Training and Capacity Building Opportunities in India and Bangladesh

Production capacity is the maximum possible output of a manufacturing business, measured in units of output (i.e. shirts) per period (i.e. month). Many important business decisions depend on a company’s production capacity, so accuracy of the calculation is critical. Accurate production capacity enables manufacturers to better plan and schedule their production, provide customers with more accurate lead times, and forecast their cash flow. However, many small and medium apparel manufacturers (SMEs) are not aware of what their true production capacity is. While many SMEs have rough estimates of their capacity based on number of machines and number of employees, these calculations do not take into consideration the full spectrum of inputs that influence production capacity (i.e. employee skill level, machine breakdown rate, turnover rate). In fact, in a survey conducted by SAI 100% of respondents (textile & apparel SMEs) indicated that their methods for calculating production capacity failed to take into consideration all of the inputs they knew to affect production capacity.

This training will provide you with clear instructions on how to measure your production capacity. We will review 16 inputs that impact production capacity and introduce you to SAI’s newly developed FairCapacity calculator, a key feature of the FairCapacity Platform. Further, this training will provide guidance and tips for optimizing and increasing your production capacity.

Audience

Apparel manufacturers (suppliers): This course is designed for suppliers who want to better measure and improve their production capacity. We recommend the following people attend: Human Resources, CSR, Compliance, Production, Planning and Control, Industrial Engineer, and General Manager personnel.

Subcontracting is a common practice in the apparel supply chain: Tier 1 suppliers subcontract part or all of the production process to business partners (subcontractors). In many cases, the subcontractor plays a vital role in the production process. For example, they may have skills that the Tier 1 supplier does not have in-house (i.e. embroidery), or they may provide flexibility to help the Tier 1 supplier cope with last-minute changes in orders, quick turnarounds, inaccurate forecasting, or inconsistent order placements. However, despite the important role subcontractors play, they may also introduce added financial, reputational, and social compliance risk for buyers and suppliers, especially when the subcontractors are unauthorized. SAI’s FairCapacity Program and Platform seek to enable responsible subcontracting.

The goal of this training is to educate buyers and suppliers on the risks and benefits of subcontracting and the factors contributing to subcontracting, equip them with methods for detecting unauthorized subcontracting, and share best practices for subcontracting responsibly.

Audience

Apparel Industry Buyers and Suppliers: This course is designed for both buyers and suppliers. We recommend the following people attend: CSR, Sourcing, Compliance, and Production personnel.

Socially responsible workplaces benefit business while securing fundamental human rights for workers. At SAI, we believe that management systems are critical for ensuring socially responsible workplaces. The goal of this training is to help suppliers understand and implement management system practices that are necessary for continual improvement of labor performance in their company and supply chain. The training breaks down the concept of management systems into easy-to-understand components and provides participants with practical steps to help strengthen their company’s managements systems. These skills support strong labor and business performance outcomes that suppliers can then demonstrate to potential buyers through the FairCapacity Platform.

Audience

Apparel manufacturers (suppliers): This course is designed for suppliers that are interested in improving and strengthening their managements systems and labor performance. The course is open to all suppliers, irrespective of their current management systems maturity. We recommend the following people attend: internal auditors, General Managers, and CSR and Compliance personnel.