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M Farzad Shahabuddin
Registration number 100147011
2019
Implementation of tracking technology forsolving inefficiencies and developingtechnological ideas in the Bangladesh
Textile Industry
Supervised by Dr Richard Harvey
University of East Anglia
Faculty of Science
School of Computing Sciences
Abstract
In this report we have discussed the Bangladesh textile industry and the manufacturing
process. We have theorised the implementation of tracking in the subsequent processes.
We have also discussed about the overall equipment effectiveness calculation based on
some sample data. Additionally we have proposed recommendations from the retailer
and customer perspectives.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the management of Knit Concern group, Fakir Fashion Ltd and
Ajax sweater for giving me access to their factories and helping with crucial research.
I would also like to thank Pacific Associates Ltd for introducing me to the manufactur-
ers. Finally I would like to thank Dr. Richard Harvey for his incredible support and
guidance. I wouldn’t have been able to come this far without him.
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Contents
1 Introduction 6
2 Literature review 6
2.1 Project Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.1.1 Bangladesh textile industry background . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2 Types of tracking technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2.1 RFID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2.2 Barcodes and QR Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3 Rich Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3 Manufacturing process 12
3.0.1 Challenges in the manufacturing process . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.1 Existing manufacturing process and implementation of tracking . . . . 13
3.1.1 Yarn Sourcing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.1.2 Knitting Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.1.3 Dyeing Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.1.4 Finishing Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.1.5 Cutting Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.1.6 Sewing Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.1.7 Packaging and Shipping: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.2 Cost Benefit Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4 Overall Equipment Effectiveness(OEE) 24
4.1 Defining Overall Equipment Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.2 Calculating Overall Equipment Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5 Additional recommendations 30
5.1 Manufacturing perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
5.1.1 Analysing cutting optimization software . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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5.2 Retail perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
5.2.1 Analysing Tracking Customer Behaviour . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
5.3 Customer perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.3.1 Integrating barcodes on garment labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6 Existing tracking in textile manufacturing 36
6.0.1 Areas where tracking is already implemented . . . . . . . . . . 36
6.0.2 Dyeing chemical tracking: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7 Conclusion and Evaluation 37
7.1 Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7.2 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
References 39
8 Interviews 41
8.1 Interview 1: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
8.2 Interview 2: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
8.3 Interview 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
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List of Figures
1 Finishing machine (left) and Specialised knitted fabric(right)–Knit Con-
cern Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Operator sewing (left)- Ajax Sweater Ltd and Yarn storage(right)-Fakir
Fashion Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3 RFID frequency bands and their applications [17] . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4 Barcode label (left) and QR code(right) for bundle tracking–Fakir Fash-
ion Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5 Rich Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6 Yarn Sourcing Flowcart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7 Knitting Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
8 Dyeing flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
9 Finishing flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
10 Cutting flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
11 Sewing flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
List of Tables
1 Sample amount of cut pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2 Barcode Costing for order of 100,000 pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3 RFID Costing for order of 100,000 pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4 Total Costing with Barcode in entire manufacturing line . . . . . . . . . 24
5 Six big losses table [Vorne] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6 Sample data for first shift in sewing line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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1 Introduction
Over the last few decades Bangladesh has become a powerhouse in the garment and
textile industry. Bangladesh is the second largest apparel and Ready-Made Garments
(RMG) exporter in the world. Specifically the RMG sector forms the majority of cloth-
ing manufacturing in the country. In 2016/2017 the RMG industry generated USD 28.14
billion which constituted 80% of the total earnings in exports for Bangladesh [4].
With the ever growing dependency on technological advancement around the world,
Bangladeshi manufacturers may wish to adapt to the trending changes to sustain in
the competitive market.The amalgamation of tracking and modern technologies with
the conventional garment manufacturing process and the supply chain system has the
potential to strengthen the relationships among manufacturers, retailers and customers.
This report will examine several ways tracking technology might be used from to assist
this manufacturing, shipping, retailer and customers perspectives.
2 Literature review
2.1 Project Background
For world renowned retail brands like Zara, Marks and Spencer, Walmart, Decathlon,
Uniqlo etc, the Bangladesh textile manufacturers are their trusted suppliers [10]. Low
labour cost, good product quality, reliable service and world-wide customer satisfaction
are some of the major factors that makes this industry popular with the retailers [15].
During the extensive research stage, the majority of our investigation was from the tex-
tile manufacturers perspective. Major textile manufacturers in Bangladesh like Knit
Concern Group, Fakir Fashion Ltd and Ajax Sweater Ltd were the main sources of our
information regarding this industry. The main topics that were discussed were the cur-
rent market trends, retailers requirements, order types, overall manufacturing processes,
problems within the production process and possible solution.
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2.1.1 Bangladesh textile industry background
The major reason for the evolution of the economic development of any country is in-
dustrialization. The textile industry of Bangladesh is one of the oldest and dates back
to almost 500 years old. Due to the cheap labour and high-end quality, the country has
always been a centre of interest for multinational retailers [fibre2fashion]. Over the re-
cent decades the country has been growing in overall textile manufacturing and has had
considerable development in sectors such as yarn and fabric production. The country
has an abundance of resources, opportunities and influential government policies. The
price of natural gas and cost of energy is relatively lower which is an advantage for the
industry [12]. Labour is easily affordable due to the ever-growing population. It gives
Bangladesh an upper-hand in producing labour intensive products. The industry has an
advantageous opportunity to trade with the US and European countries with a quota-free
textile policies.
The textile industry is the greatest contributor of the country’s economy. By providing
clothing, this industry is basically meeting one of the 5 basic needs of life.By being the
most labour intensive industry in the country, it is providing employments to hundreds of
thousands of people. It helps reducing poverty and enables women empowerment as the
majority of the labour force are women. This sector contributes over 13% of GDP and
40% industrial value addition. The industry has taken a target of USD 50 billion export
within the year 2021 [Amin]. But to achieve the target, it needs significant technological
development, easy access to the US and EU market, favourable government policies as
well as political stability.
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Figure 1: Finishing machine (left) and Specialised knitted fabric(right)–Knit Concern
Group
Figure 2: Operator sewing (left)- Ajax Sweater Ltd and Yarn storage(right)-Fakir Fash-
ion Ltd
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2.2 Types of tracking technology
In this section we will briefly discuss the different types of existing tracking technology
all over the world and the ones that can be effectively used in the textile industry.
2.2.1 RFID
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to
transfer data through tags stored information attached to different objects in order to
identify and track them automatically. The full RFID system consists of tags that carry
data and a reading system that reads data and sends it to a computer system. A tag
will contain a unique identification number containing the description of items. RFID
enables users to track and control assets anywhere in industrial process.
