4. CONTENTS
1. Introduction and Background
2. The Business Improvement Project
3. Research
4. Project Aims, How to Achieve These and Progress
5. Implementation: The Story So Far
6. The Next Stage
7. Conclusion
6. 2. The Business Improvement Project
What is a small package dyeing?
< 30kgs
Two methods of dyeing:
1) Package Dyeing
2) Fibre (Top) Dyeing
7. 2. The Business Improvement Project (continued…)
Three means of reducing the number of small package dyeings:
1. Increase the size of the dyeing
2. Identify runners, repeaters and strangers and dye for stock
3. Use current stock more effectively
8. 3. Research
• Forcefield Analysis
• Supplier Questionnaire
- 8 questions
- Face to face
• Quantitative Research
Forces for Change Forces Against Change
Customers require quick turnaround on orders Suppliers fearful of change
Fewer purchase orders to raise and manage Complete change in purchasing culture
Fewer submits to analyse Time constraints
Fewer goods inbound inspections Data - needs to be easy to understand
Better price/kg for larger dyeings Lack of detailed sales forecasting
Improved relationship with package dyer
No cost incurred
Personal development opportunities
Reduce the number of small
package dyeings carried out by
Moorbrook Textiles (Robert Noble
and Replin)
9. 3. Research (continued…)
Highlights:
1 October 2012 to 2 September 2013
719 small dyeings (less than 30kgs) = 10,047.75kgs
22/1 NM SLN B5482 – dyed 6 times – once per month March-July 2013
13.4/1 NM WLN H5211 – dyed 10 times – 3 times in December 2012
13.4/1 NM WLN V2951 – dyed 8 times, twice in February 2013
10. 4. Project Aims and How to Achieve Them
8 aims:
1. Create data which is easy to generate and use
2. Improve package dyer delivery performance (OTIF)
3. Reduce customer lead times
4. Utilise dyers more effectively
5. Reduce number of submits to be analysed
6. Reduce the number of inbound deliveries to be assessed
7. Save time by reducing the number of purchase orders
8. Reduce the purchase price/kg
11. 5. Implementation: The Story So Far
Implemented August 2013
Update on current position (February 2014)
Direct comparison of receipts (2 October 2013 – 21 February 2014 vs 2 October 2012 – 21 February 2013)
Number of small dyeings reduced by 56 purchase order lines and 506.48kgs
2012/2013 372 purchase order lines = 4,597.28kgs
2013/2014 316 purchase order lines = 4,090.80kgs
Measuring progress
12. 6. The Next Stage
Continuation of the project
Other related projects:
Top Dyeing vs Package Dyeing
Yarn Stock Reduction Project
Process Redesign – Inventory and Sales Execution
22. MikeCass
A description of the terminology used in this
presentation.
Warping
Is the creation of a series of yarns (ends) laid out on the
warp mill, and is kept in the right order by a lease band.
The warp runs the required length of the cloth in loom
A gear
Is a number of shafts that the warp is drawn
through, the gear controls the type of weave in the
loom, required by the design team/customer
Knotting
Is two complete warps, set up on a frame and knotted
together using a knotting machine
23. Brief explanation of knottingEnds being knotted by the
knotting machine Two warps, dressed and clamped in
knotting frame
MikeCass
24. Objectives
• To improve productivity by reducing loom downtime
• Transferring the downtime from the weaving
department to the preparation area (Warping
Department)
• To plan in lead time for preparation in warping
• To facilitate the above by training people to be multi-
skilled.
• To cut down on the downtime associated with gear
changes in weaving.
MikeCass
26. • Data was collected over a 12 week
period
• 74 Gear changes
• 150 Hours downtime for knotting
alone
• Over 48 weeks = 600 hours downtime
MikeCass
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Gear Changes
Weaving Downtime
Collecting and quantifying
data from gear change knotting
27. Mill Visit: Comparisons between Lovat Mill
and Begg & Co.
Lovat Mill Begg & Co.
MikeCass
Setup after Lovat Mill Visit
28. The stages of lifting gears into loom
• The gear is lifted into loom and connected to the under
motion
• The warp beam is then lifted into loom
• The knotter then comes along and knots the warp and
gear together
• Once this is complete the loom technician can then pull
through and setup the loom to the reed width
MikeCass
29. Investment in a knotting station
•Buying a purpose built
station supplied by Groz
Beckert.
