Operation Breakdown in Apparel Industry

What is Operation Breakdown?
The work in each style is broken down into operations. An operation is one of the processes that must be completed in converting materials into finished garments. An operation breakdown is a sequential list of all operations involved in assembling a garment, component or style. The sheet of listed operations of a style is also known as operation breakdown (OB). The operation breakdown is done to understand garment construction – like stitch class and seam types used in making the sample garment. Some times operation breakdown is also called garment operation bulletin. Though garment operation bulletin includes more information than the operation breakdown.

Operation Breakdown in Apparel Industry

An operation breakdown in apparel industry contains following information:

  1. Name of the machines to use for doing the specific operations
  2. Sewing and non-sewing operations
  3. Estimated time to do each operation for one unit

Benefits of breakdown in apparel industry:

  1. Could notice all operations of the garment at a time.
  2. Could expect the difficulties of doing a crucial operation.
  3. Could make layout in an easy, simple and less time-consuming way.
  4. Could calculate the SMV for target setting and equal time distribution to the operator during layout.
  5. Easy to select appropriate operator for the specific process.
  6. Could know the quantity and kind of machine required to produce the required garment.
  7. Could achieve the production target within a very short period.
  8. Could be aware about quality to meet the buyers standard.
  9. Could know about additional guide, folder and attachment.

How to make operation breakdown for apparel industry?
Operation breakdown is a primary tool of industrial engineering. It helps to set a production line with correct number of machines and manpower. For making operation breakdown in apparel industry below steps have to follow:

  • Step 1: Preparing an OB format.
  • Step 2: Collection of correct Sample
  • Step 3: Making operation breakdown for the sample
  • Step 4: Define machine for each operation
  • Step 5: Enter SMVs for each operation
  • Step 6: Calculate production per hour
  • Step 7: Calculate number of machines
  • Step 8: Calculate estimated production per hour
  • Step 9: Calculate machine summary

Sample operation breakdown of men’s shirt:

SI. No.OperationsSMVMachine Type
Collar
1Collar pieces pint 20.60SNIS
2Collar run stitch0.42SNIS
3Collar trim and turn0.25SNEC
4Collar top stitch047SNIS
5Band hem0.34SNIS
6Band set0.65SNIS
7Collar label attachment0.24SNIS
8Band top0.45SNIS
9Band and collar ready trim0.41SNEC
Cuff preparation
10Cuff pieces joint 20.80SNIS
11Cuff hem0.53SNIS
12Cuff run stitch0.73SNIS
13Cuff trim and turn0.57SNEC
14Cuff top and sleeve pleat making0.66SNIS
Sleeve preparation
15Sleeve panel attach0.70OLS
16Sleeve panel top0.65SNIS
17Under placket attach and tacking0.65SNIS
18Big placket attachment1.18SNIS
Front
19Button hole placket trim and attachment0.56KANSAI
20Button placket sew and wash care label0.38SNIS
21Button placket piping attach0.40SNIS
Back
22Label attachment0.35SNIS
23Yoke attach and top043SNIS
24Dart mark and sew0.56SNIS
25Front and back trim and pair0.70MANUAL
Assembly
26Shoulder attachment and top046SNIS
27Collar attach0.54SNIS
28Collar finishing with content label0.85SNIS
29Sleeve no set and attach0.85OIS
30Top stitch at armhole0.71SNIS
31Side seam attach and sleeve trim0.70OL5
32Cuff no set and attaching0.88SNIS
33Bottom hem B\S and B\H0.67SNIS
34Buttonhole front-7, cuff-2, sleeve placket 21.08BH
35Button mark0.27MANUAL
36Button front -7, spare-1, cuff 2, sleeve placket 21.17BTN
37Button melting0.23IRON
TOTAL22.10

Calculation of operation breakdown:

……………………………………Worker x Working hour x 60
Target per hour = —————————————– x Efficiency %
………………………………………………………..SMV

………………………………………………………………..SMV
Basic Pitch Time (BPT) = ——————————–
……………………………………………………….Total Manpower

………………………………………………………………………………………………..BPT
Upper Control Limit (UCL) = —————————————————————————-
……………………………………………………………………….Wanted Organizational Efficiency (0.85)

Lower Control Limit (LCL) = BPT x 2 – UCL

References:

  1. Apparel Manufacturing Technology by T. Karthik, P. Ganesan, and D. Gopalakrishnan
  2. Practice of Garments Merchandising and Management by Engr. Md. Faruk Hosen
  3. https://textilelearner.net/operation-of-sewing-section-process-breakdown-of-basic-shirt/
  4. http://garmentsdiary.com
  5. http://textilestorage.blogspot.com

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