RFID tags generally uses different levels of frequencies. They are classed by their
radio frequency levels. Low frequency tags (125-134.2 kHz), high frequency tags (13.56
MGh) and ultra-high frequency tags (868-956 MGh) [8]. Uses of RFID varies from
country to country based on their frequency band limit. RFID tags can either be active,
semi-passive or passive. Passive tags have no internal power supply, the minimal amount
of electrical current needed to power the tag is induced by the incoming radio frequency
signal. Semi-passive tags have their own power supply, the power needed to transmit
signals back to the reader is collected from the reader itself. Active tags have their own
power and depend on their own power supply to transmit the signal.
The uses of RFIDs in the field of textile and fashion is vast. The industry can be
classified into four major sectors which includes manufacturing, shipment, distribution
and retailing. In manufacturing, RFID is used to trace products, avoid the mixture of
materials [13]. The performance of employees can be monitored using RFIDs based on
the rate of finished products by the day. After shipping the products, consignments can
be traced. Shipped products can be sorted out quickly during distribution [14]. As space
is a limitation in the majority of retail shops. RFID is used to manage space efficiently
and for inventory management. Apart from the textile industry, RFID is also used in the
health sector, public services, education, transport sector etc [6].
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Figure 3: RFID frequency bands and their applications [17]
2.2.2 Barcodes and QR Tags
A barcode is a machine readable form of information on a scannable, visual surface.
They are applied to objects for quick identification. There are 2 types of barcodes,
1-dimensional and 2-dimensional. 1D barcodes are used to store minimal amounts of
information, such as product type, size and colour. These barcodes are used in large
retailers to increase inventory accuracy and time utilization. 2D barcodes like QR codes
on the other hand, are more complex and can store more information such as voice,
image and other types of binary data, thus they are readable using smartphones and
other image scanners [2].
Figure 4: Barcode label (left) and QR code(right) for bundle tracking–Fakir Fashion Ltd
Barcodes can have a number of business advantages, such as:
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Processing data directly by barcodes is far more credible than a manual entry system;
data are immediately available; they encourage efficient inventory management by being
able to scan and track inventory with increased accuracy count; low cost.
2.2.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
In 1990 the Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) was developed as an extension
for material requirement planning (MRP) and computer integrated manufacturing. The
ERP system is a business management software system that uses a system of integrated
applications to tie together all the departments of an industry, which includes purchas-
ing, planning, development, manufacturing, sales/distribution and enables the flow of
data between them. The system can keep track of resources such as cash, raw materi-
als, industry capacity and the status of customer orders, purchase orders and employee
wages, irrelevant of which department has entered the data into the system. The ERP
provides a secure and centralised data vault, everyone in the industry is assured the data
is correct, up to date and complete [Godlan].
Benefits that can be derived from the system include:
real time information generated by the reports can give a clear business insight; de-
fined and efficient business processes ensures reduced operational cost; better decisions
are made as critical information is delivered quickly; efficient inventory managements
and lowers chances of shortages; improved data integrity and control lowers risks of
error prone manual steps [3].
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2.3 Rich Picture
Figure 5: Rich Picture
3 Manufacturing process
3.0.1 Challenges in the manufacturing process
Bangladesh has been slow to adapt to technological changes compared to other coun-
tries. Most of the textile factories depend on manual processes rather than automation;
manufacturing processes are monitored by individuals and data is collected and stored
manually. Due to the dependency on these manual approaches, significant errors are
common.
Some of the problems that were discovered during the research are as follows (infor-
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mation collected from interview with Knit Concern Group & Fakir Fashion Ltd):
• Due to the lack of proper tracking, problems arise in inventory management such
as stock shortages of raw materials, theft, lack of organisation, more time used in
manual record keeping.
• Fabrics come in roll form after knitting. The rolls are categorised in individual
lots for different orders. Due to the lack of tracking, sometimes these lots can go
missing or may get mixed. This creates problems in the subsequent processes.
The finished fabrics are cut into the desired shapes (collar, sleeves front/back
parts) that are formed into bundles. The same missing or mixing problems can
arise.
• Since each of the steps are monitored by different individuals, the person to ma-
chine ratio goes higher during manufacturing. The growing number of the labour
force creates difficulties in proper management and also increases the overhead
cost.
• The performance of individual departments are evaluated individually, which can
create bias reviews sometimes. A systematic employee and equipment evaluation
is needed.
• Fabrics are dyed after knitting in different colours. During this dyeing process,
all the colours of rolls for an individual order should match accordingly. Without
proper tracking the rolls can get mixed up during batch preparation. Which will
result shade variation.
• Manual data entry slows down work rate and creates the lack of real time feed-
back.
3.1 Existing manufacturing process and implementation of tracking
This section will briefly describe the manufacturing processes using flowcharts. After
discussing with manufacturers about their textile making process and constraints. We
have developed a newer approach which integrates tracking technology with the existing
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process which will be used to explain for the production of 100,000 pieces of Basic T-
shirts. Mr. Javed Kamal, Raihan Islam of Fakir Fashion Ltd. A.K.M Mohsin Ahmed of
Knit Concern group were interviewed for this project.)
3.1.1 Yarn Sourcing
Figure 6: Yarn Sourcing Flowcart
The negotiation between manufacturers and retailers are done by the merchandising
department of the factory. Initially the merchandising department receives a design or
sample pack from the retailers, say a basic t-shirt. This sample includes fabric structure,
size range, garment visual and accessories list. Afterwards this design pack is trans-
ferred to the sample section to make the fit sample to confirm the measurement of the
style. After gaining approval from the retailers, a counter sample is created where all
the requirements of the retailer is included. By approving this samples the retailer gives
order confirmation of the specific style. For 100,000 pieces of basic t-shirts, 70,280
meters (approx. 20,000kg) of fabric is required which will be knitted from 21 tons of
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yarn. The supply chain department will source yarn and accessories from the relevant
suppliers. To properly track the yarn, barcodes or RFID chips will be tagged in each
yarn package. If barcodes are tagged onto the packages, they will be scanned by the
concerned department before storing them into the factory, In the case of RFID chips,
a signal is automatically transmitted to the RFID reader, when the package reaches the
designated area of the radius of the reader. In both cases the data is stored in the server.
All the departments of the factory will be able to retrieve the information when required.
