ASSESSMENT & ANALYSIS CURRENT TQM IMPLEMENTATION STATUS AT CHOISHINS(VINA)
INTRODUCTION ABOUT CHOISHINS(VINA)
Figure 1 Choishins(Vina) front view
This is 100% Korea investment company and was set up in May 2013
It locates in My Tho city, Tien Giang province, it takes 1h30’ travel by car from Ho Chi Minh City, 2 hours from Tan Son Nhat airport and 2h30’ from sea port
400,000pcs per month capacity (460,000pcs)
Company produces Fashion Knit items for famous brands in US
The organizational chart highlights that the administration team is led by Mr K.J Won, while Mr K.H Soo oversees the production team, and Ms Anita manages the quality department Notably, the quality team reports directly to the General Director, ensuring effective communication and oversight.
REVIEW OF THE EXISTING QUALITY SYSTEM AND MANUFACTURING
Deliver the products with free of defect to customer with reasonable price! And enhance quality system to satisfy customer expectation
2.1.2 Quality Management System in factory:
The company has established a quality system and manual; however, it has not received third-party accreditation As the factory manufactures products for various clients, Choishins integrates the diverse standards of these buyers into its operational processes.
It is surprising that the factory lacks specific quality performance goals for each department Mr Kwon emphasizes the importance of setting targets, aiming for teams to achieve a 100% pass rate on final audits conducted by buyer quality control.
Using check sheet to capture the defects but did not see factory doing analysis
2.1.5 Environment management system: follow Buyer’s requirement
Temperature in production area must be > 0C
Lighting source in working floor from 70->120lux
Water source for drinking: should be met the test at Pasteur Institute
Built up environment management system
Periodically assess environment management system and take action to improve the pending points to ensure it meets environment set requirement
The chart illustrates that the QA and QC teams operate separately, each managed by different supervisors who report to Mr Kwon, the General Manager Overall, the investment in quality execution personnel at this factory is commendable.
Choishins (Vina) is an apparel manufacturer catering to various retail brands, operating its own quality management system that is not third-party accredited The quality team, led by General Director Mr Kwon, is distinct from the Production Section Within the Quality Section, there are two independent teams: Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA).
7 in charged by Mr Nhut - QC Manager and QA team is leading by Ms Anita - QA Manager
The research focuses on a garment factory specializing in fashion tops and dresses of varying order sizes The facility includes a central cutting department, 21 independent sewing lines, and a centralized finishing and packing area Upon receiving fabric, a random 10% inspection is conducted, assessing fabric shrinkage and shade before cutting The fabric is allowed to relax for 24 hours prior to cutting, and during the spreading and cutting processes, two quality control personnel ensure the quality of spreading and the accuracy of cut panels before they are sent for fusing Additionally, quality control checks for physical defects are performed before panels reach the sewing line Operators are responsible for maintaining quality in their individual tasks, followed by a quality check at the end of each section to prevent defective parts from advancing to the next stages of production.
Once the panels are received from cutting, the sewing line begins the marking and input process for sewing Daily, an inline Quality Control (QC) checks the quality of each operation randomly After sewing is completed, the endline QC inspects the garments for physical defects, with a report signed once daily The finishing section operates separately from the sewing lines Once inspected, garments are placed on a trolley, where a staff member collects them hourly to transfer them to the ironing section If the Work in Process (WIP) in the ironing section becomes excessive, garments are temporarily stored before being gradually sent to the pressing table until the process is complete.
Garment after ironed, there is one final QC per each ironing table to check the appearance again before passing the garment to hangtag attachment etc
Overall, Choishins( Vina) Manufacturing Flows is running smoothly but there is some points that need to be adjusted to achieve better quality ,efficiency as well as manpower
We will discuss this matter later in the next chapter
Figure 6: Factory quality flow chart which is updated on May 22nd ,2017
Upon receiving fabric and trim from suppliers, the factory unloads them from containers and places them on incoming storage racks Two Quality Controllers (QCs) are responsible for inspecting the fabric using a four-point system, reporting their findings to the Warehouse Manager The factory mandates that QCs conduct fabric inspections within seven days of arrival As part of the current procedure, QCs cut one yard of fabric for testing color, shrinkage, and weight during the inspection process.
