragon for the
workers how to do the good job in
the factory –
• Should be responsible to spread
out the same message from
management to the bottom
• Should take proper Time and
Action of corrective action plan
when management raise up any
issue
• Should take note of To Do List 32
 Software – Headcount
 Pattern Maker –
 Suggest to have 1 ~ 2 more pattern
makers to ease up their workload. Then,
have extra time to train up same eye for
fit requirement adoption
 Technical Manager –
 Should have an experienced technical
person to oversee the technical aspect /
solution. Provide any garment
engineering advise for increasing higher
productivity without style change
 Checkpoint QC ( Buttoning )
 There is only 1 checkpoint QC for
buttoning, and who is only pulling
random check only
 Suggest to have 1 more QC to ensure 33
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