3.1.2 Knitting Section
Figure 7: Knitting Flowchart
KNITTING: Once the raw materials arrive in the factory, the knitting department
issues yarn from storage. Barcode attached yarn packages will be scanned before being
released from storage. If RFID is attached to the package then the reader will record a
signal that the package has been transferred from storage. In both processes a real-time
feedback will be generated in the server that the yarn packages has been transferred
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from the storage to the knitting department.
The released packages are received by the knitting department after scanning the
barcode. For RFID chips, a reader is needed within the knitting department to transmit
the data. The knitting is the process where the fabrics are made from yarn. To produce
100,000 pieces of t-shirts a total of 20,000kg of fabric is needed. At this stage the
knitting machine starts making the fabrics from the collected 21 tonnes of yarn. Fabrics
come in roll form after knitting. In total 800 rolls are formed from the produced fabric,
each roll will be tagged with system generated barcodes or RFID tags. These tags could
contain information about fabric construction, yarn construction, date of production,
order details etc. The quality of each rolls are constantly checked by the knitting quality
controller and updated into the barcodes/RFIDs existing information. Anyone will be
able to retrieve these information by scanning the barcode. Everyday hundreds of rolls
are produced in the knitting department for different orders. The possibility of roll
missing and mixing is very high. It creates serious problems in the later processes. The
use of tracking can reduce the chances of this problem.
These rolls are then transferred to storage. Everyday a large number of rolls are
received by the storage department. Collecting all the information of the rolls and man-
ually inputting them into the system is a constrain to storage efficiency. Using barcodes
and RFID chips will make the process much more systematic and accurate. A real time
feedback can be easily collected just by scanning the barcodes or logging into the RFID
system. The quality of a product is the most important factor in textile manufactur-
ing. Since the quality controller alone can check and update the quality report into the
server, chances of report temperament and errors is minimal. Consequentially the store
department can verify the quality report and proceed with storage.
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3.1.3 Dyeing Section
Figure 8: Dyeing flowchart
Dyeing:The subsequent stage of the manufacturing process is the dyeing stage. Dyeing
is the process where colour is transferred to the finished textile to give a permanent, long
lasting colouring effect. After the completion of knitting the dyeing department issues
those 800 rolls of fabrics from storage. The storage department will transfer the fabrics
to the dyeing section after scanning the rolls, and the data is stored into the server. After
the arrival of the fabrics into the dyeing section, they can check the quality of the knitted
fabrics by scanning the tracking chips. The probability of quality rejection is minimal
if tracking technology is used.
After receiving the rolls (weighing 20,000kg), the dying procedure commences. These
fabrics are set to be dyed. Batches are created by sewing several rolls together. A Total
of 20 dyeing machines are needed with a capacity of 1000 kg each. Those 800 rolls are
sewed to form 20 batches, each batch containing 40 rolls. Roll mixing while forming
batches creates a significant problem in dyeing. Each order has different characteristics,
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so rolls created for each order has a unique fabric composition. Subsequently, while
making a batch, if the rolls of one order is misplaced with another it will create a colour
variation. Due to the use of tracking chips in each roll. Chances of roll mixing of dif-
ferent orders is reduced. It will increase the efficiency of the dyeing section, proper
utilization of time and man power and saves money.
Total 20 batches of fabrics are dyed in this process. Each batch of dyed fabrics are
collected in trolleys. Barcode or RFID chips will be added to these batches. Quality
inspection is done on the dyed fabrics. These fabrics are then stored for the following
process.
3.1.4 Finishing Stage
Figure 9: Finishing flowchart
Finishing: After dyeing, fabrics commence for finishing. Finishing is a series of
mechanical and chemical processes which are used on fabrics based on their nature and
end-use. Finishing is one of the most crucial operation in textile manufacturing. This
stage usually includes treatments such as scouring, bleaching, mercerizing, stentering,
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drying, calendaring. Finishing operations are done on the fabrics to enhance their basic
characteristics like dye penetration, print ability, outlook, longevity etc. Finishing plays
an important role in bringing out the better commercial result of textile goods. A better
finishing treatment on fabrics will increase its lustre and hand feel that is appealing to
customers. During finishing various chemicals are used based on the nature of the fabric
and the result desired. Afterwards finishing fabrics are collected in the trolley in folded
form. These finished fabrics are then sent to the Garment Quality Section for quality
inspection. Once the quality has been ensured the report is uploaded to the server. In
this section, fabrics are once again made into roll form. Barcodes or RFID chips are
added to each rolls and sent for the next process.
3.1.5 Cutting Stage
Figure 10: Cutting flowchart
Cutting: The cutting section is where the finished fabrics are cut into the desired
shapes to make a complete product. The fabrics entering this section comes in roll form
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and they are scanned to check the current quality of the fabric. The rolls are then kept
for the subsequent process. These rolls of fabrics are then spread on the spreader and
cut into shapes using the cutting machine. The 100,000 pieces order consists of three
sizes small (45,000 pc), medium (35,000 pc) and large (20,000). The total amount of
cut pieces are given below:
Table 1: Sample amount of cut pieces
Body Parts Small Medium LargeFront Part 45,000 pc 35,000 pc 20,000 pc
Back Part 45,000 pc 35,000 pc 20,000 pc
Sleeves 90,000 pc 70,000 pc 40,000 pc
Neck Joint 45,000 pc 35,000 pc 20,000 pc
Total 5,00,000 pieces are cut for the specific order. Bundles are formed from individ-
ual sizes of cut pieces. Total 2500 bundles were formed from the cut pieces. Barcodes
or RFID chips will be attached on these bundles for tracking. In most of factories situ-
ated in Bangladesh bundle management is handled manually, usually on writing on top
of the bundles. Bundle missing and mixing is a common problem which can lead to size
distortion during the sewing process. Another problem that emerges from bundle miss-
ing is delayed shipment. If a bundle of cut pieces from an order goes missing, it creates
a problem during the sewing stage which leads to delayed shipment or short shipment
(lesser than actual order quantity).
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3.1.6 Sewing Stage
Figure 11: Sewing flowchart
Sewing: To implement RFID or Barcode, tags bundles could be sent to the input section
of the sewing floor from the Cutting department. From the input section these bundles
are then sent to the sewing line. A sewing line is a series of sewing machines that are
needed to sew a complete clothing from the cut pieces. If RFID is used then a reader
will be installed in the sewing floor. As soon as the RFID tagged bundles enter into the
radius of the reader, it will automatically read the information of the bundles and upload
it into the server. And in case of barcode labels, tablets with barcode scanner will be
mounted on each sewing machine. Before opening a bundle, operators will scan the
labels manually and data will be stored. Using the tracking technology in sewing floor,
manufacturers can easily track the movements of hundreds of thousands of Bundles. It
makes the managerial works more accurate and less complex. Tracking technology can
help in determining the operators efficiency simply by monitoring the rate of movement
of each bundles. At the end of the sewing line the quality of each product is checked.
