Introduction

History/ Background

The Stafford Group has a solid commitment to providing high-quality items for each Stafford brand, regardless of the price range. The Group is one of Australia’s leading producers of customized apparel for men and women. The Stafford Group belongs to some of Australia’s most famous brands. The current firm headquarters is in Melbourne, Australia, with production taking place in China.

The Stafford was founded in 1893 by Charlotte Cohen, who registered it as a small clothing firm, C.A Cohen & Co. at 270 Brunswick Street Fitzroy. The name “Stafford Clothing company” was registered in 1948 because it connects with menswear and good image. It later took over several clothing companies like Ellison Bros, Robbel Apparel, Whittaker Clothing company, etc.

Stafford became a public company in 1962. It was admitted to the international fashion council in 1965 and later becoming the first fashion company to receive the coveted As 3901; ISO9001 in Australia. Opened an Eaglehawk plant in 1971 after winning the silver from the International Fashion Council award!

Organizational Structure

Managing Director heads Stafford Group Pty Ltd. There are nine departments with seven sub-departments.

Role of Production Planner/Manager

A production planning manager must be responsible for developing production plans per the company budgets and timelines. They have to analyze production requirements and develop objectives and standards to enable their staff to operate smoothly and efficiently. They must also monitor and handle difficulties while daily work is undertaken. In addition, to accomplish production goals, personnel should be guided and promoted as production planning management and application of company rules and regulations.

The role of Quality Assurance Manager

The quality manager in the garment company is a person responsible for quality control and assurance. It creates techniques of quality control and ensures the quality required for the entire factory. It is a significant obligation as a quality manager to monitor quality problems and achieve a quality product. The Quality Manager is responsible for pleasing consumers by delivering a quality product. A quality manager needs to work in the manufacturing of textiles and clothing.

Findings

Production planning processes and systems

Production planning and control is a predefined process designed to plan, manage and control the allocation, for optimal efficiency, of human resources, raw materials, and machines. Production planning is a series of processes that enable producers to work in the best way possible and optimize their production process. This allows producers to work smarter by managing internal resources efficiently to satisfy the demand of their customers.

The heart of any industrial unit is production planning. It comprises material prediction, master planning of production, long-range planning, management of demand, and more. The PPC process begins with a product demand estimate and then designs a manufacturing plan to meet the demand.

Production planning is a method for designing an operational chain that will assist manufacturers in the appropriate position at the right time to ensure optimum efficiency via their resources.

Demand forecasting

Stafford Group’s demand forecasting is a data-driven exercise calculated by using the past and projected sales and the customers’ orders. The practice of forecasting offers a good base for an informed decision-making process. Stafford uses baseline information to identify the consumer’s buying habits. From that, they can order raw materials appropriately. The trends identify the quality and quality of materials in terms of fabric, patterns, colors, shapes, and more.

Efficiencies

The efficiency of an organization, as the driver of present success and stability, is produced by firm-specific characteristics like managerial ability, innovation, cost control, and market share. Operational efficiency is a company’s ability to restrict and maximize its capabilities to provide consumers with excellent products and services (Kalluru and Bhat, 2009).

Improving operational efficiency directly affects the profit margins of organizations and making businesses more efficient. Operating effectiveness is essential for any organization and is considered an excellent and sustained financial success by top executives (Sufian, 2007). The rationalization of essential procedures by the organization frequently produces operational efficiency. This helps to adapt cost-effectively to the ever-shifting market pressures (Barnett and Burgelman, 1996). Therefore, every company needs to remain competitive in the worldwide market to enhance the international market share. The improvement of operating efficiency is significant for companies as far as feasible. The efficiency is obtained using the production line output; the standard allowed minutes (SAM), the number of operators in the line, and several working hours.

The productivity of labor in the Stafford Group measures the quantity of clothing produced in a particular timeframe by a line of sewing machinery operators. It is the ratio of input to output.

The total production per day =1000 pieces
Labor (operators) = 40
Working duration = 480 minutes (10 hours)

So labor productivity is = Total production parts / overall labor input = (1200/37) parts = 25 parts for 8 hours.

Methods and techniques for costing

Stafford Group costs by considering the fabrics and clothing utilized, clothing testing, logistical costs, corporate profit, packaging requirement, and value-added services such as print and stickering. Others include the cost of a garment, such as a unit of measurement, order quantity, and the type of dyeing and finishing used. There are many additional factors. All these components are included in a Bill of Materials (BOM) – part of every Tech pack, a so-called ‘manufacturing recipe’ for clothing or an accessory.

