Industrial Engineering in Apparel Manufacturing

Book excerpt: While there is pressure (from buyers), inclination (within self to do better) and a heightened aspiration among apparel manufacturers to use Industrial Engineering (IE) like other more industrialized sectors, there is no specific book as such dealing with IE in relation to apparel manufacturing. The existing books that are already written on IE possess academic rigour and generic functions applicable across industries, thus making it difficult for the practitioners to refer and clear discrete doubts related to apparel manufacturing. Undoubtedly, work study is the centrepiece of Industrial Engineering; however apart from work study, industrial engineers in apparel industry are also supposed to perform various other functions like preparing operation breakdown and operation flow chart, selecting machine type and attachment and workaids, planning machine layout for maximizing unidirectional material movement, optimising inventory and storage space and maintaining workplace health and safety. These are some of the areas that often lack significant attention. This practitioner’s handbook is an amalgamation of theory and practices, including steps of implementation and common mistakes. A balanced approached is taken to make it equally meaningful and useful for the academics as well as the industry. A unique section titled “industry practices” is incorporated at the end of each chapter which shares the typical practices, constraints and benefits accrued by the industry, which will give meaningful insight to the readers and help them relate theory with actual practice.