Applying value stream mapping and ECRS to minimizing waste in the hub and spoke distribution in Thai apparel manufacturer
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Abstract
The apparel industry is one of the strategic commodities for the Thai economy. With a less competitive center for the production of apparel, this study aims to identify the wastes in the Hub and Spoke unit (HSU) and provide recommendations to minimize the wastes. This study collected the data from 30 samples at the HSU by using qualitative methods through interviews and observation. Data was collected through recording activities with instruments and observation of the processing time of HSU process flow throughout the receiving of the raw materials from suppliers until distribution to business units. Several lean tools are applied such as root cause analysis, process activity mapping, and value stream mapping (VSM) concept to analyze the problem. The lean tool approach plays an important role in systematically carrying out the improvement based on its well- known method called; Eliminate, Combine, Simplify, and Re-arrange (ECRS). The results of the identification of wastes using the VSM show that there are activities that are non-value-added (NVA) with a total time of 245 minutes of a total time of 832 minutes or 29.45% in the process of HSU. Based on the future VSM after processed improvement by ECRS, it was found that the time of activities that NVA reduced by 105 minutes, and total time of activities from 832 minutes to 700 minutes or reduced by 15.87%. The proposal improvement provided based on the analysis of critical wastes in the form of combined activities, eliminating non-necessary activities, expanding the HSU space and re-arrange production process, making standard operating procedures (SOP), re-skill and upskilling training preventing, avoiding defective work, and organizing the information flow with well understand and acknowledge from SOP. The manufacturers, apparel HSU, or logistics managers will gain several benefits, be well organized, and continuously improve their company performance.
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References
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