Material ordering

Stafford Group’s fabric order takes the following into account the precise requirement calculation. If the customer’s BOM (Bill of Materials) inside the specification sheet is examined correctly, the correct calculation of the material need may be done. Choose the best supplier in quality, pricing, and delivery for the materials. The mill provides a PI verifying the data as specified in the PO (Performa Invoice). The same must also be indicated in the PI in case of any modifications necessary to the PO. Depending on the provider, there might be several types of payment term arrangements. The material collection officer constantly evaluates all the criteria needed to provide

Inventory control

Inventory management is information, transit, acquisition, inspection, materials handling, stocking, packing, and supply control system. It aims to identify, maintain and maximize the flow of products, information, and other associated resources from the place of origin to final consumption (Eyob 2020).

The Stafford Group uses one of the most effective ways to ensure stock investments are under control. By checking every stock of items regularly once physical control is conducted, any discrepancies identified and acted following Williamson can be compared to theoretical or library inventories (1998).

The focus of organizational attempts to prevent losses has been on stock management. The capital management inside the firm contributes considerably to earnings, and inventories are generally the greatest asset of a corporation.

Lead times

The lead time from the client’s order to delivery is traditional in delivery chain management. The Stafford Group says it is more about consumer expectations, supply chain innovations, and competitive stresses. (Shahidul and Maeen 2014).

Production scheduling time In production planning, lead time is quite essential. The customer will not receive delivery in due course. Therefore, the time limit for simultaneous delivery and manufacturing is set. In Stafford, from the order of materials (90 days), paperwork approval (5 days), production (65 days), shipping and loading (45 days), receive in warehouse and wholesaler (14 days) and finally int the stores. This takes a total of 220 days is the delivery lead-time after the client places order.

(Refer to Critical Path Schedule, in appendix 2)

Quality assurance (QA) requirements

Export businesses must maintain a high-quality standard in order to secure more excellent business internationally. Product quality is measured in fiber quality, fabric building, yarn, design of surface, color speed, and completed clothing. Quality control is applied from the start of raw material procurement through the finished clothing stage.

Product development and production process

Stafford Group has very strict brands of menswear; however, in the development of these products, the following were considered, perception of a need/gap for a company’s market; the demand by consumers for new or improved products; a path towards product innovation; competition; technology changes, and seasonal demands and changes.

Methods for creating ideas for a new product are unique ideas, brainstorming meetings, group conversations, and a dissection study of market research. Once the idea is identified, screening is done; concept testing; Idea Screening; market analysis is done the product is developed.

The commercialization of the product is done by introducing it to the market. Product monitoring and evaluation are done.

The success of a product is decided via the interplay and integration of value, time, cost, and quality in the Stafford group.

(Refer to Flow Chart, in appendix 2)

Operation and performance

Quality

The company offers high-quality products with standards and well-managed production systems.

Environmental aspects

Stafford Group is ISO: 9001 certified; it is a quality management system dealing with the company process and record-keeping undertaken by the global certification institution, Sai Global.

The Stafford Group Pty Ltd takes part in environmental activities in Australia as demonstrated in company profile 2015 (Stafford Group 2015) in the is a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimization (Australia Packaging Covenant 2020).

Ethical aspects

Stafford group subject all its suppliers to sign the Vendors Code of conduct, which establishes their minimum environmental requirement, health and safety compliance, and employment practices.

The company believes in open and good corporate governance and ethical relationship with all its stakeholders.

It engages with highly reputable suppliers with the best world practices with successful SMETA audit.

The Stafford Group Pty Ltd has manufacturing operations in Australia but is not accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia, ensuring Australian workers receive fair wages and decent conditions (Ethical Clothing Australia 2021).

(Refer to SWOT analysis, in appendix 3)

Recommendations: Alternate Production System

The use of modular production methods

Reducing costs is a prerequisite for competitiveness; it is not sufficient given current consumer behavior and development characteristics and the rising rivalry in other nations, which stems from the globalization process in the economy (William et al., 2004). In this context, strategic and operational competitiveness notions are crucial to separate (Gabina, 1996), as shown below.

Given the particular nature of the clothes business, the adoption of new tactics for achieving the competitiveness levels now demanded by the market must be considered. One of the alternatives for the productive sector is the modular manufacturing processes, based on the just in time (JIT) philosophy.

JIT is a concept of providing customers with the highest quality goods using the lowest inventory available and free of waste or unnecessary costs. JIT aims to reduce production cycles, increasing flexibility, quality, and reductions in cost through a logistic emphasis of the type “Pull” (Dominguez et al. 1995).

The JIT method requires a structured production system to be the optimal lot size. The aim is to avoid the buildup of components waiting for processing and reduce production times. It also reduces the amount of time it takes to change requests and detect any quality problems. Inventor: JIT is an acronym for jumping in batches

Module concept and requirements

A module is an organized team of employees who manufacture a particular product. It ensures that the product moves quickly and synchronously, according to its operational order. Integrating its components as an actual working team is a crucial requirement for success in module operations. In the short term, this requires high-quality awareness and an improved attitude.