Quality control involves the use of a dated fabric swatch to compare the shade of the inspected fabric against a standard The process includes checking the color consistency across various sections of the fabric, including the left, center, right, and both ends, ensuring uniformity in appearance.
The factory features a sample room dedicated to creating Pre-Production samples, Jump Size Set Samples, and TOP samples Within this room, a QC personnel oversees the process, although she lacks English proficiency While the QC checks the completed samples, there is no formal inspection record available, making it impossible to determine the rejection rate A review of the PP checking records from styles managed by Li & Fung QA reveals a first pass rate of 96% The supervisor manages all machine settings in the sample room, but there is no specialized mechanic available, nor an Industrial Engineer to monitor the sample-making process and calculate the SAM for bulk production.
2.2.3.1Process Flow Chart in Cutting Section:
In the cutting section, fabric rolls are inspected according to the work order, with quality passes and failures being segregated Pass rolls proceed to the next operation, while failed rolls are tagged and returned to storage The spreader then prepares the fabric for cutting based on order specifications, size, and quantity, creating bundles of 20 to 30 pieces, with fusing applied as necessary After fusing, the components undergo a cutting audit, with successful bundles moving to the sewing section and failed bundles sent for rework.
Skilled employees are essential in the cutting process, as improper fabric cutting can lead to significant quality issues in fit and assembly Pieces cut too small cannot be corrected, while those cut too large may disrupt the sizing of other components Therefore, it is crucial for cutters to meticulously follow patterns to ensure high-quality cuts Additionally, two quality control inspectors are present in the cutting department to verify accuracy and maintain standards.
Quality control (QC) in the cutting section involves meticulous checks to ensure cutting accuracy and fabric lot compliance One QC assesses the cutting table for acceptable spreading based on ticket numbers, while another focuses on verifying cutting precision After numbering, random checks are conducted on the top, middle, and bottom of each bundle to confirm acceptability Additionally, two QCs inspect for physical defects post-bundling, with reports generated for documentation Once verified, all bundles are moved to racks, awaiting transition to the fusing or sewing lines.
Cuts Should Be Checked For:
Miscut: Check for miscut or the failure of the Cutter to split the line Tolerance is 1/16” Report all defects for miscuts to Cutting Foreman (Supervisor)
When inspecting matching plies, ensure that the top ply aligns with the bottom ply, using a hard pattern or paper maker for comparison, with a tolerance of 1/8” Additionally, evaluate ragged cutting against customer standards, as this judgment defect can be critical; if a re-cut is necessary on important parts, it is considered a defect.
To ensure quality control, verify the notch location by aligning the pattern with the top ply, and thoroughly inspect any critical missing notches, maintaining a tolerance of 1/8 inch Additionally, 10% of the bundles in each cut should undergo inspection.
The production process involves 20 sewing lines, each staffed by 30 operators working sequentially to create a complete garment Machines are arranged in a straight line to facilitate efficient operation Once the final garment is produced, it undergoes immediate inspection for defects Work-in-progress (WIP) is moved between machines using work aids, with operators passing semi-finished garments to the next station Each line has an inline Quality Control (QC) inspector who randomly checks critical operations, while two endline QCs conduct a thorough inspection for physical defects after all sewing is completed The QC report is updated daily at the end of the day with the supervisor's and QC's signatures Finally, inspected garments are placed in a trolley for transfer to the finishing section for ironing.
