Why This Matters
Most factories serve multiple buyers. Each buyer has different orders, styles, delivery dates, and quality requirements. Putting multiple buyers on the same line can maximize capacity but also causes conflicts. Good balancing keeps all buyers satisfied and the line efficient.
Principles
Keep styles of similar SMV on the same line to avoid huge efficiency swings. Group small orders from the same buyer to reduce changeover. Reserve dedicated lines for buyers with high volume. Use mixed lines for small or rush orders. Prioritize by delivery date.
Practical Example 1 — Dedicated vs Mixed
Buyer A has 20,000 pieces per month consistently. Buyer A gets 1 dedicated line. Buyer B, C, D have smaller orders, so they share 2 lines with mixed scheduling.
Practical Example 2 — SMV Grouping
Line 1 handles all styles with SMV 8-12 minutes. Line 2 handles SMV 12-16. Line 3 handles SMV 16-20. This minimizes efficiency loss from SMV changes.
Practical Example 3 — Changeover Cost
Switching from Buyer A to Buyer B costs 4 hours of setup. Two changeovers per week equals 8 hours lost, or 1 full shift. Grouping reduces changeovers.
Practical Example 4 — Rush Order
A rush order comes from Buyer C. One line is designated as flexible. It handles rush orders within 24 hours of arrival without disrupting other buyers.
Tools for This
Line loading board (physical or Excel). Style changeover matrix. Buyer priority list. Weekly planning meeting to agree on the allocation.
Common Mistakes
Putting every buyer on every line. No priority rules. No changeover planning. Ignoring skill levels. Hiding buyer conflicts from top management.
Review Process
Weekly planning meeting with PPC, IE, and merchandising. Review the last week's performance by buyer. Adjust next week's allocation. Communicate changes to buyers and supervisors.
When to Use This
Multi-buyer balancing is a daily reality in every garment factory. It is the core skill of the PPC team.