Why Digitalize Workplaces?

In the sewing industry, downtime and handling times infect production structures without being able to identify and annihilate them.

The current challenges of the sewing industry in our region are diverse and significant. They include fierce competition, rising operating costs, a technological gap and market instability that makes it difficult to have a long-term vision.

Those that have survived have done so by applying adaptive strategies, such as process automation, outsourcing and specializing in niches with less international competition. However, most of the growth in the sewn products market is captured by imports from low-cost countries.

Despite this, it is possible to compete advantageously in Latin America by focusing on productivity. The cost of labour becomes secondary when maintaining high productivity, which is achieved by controlling and measuring the factors that influence it. In addition to traditional strategies, it is essential to include productivity in the equation to emerge from the crowd.

The cost of the product is made up of its parts and the labor applied to the product, and any additional materials or processes must be considered inefficient. It is observed that effective sewing represents less than 30% of the total factory time spent, while the remaining 70% is spent on material handling and movement. It has been empirically proven that improving efficiency in material handling can generate higher returns on investment than focusing solely on sewing.

The complexity of a sewing plant, coupled with the limited tools available today, makes it difficult to identify areas of inefficiency. Shop Floor Control (SFC) systems enable Workplace Digitalization (WPD) performance, measuring and recording the efficiency of each position in real time, and helping to identify areas for improvement.

The benefits of a WPD system include:

• Improved productivity: Automate routine tasks, allowing employees to focus on higher value-added activities.

• Expanded communication and collaboration: Facilitate interaction between teams, regardless of their location.

• Cost reduction: Optimize processes and reduce unnecessary times.

• Data-driven decision making: Empowers supervisors and engineers to make more strategic decisions through real-time data analysis.

• Increased employee motivation: Especially in companies with production-based incentives, by showing achievements in real time.

• Acceleration of the learning curve: Digital systems facilitate the distribution of educational material for operational changes.

• Facilitating maintenance: Provides real-time technical information for repairs.

WPD offers multiple opportunities and ramifications. If you wish to delve deeper into this topic, we are here to help you achieve success in the marketplace, before, during and after sewing.