1.4.1.1 Flow chart in sewing line:
Process Sequence of Sewing Section at Choishins(Vina)
Planning 1 Staring work with garment analysis
2 Target set up for production
4 Set up operator layout plan
2 Cut parts is distributed to operator and helper
9 passed garments is sent to finishing
Factory has quality control procedure in place Quality procedure is posted in from of
QC table for both worker and QC references
QC Inline randomly picks up the garments, write the report daily However, it is not detailed enough as it does not reflect each operator’s performance
ASSESSMENT OF TQM IMPLEMENTATION AT CHOISHINS(VINA)
In this chapter, I assess the quality system maturity of Choishins (Vina) using a Quality Management Maturity check sheet By gathering data from various departments, I evaluate the effectiveness of factory performance Subsequently, I compare the factory's Total Quality Management (TQM) practices against its core elements to identify areas for improvement For production execution, I employ simple TQM tools, such as check sheets, to collect data from cutting to finishing, analyze it, and uncover root causes for further improvement actions detailed in Part II of the report.
3.1 Defining the Quality Management System maturity level:
To assess the maturity level of an organization's structure, procedures, processes, and resources aimed at meeting customer expectations, Dale and Lascelles’ (1997) six-level categorization model serves as an effective evaluation tool for understanding the current state of its Quality Management System This model outlines six levels of adoption of Total Quality Management Principles, which can guide the assessment process: (1) uncommitted, (2) drifter, (3) tool pusher, (4) improver, (5) award winners, and (6) world class.
Figure 11: Illustration of six-level categorization model of Dale and Lascelles (1997)
According to the Maturity Assessment Table, factories scoring over 4 are classified as Tool Pusher Level, while those with scores between 3.99 and 3 fall under Improver Level Factories with scores from 2.99 to 2 are designated as Award Winners, and those scoring below 2 are categorized as World Class Level Please refer to the interpretation below for further details.
Accurate diagnosis is crucial and should be based on data interpretation According to Dale and Lascelles (1997), organizations may exhibit characteristics that place them between categories, or they may possess qualities from multiple groups Identifying a specific category based on the highest score offers a general overview of the Quality Management System (QMS) status However, a more insightful diagnosis involves analyzing the variance of each of the 84 subcategories against a neutral score of 4 Scores exceeding 4 signal potential issues with particular quality processes or practices, indicating areas that require attention.
7, the more severe problem would be Scores below 4 indicate the lack of a problem, with a score 1 indicating an optimum quality process or practice
Subcategory Strongly Agree Agree Slightly agree Neutral Slightly disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
1 Quality improvement initiatives are not only carried out to achieve ISO9000 registration or comply with customer requirement
2 Initial enthusiasm after implementing a quality management system (QMS) or QI program does not fade over time
3 Organization holds an ISO9000 certification (or is close to obtain it) 4
4 Organization recognizes that the effective implementation of QMS requires cultural change 3
5 Organization has a culture where quality is not dependent on the commitment and drive of a limited number of individuals
6 A total integration of continuous improvement(CI) and business strategy to delight customer exists 3
7 Organization does not only apply quality management tools and techniques due to customers’ presence, monitoring and pressure
8 Organization has not expressed disappointment about current QMS 3
9 Organization employs a selection of quality management tools( e.g: statistical process control, quality circle, failure mode and effect analysis(FMEA), mistake proofing, quality improvement groups.)