This is the final quality checking of the manufacturing process. After sewing the goods
are sent for Packaging after completing some related processes like ironing, folding etc.
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3.1.7 Packaging and Shipping:
The finished garments are then sent to the packaging department where different labels
are attached, such as price, care and size labels are added. The garments are then folded
and packaged. Once the packaging is completed, They are loaded into cartons and
sent for storage. The amount of packages to be loaded in a carton is decided by the
retailer. The retailers also provides the packing list where all the packing details like the
distribution of different sizes in each carton is specified. A carton sticker with barcodes
are added to the cartons where all tracking details such as carton size, weight, number
packages, product details etc are included. This will help the retailers to release the
goods from the port with less effort and will reduce the risk of carton misplacement.
After the completion of packaging and subsequent procedures the goods of the gar-
ments are sent to the storage department. These goods are released from the factory to
the port prior to 5-7 days of shipment date. Some documents are required to added with
the cartons for example, payment agreement, company trade licence etc. The goods are
received by the port and shipped off to the retailers.
3.2 Cost Benefit Analysis
Costing is a major factor in determining the feasibility of any project. Implementing
tracking into the textile manufacturing process requires significant investment and time.
Implementing tracking will ensure a return of investment in terms of increased pro-
ductivity, managerial efficiency, optimum utilization of resources, accurate inventory
management and complete control over the manufacturing process. The textile manu-
facturers produce hundreds of thousands of complete garments every year. To make the
cost analysis more simple, this section will analyse the costing factors of the implemen-
tation of tracking for the knitting section. Calculating the costing for the overall factory
is a complex process, which requires confidential data on a factory’s finance. It is bet-
ter to analyse tracking on one department initially to find out the feasibility rather than
experimenting on the whole factory. Based on the results of this cost analysis, further
recommendations can be made whether or not to implement on the whole factory.
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Table 2: Barcode Costing for order of 100,000 pieces
Apparatus Quantity Net Expense (USD)
Server + Software Cost 1 4000
Barcodes Labels 800 3.1
RongFengYuan Barcode Scanner 4 280
Input area Desktop Cost 2 1000
Thermal Barcode Label Printer 2 500
Total Expense - 5783.1
The cost breakdown will be given for an order 100,000 pieces of Basic T-shirts. Total
20,000 kgs of fabric is needed for this order. For the knitting of 20,000 kgs of fabric
total 40 knitting machines are needed. Each machines capacity is 500 kg per day. Each
machine will produce 20 rolls of fabric. The total number of rolls for this order is 800
pcs. Each roll will be tagged with a system generated barcode. These barcodes will be
printed on special papers using barcode printer. So, total 800 pcs of barcode labels will
be needed for this stage. Total 2 thermal barcode label printer is needed. These rolls
will be inspected continuously on the inspection table. A total of 4 barcode scanner is
enough for inspection. After inspection, barcodes on the rolls will be scanned by the
barcode scanner and the quality report will be uploaded by the quality controller. Each
inspection table has a scanner mounted on it. After inspection these rolls are sent to the
storage where they are scanned again for inventory management.
Table 3: RFID Costing for order of 100,000 pieces
Apparatus Quantity Net Expense (USD)
Server + Software Cost 1 15000
Active RFID Reader Cost (3000 square feet) 1 1500
RFID Chips Cost 800 88
Input area Desktop Cost 2 1000
Total Expense - 17588
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Breakdown for RFID costs is similar to barcodes. Total 800 pcs of RFID chips will
be tagged to the rolls. Here a RFID reader will be used to read the data from the passive
tags that are attached to the rolls. The reader has a certain range for detecting the RFID
signal. This range depends on the manufacturer’s demand.
Table 4: Total Costing with Barcode in entire manufacturing line
Apparatus Quantity Net Expense (USD)
Server + Software Cost 1 4000
Barcodes Labels 8780 33.4
RongFengYuan Barcode Scanner 32 2240
Input area Desktop Cost 9 4500
Thermal Barcode Label Printer 12 3000
Total - 13773.4
The following costing is done on the whole manufacturing process for a specific order
of 100,000 pcs of basic T-Shirts. 21 tons of yarn is required for the order. Usually yarn
comes in cone form in the factory. Total 4640 barcode label is needed to tag the yarn
cones. Costing of knitting department has already been discussed. In the dyeing section
total 20 barcode label for 20 batches of dyed fabric, 1 barcode label printer and 4 scanner
are required. In finishing section total 20 barcode labels for 20 batches of finished fabric,
1 barcode label printer and 4 scanner are needed. In garment quality section 800 barcode
labels, 2 barcode label printer and 6 scanner are required. In cutting section total 2500
barcode labels for the bundles, 6 barcode label printer and 5 scanner are required. In
sewing section 9 scanner are needed.
4 Overall Equipment Effectiveness(OEE)
4.1 Defining Overall Equipment Effectiveness
The Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is an effective tool used to measure the
productivity of a manufacturing unit. A 100% OEE score means the factory is manu-
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facturing products as fast as possible without any defects and with no stop time. OEE
is an appropriate system for identifying losses, standardising progress and improving
the efficiency of manufacturing equipment by eliminating waste. By measuring OEE
and the ’6 big losses’, manufactures can easily gain knowledge on how to improve their
manufacturing processes more systematically [oee].
Table 5: Six big losses table [Vorne]
Overall Equipment Effectiveness Recommended Six Big Losses Traditional Six Big Losses
Availability LossUnplanned Stops Equipment Failure
Planned Stops Setup and Adjustments
Perfomance LossSmall Stops Idling and Minor Stops
Slow Cycle Reduced Speed
Quality LossRejected Products Process Defects
Startup Rejects Reduced Yield
OEE Fully Productive Time Valuable Operating Time
For the effective calculation of OEE, some production related data needs to be col-
lected. Such as total run-time of the machine, production down-time, number of prod-
ucts completed, number of rejected products, product completion time etc. To retrieve
these data automatically, all the machines of a specific department needs to be synchro-
nised with the software. The appropriate people use the data by logging into the server.