Senior management must be convinced that the change is necessary before it can be implemented. The next stage is to create and comply with the program’s requirements for each of the workgroups. It is then essential to tell the participant of the change to the factory staff, which affects their operational success.

Competitive benefits of modular production

In the improvement of the following elements, the significant contributions that the modular manufacturing systems give. Reduced production costs, shown in the rise in workforce efficiency, reduced inventory in the process, and reduced expenditures in handling materials. Increasing customer service because the manufacturing cycle may be reduced and speed and flexibility significantly improved.

Improved quality, since self-controlled systems may be implanted, and also because of the low inventory levels, the earlier and more straightforward identification of faults. Better utilization of the factory floor because the machine and flows are reorganized, and inventory levels are reduced, eliminating needless travels and additional worthless room. Reducing the index rotation and the absence of staff provide a better working environment.

Conclusion

The competitive advantage of implementing a modular production system is proven by the findings gained. This is demonstrated by the rise in personnel productivity in the area required for its operation, decrease in the inventories of processes, reduction of the production cycle, and the economy. However, implementing this system requires a profound change in the organization’s philosophy and operational structure, which is designed to change the old production arrangements and individual stimuli and promote teamwork within a culture of total quality that is highly important to human resources. Training programs that let you know the method and the mindset that modular production implies should begin at all hierarchical levels. After this system is established, the company will be able to explore new market possibilities with items of great quality, reduced prices, and rapid deliveries and achieve better competitive performance. The capacity supplied by modular manufacturing in proportion to their flexibility, in general, makes that system more adaptable than the in-line manufacturing systems should also be examined.

References

Cannon, T 2012, Corporate responsibility: governance, compliance, and ethics in a sustainable environment, 2nd edn, Pearson Education, Harlow, UK.

Flew, T 2013, Global creative industries, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK.

Kalluru, S.R., and Bhat, S.K 2009, ‘Determinants of cost efficiency of commercial banks in India,’ IUP Journal of Bank Management, Vol. 8, No. 2, p.32.

Sufian, F 2007, ‘The efficiency of the Islamic banking industry in Malaysia: foreign vs. domestic banks,’ Humanomics, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp.174–192.

Barnett, W.P. and Burgelman, R.A 1996, ‘Evolutionary perspectives on strategy,’ Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 17, No. S1, pp.5–19.

Prasanta S 2013, Garment Manufacturing Process Flow Chart. (Accessed 10^th August 2021) https://www.onlineclothingstudy.com/2013/05/garment-manufacturing-process-flow-chart.html.

Stafford Group Pty Ltd. 2015, Stafford Group Pty Ltd; Company profile.

APC 2020, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (Accessed 10^th August 202). https://apco.org.au

Ethical Clothing Australia 2021, Buy Ethical, Buy Local (Accessed 10^th August 202). https://guide.ethical.org.au/company/?company=5152

Mahmuda, A and Haris, U 2017, Supply Chain Operation Model in Terms of Raw Material in Bangladesh Apparel Industry. International Journal of Textile Science; 6(2): 43-48

Eyob, M 2020, Inventory Management in Textile and Apparel Merchandising, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/924344

Shahidul, K Maeen, and Khairul Akter, 2014, Analysis of the factors affecting the lead time for export of readymade apparel from Bangladesh; proposals for strategic reduction of lead time. European Scientific Journal. Vol.10, No.33 ISSN: 1857 – 7881

Gabin˜ a, J 1996, “The revisited future – the strategic competitiveness,” Apparel IndustryInternational, Vol. 1, p. 179.

William A, Castro R, Castro S, Mirón P, and Alonso M 2004, “Modular manufacturing: an alternative to improve the competitiveness in the clothing industry,” International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 16 Iss 3 pp. 301 – 309: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09556220410527228

Dominguez M, Garcia, S, Ruiz, A. and Alvarez, M 1995, Operations Management: Tactical and Operative Aspects of the Production and the Services, McGraw-Hill, Madrid.

Kate Eby 2015, The Ultimate Guide to the Critical Path Method Accessed: 11^th August 2021. https://www.smartsheet.com/critical-path-method

Appendices

Appendix 1. The production flow chart

Source: Prasanta, 2013

Appendix 2. Critical Path Schedule

Appendix 3. SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is an excellent way to sum up, the present position inside the Stafford Group. SWOT analysis shows how problems may be tackled or not addressed and reveals what is needed to sustain present competence levels and undertake continuous capacity building. This study can be utilized to help evaluate the company’s future path.