DMAIC Approach to Optimize the Production Capacities of a Tunisian Clothing Manufacture: A Case Study

Manufacturing issues have always been a hurdle for managers, engineers, and professionals. They can lead to low productivity, poor quality, high costs, and ultimately loss of customers. Problems should be avoided by fair means and following well-established methodologies of continuous process improvement. The main objective of this paper is to standardize a production line of T-shirts by optimizing material, human, and logistic resources using lean management tools. The DMAIC method as a full approach was used to improve the workstation design and to decrease human fatigue. The SWOT analysis followed by the QQOQCCP method was used to define the project; the Pareto analysis coupled with the IO method and the Ishikawa diagram have been explored the main causes of hazards. The improvements focused on the design of some workstations to change their operating modes lead to the productivity optimization. New machine arrangement method was made to develop more comfortable space and less flows disruption. The results lead to increase the productivity by 40% and decrease the number of needed staff from 22 to 19 workers. The number of daily outstanding was decreased from 254 pieces/day to 64 pieces/day.