Wednesday, December 9, 2015

What Is Industrial Engineering Job in Garments Industry? What Is IE's Main Duties & Activities According To JD?



Industrial engineer:

Industrial Engineer is an engineer who works in an industrial factory where do some goods with the help of IE’s discreet directions. In the garment industry, industrial engineer takes some responsibility for better productions & increase the company efficiency. Basically, in apparel industry, industrial engineer doing some individual works with every department.  From merchandise to finishing department, every sector needs some industrial engineers for product development.  An industrial engineer must have effectively & efficiently utilize software technologies, machine tools, man & machine’s proper utilization with math & scientific concepts in order to solve problems, provide products or services at minimal and produce cost and produce on time at the foremost level to satisfy customer demands. The Industrial Engineer uses their knowledge and proficiency to enhance methodical processes according to statistic analysis, interpersonal communication, design, planning, quality control, operations management, computer relating, and problem solving.


Industrial Engineering:

Industrial Engineering is an occupation in which a knowledge of mathematical and natural sciences achieved by study, experience and practice is applied with judgment to develop the ways to utilize economically the material and other resources and focus of nature for the benefi9t of mankind.
American Institute of Industrial Engineers (AIIE) defines Industrial Engineering as follows:
“Industrial Engineering is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of men, materials, and equipment. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skills in the mathematical, physical sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design to specify, predict and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems.”
The key purpose of Industrial Engineering is to increase the productivity by obviating waste and unproductive operations and progressing the effective utilization of resources.
 


Here I am trying to figure out actual duties & responsibilities of an industrial engineer in the textile / garment industry.

Analytic part:

In garments industry, they produce garments. As an engineer IE’s first first responsibility is analyze the garments before it starts in sewing line.  Their main duties are:

Ø  Preparing operation bulletin (OB) for 3 times. At first initial proto sample & fit, approved sample for cm and actual operation breakdown for bulk production.

Ø  Preparing line lay out with/without lean concept and responsible to implement the layout in the work place.

Ø  Preparing monthly machinery requirement plans and inform the maintenance department for arranging to in house necessary machine in advance by coordinating with the factory manager and planning head.

Ø  Inform the maintenance department for arranging to in house folders and attachments well in advance based on schedule production plan.

Ø  Preparing thread consumption, twill tape, mobilon tape, drawstring, and other accessories consumption and coordinate with the merchandising team for purchasing these.

Ø  Updating skill matrix and recruiting sewing operators through skill test.

Preparations part:

After analyzing the garments IE should prepare for the bulk production. For good productions IE should:

Ø  Discuss with APM (assistant production manager), responsible GPQ, and technician about the new style garment layout 3 days before it starts with the line,  explain them every sequence and try to console them. If there need any kinds of addition (of course with a good technical reason) add it and then get their signature to implementation.

Ø  Update layout must be approved by IE head.

Ø  Inform maintenance department for required machines, folders, and attachment, and ask them to arrange all requirements properly before the new style start.

Ø  Get information from others department about new style accessories availability, trim cards status, fabrics status, cutting & printing status.

Ø  Attend pp meeting and gather knowledge about buyer requirements and any other technical issues.

Ø  After starting line layout, IE should stay on the line with APM, technician, line supervisor for implementing it effectively.

Implementing part:

At bulk production period IE’s should act some important rule in the production line.

1.       After starting to bulk production, prepare line balancing graph according to present machine sequence and operator status.

2.       Find out if there any kinds problem of balancing the line, discuss it with APM and ensure that it should be implemented.

3.       After balancing the line find out bottleneck area, where invented huge WIP.

4.       Conduct production study, and find out the actual cause for inventing WIP.

5.       Start method study and educate to follow the best method to operators.

Every day duties:

On the production floor every day IE should perform  several activities such as:

v  IE should give the target, according to present manpower (operators + helpers) and garment style,  garments SMV.

v  In the morning start work in the output area ensure that all machines are running at the beginning of the time and start output at the very first moment.

v   Count present manpower and check the floor 5s & housekeeping properly.

v  Hourly production monitoring is an important tool for improving line productivity.

v  Every hour discusses with APM & line supervisor about the current production situation.

v  Trying to solve if there any kinds of quality issues.

v  Follow up operators who are not achieving the target/capacity.

v  Bundle system follows up.

v  Measuring the line lost time due to various reasons in sewing floor.

v  Control line WIP.

v  Help supervisors in line balancing during high efficient operator absent.

Among these IE also doing several tasks,

1.       Prepare daily production report.

2.       Prepare daily non productive report.

3.       Monthly productions summery.

4.       Monthly non productions time summery.

5.       Calculate factory achieves efficiency.

6.       Constant control of direct labor cost.

7.       Recruitment of sewing operators through skill test.

8.       The process develops according to motion study and implement a better system to eliminate excess motion.

9.       Preparing monthly production improvement and graph presentation.

10.   Arrange supervisor’s training weekly or monthly basis.

IE should take total responsibility for factory efficiency. IE’s main job is to increase the efficiency.

Important tools for increasing productions as well as factory efficiency:

v  Capacity study

v  Production study

v  Motion study

v  Method development

v  Applying the lean concept

v  Line balancing graph







Written By:
Md. Farid Ahmed
IE Officer 
Fakir Apparels Ltd.
BSCIC Industrial Area, Enayet Nagar,
Fatulla, Narayangonj, Bangladesh.




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