Production planning process improvement: case study from the apparel accessories industry

Abstract

Alpha Lanka (Pvt) Ltd operates in the apparel accessories industry in Sri Lanka, where On-time delivery (OTD) performance is a vital factor. However, achieving OTD to the expected level which is from 90% to 95% has become a challenge due to the complications in the production planning process. Currently, the production planning process is done manually by using Excel spreadsheets which increases the complexity of the planning process. The aim of this study is to recommend an innovative production planning tool that enhances OTD performance while giving accurate promise dates. The scope of this work is limited to one specific product line within the company. The study adopts an exploratory research design to clarify the problem and uncover new insights. The main research approach is qualitative research since it mainly considers the subjective experiences of people. Unstructured and semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations have been employed as primary data collection methods, and company records have been employed as secondary data collection methods. Finally, the research used process modeling, Pareto analysis, root cause analysis, and 5 why as the techniques to analyze the data. The analysis showed that Production delays were the main cause of OTD delays. This study suggested a model of a production planning tool that was developed using spreadsheets and related process improvements to achieve a proper production planning process. The tool was developed using various functionalities and formulas of spreadsheets to streamline the production planning with estimated lead time and to organize the production planning data effectively. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the production planning process.