The Effect of Process Improvement Practices on Manufacturing Competitiveness of Apparel Factories

Jared R. Ocampo; Juan  Hernández; Juan  Márquez; Antonio  Vizan

doi:10.4067/S0718-27242020000100015

Authors

Jared R. Ocampo Universidad Politécnica de Madrid http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0272-9204
Juan Hernández Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Juan Márquez Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Antonio Vizan Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242020000100015

Keywords:

textile industry, process improvement, competitiveness, multinational apparel factories, developing countries

Abstract

Process improvement practices (PIP) are being used as ways to improve manufacturing competitiveness (MC) but their overall effect in apparel factories have not been well quantified. This paper identifies the effects that PIP have on the manufacturing competitiveness of multinational apparel manufacturing plants. The methodology followed uses the Delphi method and exploratory factor analysis for variable selection, the Mann-Whitney test for analyzing the relationship between PIP usage and MC performance and regression analysis for estimating the existing correlation among the variables studied. The results show that factories with a high use of PIP have a higher manufacturing competitiveness and that specific practices related to error detection and waste elimination have a positive effect in cost, delivery time and environmental protection.

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Author Biography

Jared R. Ocampo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Jared R. Ocampo holds a B.Sc. (2000) and M.Sc. (2002) in Mechanical Engineering (Brigham Young University) in USA, and is currently working on his PhD. Thesis in Mechanical Engineering at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in Spain. He has been a full-time professor at the Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana (UNITEC) since 2004 and currently works as a researcher in the Industrial and Mechatronics Engineering Department. He has published several articles in the areas of industry automation, simulation of industrial processes and engineering education.

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