10 Organization recognizes an importance of customer focused CI 3
11 All employees are involved in CI 4
12 Organization’s purpose and values are defined and communicated at all levels 4
13 Not only does the quality department drive the QMS and maintain ISO certification, but all staff participate and have concern for quality
14 Organization is not susceptible to the adoption of the latest QM fads 4
15 Organization does not tend to look for the latest QI approaches/tools for a “quick fix” 3
16 Senior management shows commitment toward QI through both leadership and personal actions 3
17 A number of successful Organizational changes have been made 3
18 Organization has developed and applied a unique success model 3
19 Success on quality initiatives is not linked to the success of external audits only 3
20 Management teams do not try a variety of approaches in response to the latest quality management (QM) fads 4
21 All senior management members are committed to the
22 Organization has formulated a quality strategy and implemented, as least , a good portion of it 3
23 Business procedures and processes are efficient and responsive to customer needs 4
24 Organization places appositive value on internal and external relationships( e.g: with employees, customers) 3
25 QM is not considered a contractual requirement and an added cost 4
26 Senior management does not assume that CI occurs naturally or is self-sustained 4
27 CI effortsare not only concentrated in manufacturing/operations departments, but also in other departments of the organization
28 A problem-solving infrastructure and a proactive QMS are in place 3
29 Process improvement results are measurable and carried out through effective cross-functional management 4
30 Organization works in partnership with stakeholders 3
31 Priority is given to QI in term of time and allocation of resources 3
32 Organization has adopted different quality philosophies(e.g: Deming, Crosby, Juran, SPC, ISO,
33 A QMS exists and the data it provides are used to their full potential 3
34 A long term and company-wide education/training program is in place 4
35 Strategic benchmarking is practiced at all levels 4
36 QMS helps to identify opportunities to improve the ability of the company to satisfy its customers 4
37 Corrective actions are not only taken in response to customer complaints 5
38 Continuous improvement is perceived as a strategy, not as a program only 4
39 Long-term results in all organizational aspects( as opposed to short-term results regarding product output and quality only) are expected
40 Individual staff carry out improvement activities within their own spheres of influence and on the own initiative 5
41 A system for internal and external performance measurement in place 5
42 Organization is constantly looking to identify new/ more products, services, or characteristics that will increase customer satisfaction
43 Support to solve problem is not based om their impact on sales/ turnover only 4
44 A plan for effectively deploying a QMS exists 4
45 Processes do not have considerable potential for improvement 4
46 Important of staff involvement in CI is recognized, communicated and celebrated 5
47 Employees at all levels reflect a participate culture 4
48 A QI culture is no longer dependent on top-down drives, but it is also driven laterally through the whole organization
49 Quality of design has a high priority 4
50 Management is not oversusceptible to outside intervention and does not easily get distracted by latest
51 All parts of the organization believe that the current
52 Benchmarking studies have been initiated and the result used for CI 4
53 Management practices a culture of empowerment 5
54 The vision of entire organization is aligned to the voice of customer 3
55 Organization has made an acceptable investment in quality education and training 6
56 Quality department has a high status within the organization 4
57 Momentum of improvement initiatives is easy to sustain 4
58 Organization has QI champions among some senior management members 5
59 Current QMS is sincerely viewed by all employees as a way of managing the business to satisfy and delight customers, both internal and external
60 Total quality is the organization “way of life” and “way of doing business.” 5
61 Senior management takes responsibility for CI/QI activities 4
62 The “born and died of improvement teams is not a phenomenon 4
63 Training on quality tools is aimed at persons who can influence their further application 4
64 Trust between all levels of the organization exists 3
65 Perception of stakeholders of the company’s performance is surveyed and acted onto drive improvement actions
66 Quality values are fully understood and shared by employees, customers and suppliers 4
67 Organization has had positive previous experience with
ISO, TQM or other quality management approaches 4
68 Cultural changes have taken place after the implementation of CI/QI programs 3
69 Quality tools and techniques are implemented strategically and not only reactively and when necessary
70 There is low preoccupation with numbers( eg., financial measures) 4
71 Results of improvement projects are effectively utilized 4
72 Each person in the organization is committed, in an almost natural way, to seek opportunities for improvement
73 There is not an overwhelming emphasis on the achievement of financial measures 4
74 Appropriate knowledge of the current QMS exists 4
75 Meeting output targets is not the only key priority for the majority of managers; there are no conflicts between the production/operations department and the quality department
76 QI drives and direction do not rely only on a small number of individuals 5
77 All things are right at the 1 st time 5
78 Dependability is emphasized throughout the organization 4
79 There is a long-term plan for corrective actions for reoccurrence of problems 5
80 Self-assessment is performed and improvements identified are addressed 4
81 The organization has a flexible QMS not only designed to fulfill customer regulations 4
82 If key director/manager/individuals leave, business mergers occur, organizational restructuring takes place, etc., there is no danger of losing momentum of failure in term of QM/QI initiatives
83 QMS is effective and it does help to identify opportunities to improve the ability of the company to satisfy its customers
Table 3: Maturity assessment score table of Choishins(Vina)
The factory achieved a score of 3.95 points, placing it in the Level 3 - Tool Pusher category according to the assessment This classification aligns with the interpretation of the six levels of Total Quality Management (TQM) adoption theory as outlined in "Managing Quality" (edited by Barrie G Dale, Ton Vander Wiele, and Jos Van Iwaarden, Blackwell Publishing).