Mobile knotting station
MikeCass
30. Multi-skilling
and building a team
• Drawer/Knotter:
• Responsible for tying the gear and warp together, off line
• Loomer/Assistant Tuner:
• Responsible for lifting gears in & out of the loom
• Two new knotters:
MikeCass
31. Benefits
• Improved efficiencies in weaving
• Increased productivity within the preparation area
(warping and drawing)
• A multi-skilled and flexible workforce
• Improvements in the planning process
MikeCass
33. Annual Benefits
• This initiative has delivered savings of 60 hours loom time weekly – approximately
3,000 annually
• This equates to 21,600,300 picks
• Typically around 10% of the company’s loom output
MikeCass
72. Why was Flexible Working necessary
• Satisfy customer demand in peak season without paying
expensive overtime rates.
• Keep people gainfully employed in low season.
• Ensure customer orders are delivered on time.
• Ensure employees maintain stable earnings through the
year.
74. Sales by Season
• Autumn Season – 165,000 units
• Spring Season – 100,000 units
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
Spring Autumn
Sales
Capacity
75. Main Obstacles
• Employee Buy in
Contractually must work a 44 hour week if required.
Working extra in the Summer.
Missing out on lucrative overtime payments.
• Keeping it Simple
It needed to work for Employee‟s and the Company.
Needed flexible approach.
76. Solution for Hawick Knitwear
• Worked with the unions who did recognise the problems faced by the business.
• Came up with a flexible working agreement which we have operated for around
15 years.
• Key Principles of Agreement
Employees work an extra up to 5 hours per week for a maximum of 20 weeks
during peak periods.
This money is not paid out but banked at time and a quarter (also benefits
cash flow).
During low period we can reduce capacity by up to 10 hours per week.
Employees draw on previously banked hours so they still get a full wage even
if only working 29 hours.
Different sections can have different working patterns at the same time.
We advise employees of working patterns on the Monday of the pre-ceeding
week.
77. Outcomes
• Good agreement that has benefitted business.
• Minor tweaks implemented but generally still same
agreement.
• Allows us to sell more production for our peak
August/September delivery period.
• Less Production required for quieter October-March period.
• Keeps employee earnings stable throughout the year.
79. Zero Waste Scotland
Overall aim:
• Prevent Waste,
• Increase Resource
Efficiency,
• Enable a shift towards a
more circular economy.
80.
81. Circular Economy Work
Programme
• Embedding thinking, language and narrative in all
engagement.
• Developing CE solutions and gather evidence.
– Design, manufacture, selling, reuse
– In partnership with academia / research
organisations
• Stimulating CE business opportunities.
– Making business case
– Piloting new opportunities
82. Summary
• How do we embed Circular Economy thinking into the Textile Sector?
• Where are the biggest wins?
• What ideas or initiatives can be actioned now?
• Is market intervention is required?
98. Where were we before MA‟s?
Elgin (Wovens)
• High skilled roles
• Shrinking pool of recruits
• Geographic isolation
• Good documentation of job roles but
little structure for training
• Use of in-house Skill Audits to assess
trainee progress – informal with little
„weight‟
Hawick (Knitwear)
• High skilled roles
• Other knitwear companies competing in
same pool
• Circle of resource
• Lack of new blood to the
industry/company
• Low level of structured training
• Lack of training skills (Trainers)
99. Why did we embark on this journey?
Strengths
• Highly skilled Managers/Supervisors
• Large workforce offers flexibility
• Can offer career opportunities for
employee progression
• Leadership vision
• Previous experience to learn from
• Internal support from HR Dept
Weaknesses
• Lack of structured training
• Lack of training skills
• Large workforce – lots of job roles
within mill – complex
• BUSY!!! No time to train new recruits
100. Why did we embark on this journey?
Opportunities
• Political will to support apprenticeships
• Partnership to develop project –
Glasgow Clyde College
(Cardonald)/STAG
• Utilize existing skills in workforce
• Develop relevant training to meet
specific company needs
• Improve product quality
• Improve productivity
• Offer Nationally accredited qualifications
• Retain staff and skills
• Improve employee satisfaction
• Structure/systems for employee reviews –
identify skill gaps and acknowledge
success
• Succession planning
• Raise profile of the industry
• Attract high calibre applicants
101. What were the key steps?
• Partnership for development of infrastructure for Training and Accreditation –
Glasgow Clyde College/STAG
• Initial assessment of Department
• Identify Job roles and skill levels
• Identify potential Trainers & Assessors
• Preparation of Assessment Materials for SVQ Qualifications
• Develop Training Materials
• Provide training for Trainers & Assessors
• Provide support to Trainers/Assessors to plan / implement / monitor & review
102.
