Work in process (WIP)? How to Control and Manage Work in process (WIP)?

Work in process (WIP):

Semi-finished or finished products that are transported from one work station to the next are called work in progress.

• WIP consists of all garments and their parts which are not completely finished.

• It can be measured in units (pieces) or time (minutes).

For example - if an operator takes 0.8 minutes to sew a stitch and if he processes 3 bundles of 10 pieces each, then the WIP at that workstation is 30 pieces or 24 minutes.

 How to Control WIP :

Two major cost areas can be reduced if WIP is controlled.

1. Inventory investment

Inventory is money invested in raw materials. If inventory is not moved quickly through the plant, it directly affects cash flow.

2. Ability to reduce production cycle

A. Due to less inventory in operation, garments generally have shorter waiting times and go through the production cycle in less time.

Large inventory levels between operations keep products waiting to be processed This increases the aggregate through the put period.

B. Shorter put times allow better coordination between sales and production.

C. Low cycle times give manufacturers the ability to handle multiple styles.

D. Clients/buyers are looking for factories that can meet production schedules, that can handle multiple styles and handle low inventories that will minimize their investment.

E. Factories that operate with low WIP can survive in the current market.

How to Manage WIP:

WIP can be managed by strictly following the activities given below.

1. Production planning

• It requires planning from marketing and sales to determine the type, duration and quantity of products produced in the factory.

• Skilled pre-production team (sampling, R&D and merchandising) should play an important role in order picking and preparation activities before starting styles.

2. Trim control

• Trims are buttons, zippers, labels, threads, elastics and more.

• All trimmings should be in house before starting bulk production.

• An updated trims inventory report should be maintained. The unavailability of even a small label can stop production.

3. Production build-up

• Loading should be done on the basis of date-based production build-up plan prepared considering the sewing line capacity.

• If the loading exceeds the amount the line is capable of processing, it will end up in huge WIP, thus affecting the entire flow.

4. Balance

• Even if the line is loaded based on capacity, the WIP on the line is likely to increase due to unbalanced production.

• This can happen due to absenteeism, labor turnover, style change, bad cuts etc.

• Based on inventory level data at each work station, the line can be balanced using the necessary operator shifts and utility operators over time.

5. Cut flow control

• To control WIP, cycle time should be kept short by following FIFO method for each cut.

• This can be ensured by using cut tracking sheets and bundle tracking sheets.