4.2 Calculating Overall Equipment Effectiveness
In this section we will be calculating the overall equipment effectiveness for the sewing
section of a factory. A sewing section consists of several sewing lines. A sewing line is
the integration of a series of sewing machines that are required to produce a complete
product. The following calculation will be conducted on a single sewing line. Nine
operations are needed in a line to produce a complete basic t-shirt
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The sample data recorded for the first shift of the sewing line were as follows:
Table 6: Sample data for first shift in sewing line
ITEM DATAShift Length 8 hours (480 mins)
Breaks (2) 20 mins and (1) 40 mins
Downtime (machine breakdown, etc) 55 mins
Ideal Cycle Time per operation 20 Sec (0.33 mins)
Total Count 860 pieces
Reject Count 25 pieces
Usually the factories run in different shifts. Shifts can be eight or twelve hours. After
the end of each shift a new group of workers begin the next shift. For the following
calculation, we have chosen a shift of eight hours. Breaks consist of the unproductive
time where the operation is stopped because the operators are scheduled to be away
from their work. We have considered a lunch break of 40 minutes and two 20 minutes
break for relaxation. Downtime is the time when machine was supposed to run but it
was down for some reason (machine breakdown, making the machine ready for new
operation). We have considered fifty five minutes as downtime. The ideal cycle time
is the minimum time required to complete a single operation. We have taken twenty
seconds as ideal cycle time for each operation. Total count is the number of pieces
completed per shift. Parts that do not meet quality standards, cannot be rectified and
needs to be disposed are refered as ’reject count’. Here we have considered 860 pieces
as total count and 25 pieces as reject count.
The major factors for calculating OEE are Availability, Performance and Quality. The
basic formula for calculating OEE is Availability× Performance× Quality [16]
Availability: Availability considers key problems such as losses, including events
that causes disruption in planned production for a significant amount of time. Planned
and unplanned stops are also a part of these losses. Raw material shortage and equip-
ment failure are categorised as unplanned stops. On the other hand; planning setup, time
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for adjusting or making the machine ready are categorised as planned stop. Availability
is the ratio of runtime to planned production time.
Calculating Planned Production time:Planned Production TIme is the total time machines are expected to produce.
PlannedProductionTime = Shi f tLength − Breaks
= 480−80
= 400 minutes
Calculating Runtime time:The Runtime is the actual time in which production is running.
Runtime = PlannedProductionTime − Downtime
= 400−55
= 345 minutes
Since nine operators are working in the line.
The total runtime of the that line = 345× 9 = 3105 minutes
Avaliability = Runtime/PlannedProductiontime
= 345/400
= 0.8625(86%)
Performance: Performance is calculated by considering the reasons that cause the
manufacturing process to slowdown from the maximum possible speed. These losses
include slow cycles and small stops. A process cycle is considered slow when it takes
longer than the ideal cycle time. A small stop is a break in production. Machine-ware,
low material standards, missfeeding and machine jams causes these losses in perfor-
mance.
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Per f ormance = ( IdealCycleTime×TotalCount ) / Runtime
(0.33×860)/345
0.8309(83%)
Quality: Quality is calculated by considering the sewed body parts (front/back parts,
sleeves) that do not meet quality standards or needs rework. Parts that meets quality
standards the first time without any rework are referred as ’good count”.
Calculating Good Count:
GoodCount = TotalCount −Re jectCount
= 860−25
= 835pieces
Calculating Quality:
Quality = GoodCount/TotalCount
= 835/860
= 0.9709(97%)
Calculating Overall Equipment Effectiveness:
OEE = Availability×Per f ormace×Quality
0.8625×0.8309×0.9709
0.6957(70%)
The Overall Equipment Effectiveness of the specific sewing line is 70 percent, which
means there is plenty of scope for improvement of productivity within the line. By
reducing or eliminating the “six big losses" more productivity can be achieved.
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The result for availability was 86%. By reducing availability loss, it is possible to
improve the result of availability. The factors that causes availability loss are equipment
failure, setup and adjustment time. Chances of equipment failure can be minimised by
regularly maintaining the sewing machines. Everytime a new style is introduced into
the line, the machines need to be reassigned to serve the operational purpose. Selecting
the suitable operates for the subsequent operations are crucial for setup and adjustment.
By a proper and guided supervision the setup and adjustment time can be minimised.
This will directly affect the result of availability.
The result for performance was 83 percent. Productivity in terms of performance can
be improved by monitoring the performance losses. The ideal cycle time, total count
and runtime were taken into consideration during calculating performance. The ideal
cycle time per operation was 20 seconds, so each operator should have completed 180
processes in their own stations. If each operator completes 180 operations, in each sta-
tion then at the end of the sewing line 180 complete t-shirts will be produced. With
100 percent productivity rate, ideally 180 complete t-shirts should be produced. As 100
percent efficiency is not attainable, a 15percent allowance is taken into consideration.
So the total count after each hour should be 153 pieces. As the actual run time was 345
minutes (5.75 hours) of an 8 hour shift, the total count should be 880 pieces. But on
the sewing line, the actual “Total count" was 860 pieces. Which means they could have
produced 20 more pieces of complete t-shirts. This productivity loss could happen for
different reasons. Either the employees/operators stayed idle or performed the processes
in a reduced speed than the usual, or there were some problems in the machines or the
management made errors while making the production planning. By properly monitor-
ing the sewing line employees, by making effective plans and by checking the machines
regularly, this issue can be improved.
The result for quality was 97% and the reject count was 25 pieces. This is acceptable
according to standards. Sometimes the rejected garments are sent back to the line for
rectifying the mistakes. But even after that if the quality does not meet the standards,
then the garments are disposed of. Sometimes these rejected products are sold in the
local market for a significantly affordable price.
Calculating OEE for a textile factory is a complex process which requires numerous
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data from different departments. Collecting all these information manually is labour-
some and unproductive. A software synchronization with the machines will retrieve
these datas automatically. A similar software has been developed by ’Shima Seiki
MFG., Ltd.’ for the sweater industry. The same approach could be taken for the knit
and woven sector.
5 Additional recommendations
5.1 Manufacturing perspective
5.1.1 Analysing cutting optimization software
Conventional cutting room operation: The finished fabrics arrives in roll form into the
cutting section. These fabrics are cut into different body parts (front/back parts, sleeves)
in this section. At first different sized patterns for each style are made. Patterns are the
samples of different parts of a garment that are used to cut the fabrics into the desired
body shape. The cutting ratio for each style of garment are received from the manager
of the cutting department, he makes this decision manually based on his experience.
