Introduction

Traffic Light system is a very effective quality control system in garments sewing line. Every garment factory aims to achieve a minimum DHU level possible. A new framework is the Traffic Light System which helps to reduce the work-pressure on the quality department and improving the level of quality in sewing lines at the same time. Thus, such a Traffic Light system (TLS) system can prove to be a boon for apparel manufacturing. Traffic Light System (TLS) is a quality system designed to identify problems and involve
help from management to solve the problems. This is a “Pareto” based system which focuses on solving the 3 highest occurring faults daily. The system incorporates the key fundamentals necessary for any system successful:

1. Clear standards and tolerance.

2. The ability to track a problem back to the source.

3. Reporting and process discipline.

• TLS will transit the vendor to a Right First Time (RFT) mentality and culture.

Objectives of Traffics Light system in Sewing

1.      Tracking operators sewing quality and operator wise defects

2.      To monitor the level of quality in sewing lines through a different approach to Traffic Light System

3.      To reduce sewing DHU% and process defects percentage.

Traffic Light system

In-line Auditors together with Technicians should prepare “Quality Specification” cards for every operation. When the operator fully understands what is required and completed three garments with the right quality, this is agreed with the operator and a sample selected out of the above three is attached. The agreement & the approval of the sample sign off by the Operator, Production Supervisor, Technician and Mechanic on Quality Specification sheet in the presence of the In-line Auditor. This is then hanged on the stand located on every machine set at an eye-level for ease of viewing.

Traffic Light Auditor Role in Sewing Line

There is an assigned traffic Light Auditor every 2 or 3 sewing lines who works as a roaming QC and control the traffic light system. A traffic light Auditor has the authority to stop the machine, the machine have to be stopped when auditor put the red light indicator in front of an operator.

Traffic Light Audit system

In-line Auditor (Quality Monitor) starts the day work with “Patrol Inspection” of which he/she checks 3 components/pieces from each and every operation. The Patrol Inspection should be completed within fifteen (15) minutes of starting the day. In-line Auditor turns the Traffic Light Cards (TL Cards ) into respective colors according to the result of the Patrol Inspection.

Zero defects - Green

One defect - Yellow

Two or more defects – Red

Action on Traffic Light

Auditor turns the Traffic Light Cards ( TL Cards ) into respective colors according to the result of the Inspection.

Green-Appreciate & ask to continue the Operation

Yellow- Inform to operator & Production Supervisor to increase the attention & the level of her own inspection

Red -Stop the operation. Inform to Operator, Production Supervisor to identify the problem & solve it with the help of Mechanic & Technician.

The result is marked on the Traffic Light Chart or Daily In-line Audit Sheet.  In-line Auditor makes the normal random audit route as follows by considering the 3 highest defect making operations / Critical operations on the previous day. Two visits for top 3 defect making operations / Critical operations in two hrs (a quarter of a shift)

– One visit for other operations in two hrs • It is marked on the “Daily Inline Audit Sheet”

• In-line Auditor then inspects each operation as per the random audit sequence four times per day.

• In each visit to an operation, Inline Auditor selects 7 pieces /components randomly and checks them 

The Traffic Light Chart ( TL Chart ) is updated with the color given for the visit.

• The relevant record is made on the “Daily In-line Audit sheet” with fault code.

– No. defects out of 7 checked components, Mark as “  ”.

• Actions taken for Red dots by the Supervisor / Technician and the team are noted down on the reverse side of the “Daily In-line Audit Sheet”.

• If any operation gets a Red dot, In-line Auditor makes a 2nd visit to audit the relevant operation again in the same quarter.

• At the end of the day, In-line The auditor summarizes the quality performance of the operation and it is marked on the “In-line Quality Performance” board hanged in front of the line.

• The top three (3) operations that made highest no. of defectives, are marked together with relevant fault code on the “Daily In-line Audit Sheet” and “RFT Meeting Minute” as inputs for the RFT meeting. 

• In-line Auditor provides the following information

– No. of Red dots for the shift / a day with fault code.

– No. of defectives found & no of components audited at the In-line Audit.

– Top three operations making the highest no of defectives with fault codes as per the In-line audit result.

– Top three operations making highest no. of defectives with fault codes as per the End-line inspection result.

– No. of seconds garments 

End Line Inspection

• End-line checker carries out 100% garment inspection at the end of the line.

• In-line Auditor provide all necessary measurements ( measurement strips for the checking table ), “How to measure” sheet, approved

garment spec, Quality Specification sheet with inspection guidance, Inspection procedure, Reject Analysis Record sheet, Label information.

• If End-checker finds any defective garment, the place of the defect is marked and sends back to relevant operator through In-line Auditor for repairing.

• The record is made against the relevant operation with fault code on the “Reject Analysis Record” using the Five-Bar-Gate method.

• End checker informs to In-line Auditor when no. of defectives for a specific operation reaches to 5 and the In-line auditor informs it to Production Supervisor & Quality Supervisor to take corrective action.

The action taken is written down on the “Action Taken for Defect Makers” sheet ( reverse side of the “Reject Analysis Record” ) by Production Supervisor.

• If the defective garment is non-repairable, In-line Auditor seconds the garment after consulting Quality Supervisor & Quality Executive if necessary and a record is made on the “Reject Analysis Record”

• The Seconded garments are kept under In-line Auditor custody in the demarcated area until they are handed over to the QA dept. at the end of the shift/day.

• After finishing the necessary calculations & marking the top three operations made highest no. of defectives, End-checker hands over the “Reject Analysis Record” to In-line Auditor at the end of the shift/day.  

Traffic light system implementation in Sewing Line

Defect found	Color code	Traffic Light Audit	Action required
None	Green	Once per hour	None
One	Yellow	Twice per hour	Inform Operator Supervisor, Line Chief Production Manager to make the necessary correction of the process.
Two or more	Red	3 times per hour	1. Show the correction method to the operator. 2. Involve the mechanic to solving a sewing machine problem. 3. If Operator cannot reach the quality level of the process, sewing operator change is required. 4. If sewing machine trouble cannot be solved, need to replace the machine.

  
Traffic light system operation Procedure

1. The QC will check every operation on the line (manual or sewing) in random order.
2. The QC only examines the work for the operation specified on the clipboard.
3. If any of the garments are rejected then the bundle is considered to reject and is held back.
4. The QC will instruct the operator to re-check all the garments within that bundle and repair any garments that are not to the correct standard for that operation.
5. The traffic light chart & the daily in-line inspection report should be updated using the correct fault code letter and color sequence identification before leaving the operation.