CEO doesn’t have long term TQM plan
Company have met quality standard of one of major Purchaser
Quality mindset is there but not all member of Senior Managemnt is committed to TQM
Have tendency to delegate TQM responsibility to quality department
Middle management often acknowledges the importance of Total Quality Management (TQM) but may lack genuine conviction in its value They tend to prioritize systems and technical aspects within their responsibilities, believing these will yield more immediate results compared to the long-term benefits of TQM.
Continuous improvement efforts is only concentrated in production floor With other departments remaining less involved in improvement efforts Quality department is main driving force of improvement process
A certain amount of inter-departmental/functional friction and lack of communication is like to be evident
Focus of quality control is for what exist now, not for future
Meeting output target is the key priority of majority managers with confliction between production section, operation and quality assurance department
Short term result regarding product output and quality are expected, resulting in reactive problem solving and a neglect of long term, root cause, process improvement action
There are repeated claims from some parts of organization that TQM is not working with a tendency to dwell on old practices as being more effective
3.4 TQM practices against TQM ‘s Elements:
Leadership Miscommunication between levels of company is still happening
Many activities within organization is not evaluated
Lacking of motivation to all level of staffs toward company objectives, goals
The goal of customer satisfaction is not incorporated in planning processes Customer requirements are not identified as the 1 st step of quality strategy planning
Quality knowledge of employee is very limited, they only know inspection based on quality control, no idea about quality tools, awareness on quality is low
All levels of team have less idea about TQM
Awareness of quality ownership from operators is limited,
People is not eager enough to participate in and contribute to continual improvement
Management is not focusing into process of quality performance to minimize the production cost
Lacking of integration and alignment of processes that will best achieve the desired results
Less focusing on the key processes Continuous improvement
Improvement activities from teams is not aligned with company strategic intent
There is no enthusiasm of continuous improvement thinking from line leader, seemed like according to them, whatever defects find out by inspectors, they will be coordinated to fix it
Concept of continuous improvement is not in practice even there is no goal for improvement
Decision making based on intuition instead of from analysis record Information sharing is improper, they collect some data from check sheet but don’t have summary and further analysis
No monitoring supplier’s quality performance Don’t focus to build up long term trust-based relationship with suppliers
Table 4: TQM practices against TQM ‘s Elements
3.5.1 Quality findings in cutting department:
We collected the QC report from July 1 st , 2017-> September 30 th 2017 totally QC check 257,452pcs and found 25,583 defects, around 4.61% defect
Defect code Defect Name Occurrence Defect% occurrence%
L Cutting accuracy 1300 0.52% 10.94% total defect 11879 100.00% inspected pcs 257452 defect rate 4.61%
Table 5: defect findings table in cutting section
Among the defects found, I see that the defect of Slub 10.10%, Color Fly 9.26%, Print Issue 10.11% and cutting accuracy 10.94% took the highest rate of total % of the defects
From above fish bone diagram, we can identify out the defect possiblity from direffernt categories of Machine, Environment, Manpower, Method and Material
Figure 12: Fish Bone Analysis of cutting defects
3.5.1.2 Five Whys Analysis for cutting defects:
Table 6: Five Whys Analysis for cutting defects
We employ the Five Whys technique to identify the root causes of cutting defects, revealing that the primary issues stem from insufficient supervision and inadequate follow-up on the quality performance of suppliers, which is a critical aspect of the eight elements of Total Quality Management (TQM).