The next stage “marker making", which is a design where all the pattern pieces of all
sizes for a specific style are drawn together. It makes sure that the maximum fabrics
would be used and fabric wastage will be minimum. Fabric rolls that are stored in the
storage section are brought to the cutting room for each style. A quality check done
after the fabric arrives to make sure there is not shade variation and the fabric is ready
for cutting. The received fabrics are spread onto the cutting table, with the help of the
spreader. The markup paper is placed on the top of the fabric and the fabrics are cut
maintaining the marker. Subsequently, all the cut pieces are numbered accordingly to
avoid mixing with other styles. Bundles are made from the cut pieces and are sent for
the next process. This is the conventional cutting room operation [20].
Scopes of development:
• The total calculation process is manual, which makes the system prone to marginal
errors.
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• Operators have limited control over cutting room.
• A Theoretical cut plan, which is made by the cutting. manager who makes the
plan using his or her instinct and experience. Consequently it is estimated and
fabrics cannot saved to it’s capacity. There is an Absence of fabric tracking sys-
tem.
• A Lack of coordination between the cut plan and the fabric grouping(allocation
of the rolls that need to be cut).
• An Absence of real time feedback system.
• The fabrics that are wasted after cutting can be re-used in other orders.
A software based cutting can make the cutting room more organised. Some software
companies are already providing this type of solution.
Features of the cutting system: [21]
• Minimise fabric loss by optimal allocation of markers, plies and rolls automati-
cally.
• Fabric tracking.
• Analysis of cutting room data
• Report generation
• Elimination of all manual cutting paperwork
• Ensuring the proper uses of remnants (wastage)
Functions of the cutting optimization software: Every manufacturer will have a
unique ID and password for logging into the server. The first step is to enter the style
and order details in the system where the style, order number, order quantity, date, style
specifications, colour and size ratios are input. In second step fabric details, measuring
unit and the allowance for marker making is selected. The Quantity for each individual
sizes are put into the system. After accumulating all the data together, the software
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suggests multiple marker plans. A marker plan is the ratio of different sizes and shapes
of a garment to be placed in a marker. The most efficient marker plan is selected by
the department. Fabrics are then grouped in different segments based on their width,
colour and shrinkage. Rolls in each group has a unique ID. Once the grouping is done,
the software will suggest which rolls are to be spread onto the cutting table for the
subsequent marker. Finally, the fabric is cut according to the plan and the optimum
fabric uses are ensured where the wastage in minimal.
This software also ensures the better uses of the wastage received from the cutting.
Sometimes these remnants are used in small quantity orders, while making small body
parts like collars, cuffs or pockets. A cutting report is generated by retrieving all the
information from the system.
Intellocut is one of the cutting optomization software that is available in the Bangladesh
market. It is a product of an Indian company named “Threadsol", which is a software
company. Additionally there is a local company named Tazwan (Pvt.) ltd. who are still
in the development stages and the name of the software is “Fab-master".
5.2 Retail perspective
5.2.1 Analysing Tracking Customer Behaviour
In the ever-challenging business world, fashion retailers face many obstacles. Most
are related to the business extension and maintaining the growing customer database.
Customers are more knowledgeable about the product and simply have more options to
choose from. Any business could gain a competitive advantage by analysing customer
behaviour and psychology. A fashion retailer would benefit from knowing about the
individual needs and preferences of the customer. In fast-paced world of retail outlets
it is more difficult to collect information about the customers. Usually these sorts of
information are collected manually by interviewing the customers, conducting focus
groups and analysing sales records.
A more technological approach can be made by analysing customer behaviour and
needs. If a systematic method can be implemented to study the customers taste and
psychology while they are trialing the clothes in the fitting room, it can be a catalyst for
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the retailers to maintain their outlets and boost up their sales. It will give the retailers
a brief idea about the types of clothes to display, the sizes of clothes to be stocked and
whether to increase the variation in the clothing styles. RFID can be an appropriate
method for the retailers to get these information.
To improve the data collection approach and to reduce human involvement the fol-
lowing experiment was conducted in a high-end fashion retail concept store owned by
a Norwegian lifestyle brand. This particular outlet was one smallest stores in the chain,
which allowed a simpler and easier operational approach. The retailer primarily uses
RFID for inventory control, using a hand-held reader and tablet setup for stocktaking.
As RFID can detect several items in a very short time, it made the the work of the
salesperson much easier by taking the inventory of the entire store in a short period of
time.
The experiment conducted by the retail store [18], RFID antennas were installed in
the fitting rooms to detect multiple items in a short time. As most customers bring more
than 1 item to try on, these antennas are able to detect the garments within the fitting
room. This particular store has three fitting rooms, separated by half height walls from
the surrounding. Each fitting rooms were equipped with individual RFID antennas, con-
nected to a common reader. This reader was used for continuous detection. A computer
connected to the in-store network recorded tags as detected by the antennas and stored
it to an online database. The fitting rooms are covered with metallic foil to prevent
antennas from reading between fitting rooms.
By analysing the collected data from the fitting rooms, the following activities of the
customers were identified:
• The comparison between the quantity of the products trailed in the fitting room
and the products sold. This is comparison more specified between genders.
• Comparison of time spent in fitting rooms by men and women.
• The comparison between the fitting sizes and the sold sizes. For both genders,
a difference in the distribution of sizes sold and fitted were detected. It was ob-
served that the customers tried smaller sizes than they bought.
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Based on the data derived from the system, the retail store had categorized the cus-
tomers into four major segments based on their fitting room behaviour.
1. The looks-customers are the ones who bring identical products in the fitting rooms.
2. The size-customers brings identical products in different sizes into the fitting
room.
3. Size and look customers may emphasize on the sizing parts while considering the
looks of the outfit at the same time
4. There are some customers who combine different categories of products at the
same time based on size, looks and end-use of the products.
These results were helpful for the retailers to determine some significant factors. For
example, the retailer could determine the potential target customers based on their fitting
room and buying activities, products to be displayed and stored according to different
sizes. For this practice to be successful in retail stores, data accuracy and quality in the
fitting room must be assured.
5.3 Customer perspective
5.3.1 Integrating barcodes on garment labels
In today’s world of fashion, customers are more concerned and aware about compliance
than ever. Whether the clothes they are wearing were manufactured by child labour or
the working conditions in factories are safe. Manufacturers are under constant under
pressure by the retailers to follow compliance rules. The majority social compliance
issues are related to proper work environment, fair pay and child labour. Since the
western world is the majority of the end-users, they are more concerned with these
types of issues, especially over the past few decades. But a proper link does not exist
between the clothing manufacturers and customers, most do not know where or how
their clothes are manufactured. Popular retailers such as Nike, Forever 21 and Gap
have faced controversies in their past for unethical conditions in their manufacturing
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countries. But similarly to other industries, if customers were aware, it could affect the
fashion and brand choices.
