Abstract:
Apparel sector in Sri Lanka is one of the key industrial sectors, which contributes
significant portion of the national GDP and makes a significant contribution to export
earnings and the workforce. Although the sector is economically important, it has
continuously experienced high level of wastage being produced. The types of wastes
comprise overproduction, defects, excess inventory, unnecessary transportation,
motion, over-processing, and waiting time; all known as the seven wastes of lean
manufacturing. This study contributes to existing knowledge by providing empirical
evidence on the effectiveness of lean methods in Sri Lankan context. It highlights the
most effective practices for waste reduction. This study seeks to explore how four of
these main practices of lean manufacturing such as Just In Time, Employee
Involvement, Value Stream Mapping and Continuous Improvement impact on
wastage reduction of the Apparel Industry at the Western Province. The quantitative
research design was followed and primary data were collected from a sample of 384
respondents using both online and physical questionnaires from Apparel companies’
in western province. Correlation and regression analysis revealed that all four lean
manufacturing methods significantly contributed to Wastage Reduction. Value
Stream Mapping had the strongest positive effect on wastage reduction, followed by
Just In Time, Continuous Improvement and Employee Involvement. It also highlights
the necessity of strategic implementation of lean methods to enhance sustainable
expansion of organizations, minimization of resources wastage and overall
competitiveness in the Sri Lankan Apparel industry.