103. What challenges did we overcome?
Threats/Difficulties
• Previous negative experience of SVQ‟s
to overcome
• Resistance of staff to take more
responsibility
• Potential negative impact on production
in short term (staff involved in
development and training)
• Lack of time for training
Response
• Offer new approach to assessment
process
• Invest time to explain & reassure staff &
provide experienced support
• Support Trainers by developing Training
Manuals to assist both trainer & trainee
• Invest in developing structure and
resources, but streamlining assessment
process to minimise impact
• Develop structured training that enables
supervisors/trainers to make training
routine and time efficient
104. What, in retrospect,
would we do differently? (and now are!)
Elgin (Wovens)
• Realistic expectations of scale and
complexity of the task
• Staged roll-out
• Don‟t overwhelm new Assessors with
too many Candidates
• Careful recruitment of Assessors -
consideration of broader skills required
– lower level Management/Supervisors
with more technical skills may need
additional support
(written/communication/IT)
Hawick (Knitwear)
• Set aside scheduled, regular times for
MA
• Take yourself totally away from shop
floor to avoid interruptions
• Appreciate time required and improve
time management
105.
106. What are the outcomes
within Johnstons and Industry?
ELGIN (Wovens)
PHASE 1 – 2012-2013
• One Department
• 5 Trainer/Assessors
• 22 Level 2 MA‟s completed in Weaving
HAWICK (Knitwear)
PHASE 1 – 2012-2013
• 2 Trainer/Assessors
• 6 Level 2 MA‟s completed
107. What are the outcomes
within Johnstons and Industry?
ELGIN (Wovens) HAWICK (Knitted)
PHASE 1I – 2014-2015
• 3 new Departments (Hand
Sewing, Mending, Shima Knitting)
• 6 Level 2 MA‟s (5 Aged 16-19, 1 Aged
40+)
PHASE II – 2014-2015
• 3 new Departments
• 7 new Trainer/Assessors
• 3 new Trainers
• 7 Level 2 MA‟s in Weaving
• 3 Level 3 MA‟s in Weaving
• Estimate 21 new Level 2 MA‟s this year
108. What are the outcomes
within Johnstons and Industry?
ELGIN (Wovens)
PHASE III – 2015 - 2016
• 8 new Trainer/Assessors
• 5 new Trainers
• Estimate 25+ new Level 2 enrolled
• Estimate 8 new Level 3 enrolled
HAWICK (Knitted)
PHASE III – 2015 – 2016
• Maintain momentum
• Continue improving on excellent
foundations
• Develop new recruits
109. Training Comparison
University
• 4 Year Course
• £££ Debt
• Limited income for 4 years
• Job?
Modern Apprenticeship
• On-the-job Training
• No Debt
• Monthly Wage
• Excellent Career Prospects
113. • Un-traditional Scottish textile business
• 150 years of history in Tayport
• Fighting the effects
Declining markets
Toughening conditions
Increased global competition
• Total business restructuring around Innovation
Employee Ownership
Cross-functional team working
The Background
120. ExternalAgencies
• Scottish Enterprise
• S.M.A.S.
• CEED
• Glasgow School of Art
• Scottish Development International
• Institute of Directors
• Universities
Heriot Watt, Stirling, St Andrews, Glasgow, Edinburgh, et al.
• Fife economic partnership
• Scottish Textiles and Leather
121. Key Performance Improvements
• Over 30% of products sold in 2013 not made 2 years ago
• Secured new distribution outlets in over 5 Countries
• Over 50 new product ideas in “innovations funnel”
• Over 20 new products under development
• Faster Product development cycles
• 38% improvement in direct labour cost per tonne
• 10% sales growth from new customers
• 33 % sales from products less than 2 years old
• 18% improvement in sales per employee (UK)
122. Lessons We are Still Learning
1. Restructure early … with a strong “Believe or Leave” policy
2. Celebrate your misses as well as your hits
3. Fail Fast and Fail Forward” - Fail fast, don‟t give up fast
4. Opportunities that smell wrong at the start never ripen
5. Set operations to welcome trials
6. Stop believing our own press, unless the headlines are bad
7. Stop listening to, believing, and making decisions on, one persons view
8. Innovation doesnt sell itself, you still need brilliant sales management
126. If wish to join us at one of our future events
please register your interest with
jaki@stla.uk.com and we will place you on the
mailing list for events and Scottish textile sector
information