An interesting concept that could be adopted by retailers to link end-users to their
manufacturers can improve a process that already exists. Some retailers like Marks and
Spencer and Decathlon are instructing their manufacturers to implant RFID chips into
their clothes. The main use for this is to locate products and inventory tracking. But
if manufacturers place unique barcodes or QR codes on the back labels on garments,
information regarding manufactures could be stored within them. All the customer has
to do is scan the barcode using their smartphones. This could automatically redirect
them to the website of the manufactures. At this point, there are many directions this
concept could take. It could firstly be used to find out the source of your garment;
where the yarn was sourced from, whether or not the fabric made of the same material
as advertised. Regarding compliance, Bangladeshi manufacturers have strict standards
to follow, they are assessed monthly by Accord Alliance which they have to pass for
retailers to consider them for manufacturing purposes. Accord Alliance is a binding
agreement between global brands and retailers intended to build a safe and secure work-
ing environment for the Bangladeshi garment industry. Customers will be able to see
the manufacturers compliance score and details before selecting which retailers to trust
in.
Another path that can be taken using this concept is leaving customer reviews by
scanning the barcode. After being redirected to the manufacturers website, customers
will be able to leave reviews of items they have purchased. When new retailers begin
searching for manufacturers in Bangladesh, certain manufacturers with good reviews
will be given an advantage. On the other hand, If customers prefer the quality of one
manufacturer. They will be exposed to new brands and items made by the same manu-
facturer by looking through their website. Consequently, from a marketing perspective,
this method has the potential to increase the manufacturers brand value. If the customer
is able to view all the manufacturers products, he/she may choose to buy products of
other brands produced by the same manufacturer because of the the quality and care
evident by the manufacturer. But retailers may decide not to support this method, as it
might indirectly advertise the goods of other retailers made by the same manufacturers.
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6 Existing tracking in textile manufacturing
In this section we will discuss about the existing technology currently being used and
analyse the future possibilities.
6.0.1 Areas where tracking is already implemented
Over the last few years major retailers such as Puma, Marks and Spencer, Decathlon,
Moncler and Walmart are making it compulsory for manufacturers to include RFID
chips in specific products. The retailers usually specifies the supplier from whom the
chips need to be bought. The retailers also specifies how much data is to be included
in the RFID chips and informs the RFID suppliers about the related information. Chips
used by retailers and manufactures may contain electronic product codes (EPC) that are
encrypted with product code that identifies individual product. The textile manufactures
only need the reference number to collect the chips from the RFID suppliers. At the final
stage of textiles, the item goes to the sewing section where the RFID chips are attached
or sewed onto the finished products. The retailers are then able to utilize the chip for
various purposes. For luxury brands, counterfeiting their items can be costly. European
clothing and accessories brands estimate the total cost of counterfeiting as Euros 26.3
billion (10% of their sales) every year. But having unique RFID chips implanted in
their products can minimise counterfeited purchases by customers, as an RFID chip can
distinctly separate the real from the fake [11]. A convenience factor for have RFIDs
from a customers perspective could be the comfort of paying for items directly through
the chip using a smartphone and paying with applications like Apple Pay. The customer
wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of waiting in line or finding out which stores can
offer the best price. Theft control and tracking is a major use for RFID chips. Inventory
management from the manufacturer and retail side can be controlled using the same
chip.
Finished fabrics are cut into different garment shapes in the cutting room. For exam-
ple a basic t-shirt has different shaped parts including the front and back parts, shoulders
and pockets (if necessary). These parts are grouped into different bundles according to
their shapes. RFID chips or barcodes are attached to each bundle. These bundles are
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now transported to the sewing section. From the sewing section these bundles can be
traced using RFID or barcode readers. The movement of these bundles can now be
monitored. In case bundle missing or mixing, the correspondant person(s) can easily
point out the problem and take necessary steps in order to prevent unnecessary sewing.
Additionally the work performance of each sewing section can be determined through
the analysis of tracking the movement of the bundles along the sewing line.
6.0.2 Dyeing chemical tracking:
Dyeing chemicals are an everyday commodity in textile manufacturing. Dyes are used
to colour original raw materials and consequently the end product. Dyes come in syn-
thetic and natural form. These forms of dyes are combined with water and used for the
colour. Synthetic dyes are generally used for nylon and polyester fabrics and natural
dyes are used for cotton fabrics.
Textile manufacturers require thousands of gallons of dyes every year. Generally they
import these dyes generally from Chinese and European companies. Dyes are shipped
in barrels depending on quantity. Evidently after speaking with Mr. Mohsin of Knit
Concern Group, he revealed they do track dyes chemicals and gained an advantage.
7 Conclusion and Evaluation
7.1 Evaluation
After conceptualizing the recommendations, to get a specialised opinion. These con-
cepts were shared with Mr. A.K.M Mohsin Ahmed, director of Knit Concern Ltd. We
initially interviewed him among others during the research phase of this project. Mr.
Mohsin was kind enough to give us his opinion on the topic through email. (Transcript
available on request).
The focused recommendation of the project was implementing tracking in the existing
textile manufacturing process and Mr. Mohsin’s feedback is as follows: “This seems
like an implementable method for the elaborated textile manufacturing process. As
our competitive countries are adapting with technological changes, we need to do so
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to sustain in the market. This method will increase productivity as well and efficiency
of the factory if implemented correctly. Additionally, this will give a better control
and oversight on individual departments. Since RFID system is more complex and
expensive, it is ideal for the Bangladesh market to use barcode labels or QR codes for
the tracking of raw materials. Though it will take time and effort to make the employees
habituated with this method."
“The idea of the cutting optimization software is a familiar one but our market has
limited knowledge on the software. After studying your recommendation, it seems like
this software can save a great deal of money by saving the wastage of fabric. Almost
60percent of the raw material cost comes from buying fabric. Though this software
will save fabric, it could to be more beneficial if it could directly save money instead of
fabric, beforehand. If this software could give us an idea about the amount of fabric to
be bought for a specific orders, we could save money by not purchasing excess fabric
for the orders."
“The OEE calculation can be of great help to utilize the machine productivity and
performance accurately. It will give a better idea on the productivity, quality and per-
formance of a factory. This will help evaluating the employee performance as well. We
can get a proper idea about the actual cause of low efficiency from this calculation. This
will also be helpful for the planning department to identify the shortcomings. But to do
the calculation we need certain information about the shift length, machine run time etc.
To collect all these data from individual departments, a functionable software is needed.