3.5.2 Defect findings from Endline QC:
Defects collection from July 2017 -September 2017 :
Code Defect name total defect quantity Jul-17
Table 7: defect findings table in sewing section
From the data collected from endline QCs, during 3 months from July to September
2017, total checked 1,285,250 pcs and found out 81768 defects, averagely 6.36% There are four defects with highest rate contributed to the total defects, they are puckering, broken stitches, roping and stains
Figure 13 Pareto chart for endline QC defects
A Pareto diagram illustrates that a majority of defects, specifically 80%, are attributed to a small number of issues, while the remaining 20% are spread across various minor defects The primary defects identified include Roping, Puckering, Broken Stitches, and Stains This analysis emphasizes that addressing the critical few issues can lead to significant improvements, as they constitute the bulk of the problems Therefore, focusing on these key defects is essential for effectively reducing overall defect rates.
Figure 14: fish bone analysis for puckering defect
Figure 15: fish bone analysis for roping defect
30 Figure 16: fish bone analysis for Broken Stitch defect
Figure 17: fish bone analysis for stains defect
From above Fish Bone Diagram Analysis of endline defects, we can brainstorm out the occurrence possibilities from different categories of Environment, Manpower, Methodology, Machine, Machine
Table 8: Five Whys analysis for puckering defect
The Five Whys tool revealed that the root causes of the puckering issue stem from a lack of worker instructions, complacency in quality control, and the absence of training when the factory manages difficult materials.
Table 9: Five Whys analysis for broken stitches defect
The true root causes came out after Five Whys Analysis, no instruction and training made and QC is too complaisant.
Table 10: Five Whys analysis for roping defect
By employing the Five Whys technique, we can identify the root causes of the roping issue, which stem from insufficient supervision and the absence of speed calibration for the machine prior to production.
Table 11: Five Whys analysis for Stains defect
For stains defect, the true root cause is about discipline maintaining, poor mechanic capability and lack of supervisor monitoring
3.5.3 Defect findings from finishing section:
Garments after iron is inspected by finishing QC after that check for 100% main measurement points in prior of ticket attachment, folding, polybagging
Code Defect name defect quantity defect
Table 12: Defect findings in Finishing section
From July to September 2017, the Finishing section experienced an average defect rate of 5.23%, which is considered excessively high Despite the presence of Quality Control personnel to oversee pressing quality, the data reveals significant issues: poor ironing accounted for 7.12% of defects, poor trimming at 6.86%, unstable specifications at 6.45%, and oil stains at 6.57%.
Figure 18: Pareto chart of Finishing section
We found out that 20% of defects that caused 80% number of problem, the areas with high defect rate are Poor trimming, Stain, Measurement issue, Poor Iron
Figure 19: Cause and Effect Diagram of Poor Trimming
Using Fish Bone diagram to screen the error occurrence possibilities from different categories of manpower, Method, Material, Environment and Machine I focused more about the trimming method!
Figure 20: Cause and Effect Diagram of Unstable Measurement
From above Fish Bone analysis, we can see the most possibility of this error is from unstable shrinkage from material and surely need appropriate method to control
Figure 21: Cause and Effect Diagram of Oil Stains
We fish Bone diagram to identify the most possible causes of the oil stains defect Definitely the oil stains caught on garments from machines
Figure 22: Cause and Effect Diagram of Poor Pressing
Poor pressing defect mostly caused by poor handling and above Fish Bone Diagram has mentioned
Table 13: Five Whys table for Unstable Measurement issue
Reviewed the Five Whys table of Unstable Measurement issue The measurement issue should start from fabric handling, sewing and testing
Table 14: Five Whys table for Poor Trimming defect
True root cause of the poor trimming issue is QC does not focus on trimming defect and poor follow up from management
Source Cause Why 1 Why 2 Why 3 Why 4 Why 5
Process were not followed correctly
Why process wasn’t followed up?
Why is the work arranged improperly?
Why there is no Training?
Why weren't training paid attention to?
Not enough attention to spread awareness of doing right the first time
Why Shrinkage test was inadequate
Why did technician skip checking?
Why did team leader and QC not check measurement during pilot run?
Why wasn’t quality paid attention to?
Why there was no standard process?
