ImagesMagUK-July-2020

An old-school flow chart like this may seem silly to some, but if you are losing information, backtracking, or generally just not getting the right assets to the right people, mapping out your order flow may help you identify the problem at hand Technologies exist to help you automate your informational workflow, pulling the correct files from a centralised source based on barcodes printed on your production paperwork. Time-savers like this can help you do more with less staff and time, but you can do a great deal with almost no investment or equipment outlay with simple preparation and retooling your informational workflow and shop layout Stage blank goods and materials in a queue near each machine, in the order of production, at the beginning of each work shift. Operators should not be searching through shelves or tracking down garments when it’s time to produce; each job should already be staged in this physical queue so that as one job is completed, the next is at hand and ready to run. Moreover, as much as is possible within the requirements of delivering on-time, each type of job requiring special set up should be grouped. If your machine must be converted for caps, queue cap jobs back-to-back to reduce the amount of time spent in switching over the machine set up. If you have two machines and a sufficient amount of throughput, have one machine set up for caps and one for flats so that you can continue to feed the machines without breaking down or switching. If you have several jobs with low numbers of colours, you can also thread your machine once for multiple jobs until all needles are threaded, only switching needle assignments as the jobs progress through the production queue. Sort jobs in such a way that set-up tasks can be similarly ‘chunked’. This sort of staging can also be done within a run: for individually personalised garments, separate your personalisation into stitch files based on size/colour combinations and stack garments accordingly. This means that without identifying garments by position individually, your operators can load a machine with a specified style/colour/size of garment until all names in a single file are spent. The goal with physical staging, whether it is within an order or on the shop floor, is to reduce the need to enquire, examine or search for the next garment, file or material required for the job. By the time an operator is ready to run, the decision- making should be done for any given order. Examine your environment This idea of removing friction, decision- making and searching extends to all manner of needs that your production staffers might have in the course of a shift. All stations should be examined to make certain that the necessary tools and supplies are within arm’s reach at each machine. Each machine should have the basic set of tools, lubricants, hoops, trims, and stabilisers as well as a hooping station, so that without taking more than a step or two from the control panel on a machine, the operator can find everything they need. The minor expenditure on basic tools and maintenance items is well worth it to reclaim the time spent walking around a shop looking for the proper hex wrench or running to a central cabinet for needles and bobbins. No matter what the production task you are trying to optimise, watch your staffers and see how much walking it takes to complete an order; every step wasted, every time a machine must be paused, is lost time you may be able to reclaim with a small investment in set up and supplies. Cross-train for crisis Sadly, if you are thinking about cross- training now, you have probably already felt the pain of having a critical employee missing from their position. What crises can show you, however, is that it’s never advisable to have ‘choke points’ where a single person’s absence can bring your work to a halt. Save for skilled positions that can’t be easily trained, every position should have at least partial coverage through cross-training. Basic machine operation, the ability to fetch and prepare files, shipping/receiving, and the basic access to and handling of accounts – these things shouldn’t be relegated to a single staffer. While you are still facing slowdowns and staggered start ups, it’s a good idea for staff members to spend slow shifts becoming educated on unfamiliar tasks and positions. Don’t wait to put tools and clear policies in place to enable multiple people to deal with critical tasks, and make sure it’s well known who will handle a task when the primary worker is not available. Cross-training your staff on multiple positions also helps communication, even when your staff is fully present, as cross- departmental training directly exposes workers to the needs and challenges faced by staffers in other positions. Much of the efficacy of this cross- training is tied up in asset and information management; at any time, staffers should be able to find and report on the current status of an order. Similarly, no production job should wait because only one staffer knows the location of or has access to critical assets, tools or supplies. Just as universal access to information allows any staffer to answer customer enquiries, having universal access to necessary assets and tools means that your staff are never stuck when they need to progress an order. In conclusion Though it’s especially important in this current situation, having an eye towards efficiency is always good for your productivity and, ultimately, for your profit margin. Look to your process, find frequent slowdowns, and make sure your staff know how to fill in where they see a need. You’ll never be sorry to have incorporated this added flexibility and smooth workflow into your company culture. www.images-magazine.com JULY 2020 images 39 KB BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Erich Campbell is an award-winning digitiser, embroidery columnist and educator, with more than 20 years’ experience both in production and the management of ecommerce properties. He is the programme manager for the commercial division of BriTon Leap. www.erichcampbell.com