Manual collection the data is time consuming and more complex, for the successful
calculation of OEE a software is compulsory.
Creating a direct link between consumers and manufacturers has not been considered
yet. We do not put enough effort in marketing because it has never been needed, but
if we can increase our popularity between consumers and retailers. It could result in
more future orders. We will also need to become more transparent and open with our
day to day operations, safety issues and employee welfare with the public. It is a big
challenge whether or not the retails will agree to such exposure of the manufacturers to
the consumers."
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7.2 Conclusion
The Bangladeshi textile industry is adapting with new technological changes in order to
compete with countries Myanmar, Vietnam etc. This project has proposed various rec-
ommendations that are possible with the use of tracking technology in this developing
industry. In the ideal manufacturing factory it is possible to execute most of the rec-
ommendations together to generate the best possible output. As previously mentioned,
the implementation of tracking in the entire manufacturing process is attainable. But
alongside, the the cutting optimization software can be synchronised with the existing
tracking. Roll allocation is an important part of the cutting optimization software. Since
the rolls have already been tracked in the cutting room with barcode labels, it will make
the work of the cutting software easier to allocate them and make a correct suggestion
about which rolls are to be selected and spread on the table for cutting. The overall
equipment effectiveness (OEE) system can also be implemented alongside to get a bet-
ter idea about the efficiency of the manufacturing unit and the performance of both men
and machines. On the other hand, adding barcode tags on finished product will interlink
the customers directly with the manufacturers. Customers will be able to leave reviews
and will get an insight about the manufacturing conditions and the people behind it.
The topic of this project was initially selected because of my intention of working in
the textile sector after graduation. Fully understanding the complex manufacturing and
it’s surrounding processes is essential when working in this sector. In the near future
I hope to work further on implementing tracking and other technological innovations
that still need to be improved in order for Bangladesh to compete with it’s rivals in
this field. This project could serve as a guide for my future career in this lucrative and
ever-growing industry.
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8 Interviews
8.1 Interview 1:
The first interview was held in the factory of Knit Concern Group (5th January 2019,
11:00am) in Narayanganj, Bangladesh. I talked with Mr. AKM Mohsin Ahmed- Di-
rector and Mr. Partho Roy- Assistant Manager (Dyeing & Finishing). Afterwards we
toured the factory floor, starting from knitting department to the sewing floor. (The
interviews were recorded in Bengali. The translated transcript will be available on re-
quest)
The interview format included me asking open questions and the interviewee and
I having a discussion. The general questions asked during the interview were about
the demands of the buyers and preferences, importance of technology in the industry,
currently what types of technology is being implemented; the types of software used,
industrial challenges.
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The following is a summary of the conversations. “The competition in the textile
industry has become very high and sustaining in the market is a challenge that requires
a competitive advantage in terms of new advantages, developed methods, cheap manu-
facturing cost (low price). The buyers are constantly pressuring us to reduce the price."
Technology has it’s own advantage. In recent years the industry has become more prone
to the use of technology in textile manufacturing. The competitive countries like China
and Vietnam are using technologies more frequently to their advantage, it has become
a necessity for Bangladesh market to adapt to technological changes. “In terms of im-
porting dying chemicals, a tracking system is being used to track chemicals and dyes.
The dyes chemicals that is being imported includes a qr code, that is attached to barrel.
These barrels have some selected information beforehand by the suppliers. Manufactur-
ers can scan and retrieve information such as chemical properties, country origin, colour
fastness etc." Additionally, he described the ERP system in textile, he explained how the
ERP system works, why and when they bought it, it’s advantages, limitations and areas
where it can be improved.
The factory tour was given by Mr. Partho Roy, who guided me around each section
of the factory and explained the manufacturing process in detail. He allowed me to
take pictures which I was able to use for the project. Additionally, he gave his opinion
on where tracking could possibly be used to make his job easier while overseeing the
dyeing and finishing departments.
8.2 Interview 2:
The second interview was held in Fakir Fashion Ltd (8th January 2019, 11:00am) in
Araihazar, Bangladesh. I talked with Mr. Javed Kamal- Head of Business Development
and Mr. Raihan Islam- Senior Officer MIS. Mr. Fakir Wahiduzzaman Riyead gave me
permission to tour the factory and research for this project.
With Mr. Javed, the conversation focused on the existing manufacturing process and
constraints. We also theorised a way tracking can be used in the existing manufactur-
ing process.(The interview was recorded in Bengali. The translated transcript will be
available on request)
The following is the summary of the conversation between Mr. Javed and I. “Tex-
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tile manufacturing includes several departments. During the manufacturing process raw
materials move from department to department, constantly at a very high quantity. Each
factory produces hundreds of thousands of products every week. Keeping track of the
raw materials manually as it moves from process to process is a complex method. Usu-
ally individual employees of individual departments keeps data of the progress. Lots
of computerised logs are kept manually. This is not an effective system. Human er-
ror leads to missing data, misplacement of data, etc. Instead of a manual approach, an
automated tracking system will solve many of these problems." Fakir Fashion has al-
ready started implementing tracking, but on a small scale. They have been tracking the
cut bundles using barcodes in the cutting section. After studying and discussing their
bundle tracking process with barcodes, we have tried to theorise this technology to the
overall manufacturing process.
Mr. Raihan was kind enough to give us a descriptive factory tour for a better under-
standing. He also showed us the barcode label printer and how the barcodes are tagged
on the bundles and later how they are tracked in the sewing line.
8.3 Interview 3
The final interview was held in Ajax Sweater Ltd (16th January 2019, 12:00pm) in
Savar, Bangladesh. I talked with Mr. Gourav Singh- Industrial Engineering Manager.
We also toured the factory together.
During our conversation, Mr. Gourav gave us detailed idea about Overall Equipment
Efficiency calculation and it’s uses. It is a sweater factory and I was able to learn the
differences between sweater and knitting manufacturing. According to Mr. Gourav
OEE calculation has helped them a great deal in getting an overview of the factory
efficiency and the actual causes behind the deficiency of effectiveness and efficiency.
They use a software called Shima Seiki SPR 2, which allows them to collect some
partial datas related to the calculation. The other required data is collected manually.
Shima Seiki is planning to bring a new software into the market, which will allow the
manufacturers to get all the needed information automatically. The name of the software
will be SPR 3. Mr. Gourav also explained about the “six big losses" of OEE. During
the factory tour, I got to know that sweater manufacturing is an emerging market for
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Bangladesh. Investment is relatively lower compared to other textile sectors. Shima
Seiki is one of the pioneers in sweater manufacturing machines.
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