No Standard process for shrinkage testing
Why was input quality not checked
Why didn't request information from supplier?
Why information of supplier isn't cared for?
Why the importance of fabric quality is not understood?
The importance of fabric quality wasn’t taken recently?
Table 15: Five Whys table for Poor Ironing defect
The Five Whys tool effectively identified the root cause of the poor ironing defect, which stemmed from an improper mindset among supervisors and insufficient monitoring by the Industrial Engineering (IE) team.
IMPROVEMENT PLAN
SOURCES OF IMPROVEMENT
After assessed the quality performance and efficiency of each department, list out areas for further improvement
From system assessment result and the data collected above, we summarized out the sources for improvement for TQM adoption and implementation, using Parreto chart and
5 Whys to dig out the root causes of problems exiting from quality performance in cutting, sewing and finishing section
Quality mindset is there but not all member of Senior Management is committed to TQM
Have tendency to delegate TQM responsibility to quality department
Quality department is main driving force of improvement process
Middle management often expresses support for Total Quality Management (TQM) but lacks genuine conviction in its value They tend to prioritize systems and technical aspects within their responsibilities, believing these will yield more immediate results than TQM initiatives.
Continuous improvement effort is only concentrated in production floor With other departments remaining less involved in improvement efforts
Focus of quality control is for what exist now, not for future
Meeting output targets is a primary focus for many managers, often leading to conflicts between production, operations, and quality assurance departments This emphasis on short-term results for product output and quality fosters a reactive approach to problem-solving, which can overshadow the importance of long-term process improvements and addressing root causes.
There are repeated claims from some parts of organization that TQM is not working with a tendency to dwell on old practices as being more effective
1.2 Outstanding points of TQM adoption and implementation:
Improper TQM mindset from Senior Management
Neglect Continuous improvement participation from teams
Limited Utilization of quality analysis data for root causes elimination and prevention plan
From July to September 2017, the defect rate across all departments was alarmingly high, failing to meet buyer requirements Significant issues included broken stitches, roping, uncut threads, unstable measurements, and recurring stains, which persisted from the sewing lines to the finishing section.
Figure 23: defect rate chart among the sections in factory
After sewing, garments are often stacked and stored on large racks, leading to inefficiencies in manpower when locating specific sizes and purchase orders for packing This method of handling can cause garments to become deformed and puckered after pressing, negatively impacting their overall appearance and measurements.
Figure 24: Backlog issue in between sections
0.00% 2.00% 4.00% 6.00% 8.00% cutting endline finishing final reject rate defect %
To improve about mentioned points and build up the efficient team to manage the factory
I firstly make a proposal and seat with factory General Manager to review point by point and only implement once get his commit to suggestion proposal
Area for improvement Action Plan Benefit from Plan Improper TQM mindset from Senior Management
-Conduct the training to create the solid quality management environment
-Bring employee’s involvement for inspecting the quality of their work
-Integrate TQM adoption to all member of organization
Neglect Continuous improvement participation from teams
Limited Utilization of quality analysis data for root causes elimination and prevention plan
Initiate the KPI measurement report and apply for all sections
-Understand deeply the basic quality tools -Support effectively for decision making
Defect rate is very high - Training all QC about inspection method
-Implement right at the first time policy at the needle point
-Multi skill training for all operators
-Create motivation award for well performance team and personal weekly, monthly
Too many WIP in between sections
-Adjust sewing line layout to put sewing, ironing and packing as one straight line
-Minimize the quality risk due to poor handling
Figure 25: Performance Improvement Consultative Committee
Teamwork is the vital point for the success of TQM implementation This environment encourages innovative thoughts and practice of all employees, eliminated blame culture
The Performance Improvement Committee has been established with representatives from all departments to enhance inter-team collaboration This committee monitors team performance under a unified approach and conducts regular meetings to review results and identify ongoing opportunities for improving factory efficiency.
To successfully implement Total Quality Management (TQM) in a factory, it is essential to analyze existing systems and processes to identify the root causes of performance issues Collaborating with the Project Owner is crucial for developing a comprehensive training program and corrective action plan to enhance operational efficiency.
100% staff understand their Job Responsibility
Defect rate of operator under 5%
Endline QC, finishing QC defect failure is under 2.5%
Improve factory maturity level from “Tool Pusher” to “Improver”
2.2.3 Conduct training for both management, QC and worker
Total Quality Management (TQM) emphasizes long-term success through customer satisfaction, which is achieved by enhancing worker and team performance The expertise of operators and teams is crucial for organizational success I have conducted various training courses on the fundamentals of TQM, teaching factories to effectively integrate quality into all operations using a combination of strategies, data, and communication Special attention is given to practical tools such as the 5 Whys, Fishbone Analysis, Pareto Chart, Check Sheet, and Flow Chart.
Figure 26: Performance Committee weekly meeting
From above picture of weekly meeting with Performance Consultative Committee to review improvement progress and raise up all issues that I needed them to support
Celebrate TQM day with participation of all employees and Management
Training about inspection flow of clock wise inspection method to ensure inspector does not overlook any part of the product
Training about defect classification, exact judgement about which defect is considered as critical, Major or minor
To enhance quality control (QC) inspection skills and ensure consistent application of inspection methods, I conducted comprehensive training sessions for all Inline, Endline, and Finishing teams Additionally, I provided training on Fishbone Analysis specifically for all supervisors.
Figure 28 Training about QC tools usage for all supervisors
Training QC on how to use Traffic Light System:
Figure 27: training again for all QC staffs
I provide training for Roving Quality Controllers (QCs) on utilizing a traffic light system to assess the quality performance of operators Each hour, Roving QCs must evaluate five pieces, identifying one defect as Yellow, two defects as Red, and achieving zero defects as Green This statistical in-line quality control enables continuous monitoring of garment quality throughout the manufacturing process multiple times a day It is essential to inspect all quality issues within the bundles, including correct measurements, stitch tension, stitches per inch, size and color of thread, seam gauge, seam type, fabric type and color, accessory type, trim color, and correct positioning.
These repeated inspections will identify the potential quality faults at the source, as they happen They will also highlight poorly skilled operators, supervisor
The supervisor must sign the inline inspection report to acknowledge the reported quality issues, ensuring accountability if the matter is contested later It is essential for the supervisor to investigate the underlying reasons for the operator's frequent quality problems and implement corrective measures to prevent future occurrences.
The supervisor will re-train the operator and arrange for the machine to be repaired before resuming sewing operations However, they must first address all incorrectly stitched garments identified in the rejected bundle.
To ensure high-quality garment production, operators must demonstrate proficiency in their sewing skills; otherwise, they may not be suitable for the role It's essential that they receive proper training from the outset, and supervisors must effectively re-train and instruct operators as needed Additionally, mechanics play a crucial role in maintaining equipment, and any issues with cutting quality must be addressed to prevent subpar output.
The advantage of a static quality control system is that it enables the monitoring of all personnel, allowing for the creation of a comprehensive library that identifies which operators are best suited for specific tasks This ensures optimal performance and efficiency in operations.
46 is absent or leaves, the management know which are the mosr versatile operators for each operation and can plan their work flow or production accordingly
Each month, a daily quality control graph is generated for every operator, enabling line supervisors to easily identify top quality performers This approach eliminates the need for management to depend on supervisors' subjective analyses based on their experience.
2.2.4 Traffic Light System application in place:
Figure 29: Traffic Light System Implementation
Green: Means that the Quality Standard meets the buyers requirement From a sample of
5 pieces no defects were found The operator is therefore achieving the required standard
Yellow indicates a minor fault that necessitates caution In a sample of five pieces, one was identified as defective This minor issue is unlikely to result in customer complaints.
Red: Means that the Quality Standard is not to the buyer requirement From a sample of
5 pieces two or more minor faults were found or one major fault The fault classed as
47 major is outside of the customers specification and would cause customer dissatisfaction Two minor faults count as a major fault
Figure 30: Apply Static chart for all operation