Services

Optimization of the Product Development Process and Lean Product Development is a goal for many of our clients. No matter what your goal, our BPO evaluates every step of your product development process from concept to design to production for new products, capturing use of technology, workforce challenges, opportunities for improvement with a focus on how to optimize the full business process and increase productivity across the operators. Typically, we on site for one to three weeks working side by side with management and team members sharing knowledge and tips where applicable. Your deliverable – a detailed recommendation for improvement step by step that you can execute internally or partner with our Business Process Optimization Consultants as a next phase.

Business Impacts: speed-to-market, process optimization, productivity increases, best practice knowledge transfer

Understanding the costs for materials & consumption, direct and added-value labor costs, sewing time, and shipping options can lead to more profitable outcomes for your production costs. Our 30 plus years working in manufacturing equips us with the knowledge and ability to audit actual costs and provide analysis on where to brings costs in line to protect margins and improve profits. In our time on site meeting with the operational areas engaged in your product costing, we will conduct a two-hour lean workshop to educate on lean processes, share knowledge and tips, and provide training tailored for your business and product categories. The deliverable – a detailed report of all the areas within your costing process where you can optimize processes and people to achieve cost-savings and higher margins.

Business Impacts: cost controls, higher margins, improve profits

The contributors to your product development cycles frequently include suppliers and partners as part of your overall enterprise. Why stop within the four walls of your business to optimize production and leave critical steps outside of an assessment and evaluation for improvement? Today, collaboration with suppliers is an ingredient to success, cost controls and management of your end to end processes from concept to design to production. We will leverage our extensive manufacturing knowledge working directly with your suppliers to identify areas to provide cost savings, margin increases and overall increased productivity for a win-win partnership. (link to manufacturing factory assessment to learn more)

Business Impacts: stronger collaboration, tighter cost control and cost savings, margin increase/protection

Lean manufacturing involves continuous evaluation and review of every process step to eliminate or reduce waste or activities that do not add value to the customer while improving productivity and quality of goods manufactured. WDA have perfected our methodology to implement lean processes to help you achieve a lean manufacturing operation through our extensive years of BPO consulting and applying lean processes from design to product development to production focused on people, organization, processes and performance through step by step assessment and application of knowledge to improve operations.

We will perform an assessment or business process optimization depending on your current state of operations. We recommend best practices to optimize your operations through identified improvements, knowledge transfer and training for every level of your workforce. Our detailed recommendation of every operational area will provide a roadmap for execution by your team or the opportunity to partner with our BPO consultants to implement in collaboration with your company.

More than 100 global companies have embraced WDA’s Lean Manufacturing Methodology resulting in savings ranging from thousands to millions of dollars while gaining time savings and operational efficiencies ranging from 20% to 50% overall improvements.

Business Impacts: reduction in waste, higher workforce productivity, optimization of operations, increased performance

Gain efficiencies minimize injuries and turnover and increase product quality. Our train-the-trainer approach transfers knowledge to ensure long term success and our training approach is personalized based on your organizational needs determined during our assessment. We will provide hiring procedures and job descriptions with detailed curriculums for basic operator training and specific training programs.

Many factors can affect your factory’s performance; however, none have a greater impact than the effectiveness of front-line supervision. Your factory will not achieve its potential with poorly selected and trained front-line supervisors. It takes years to develop effective front-line supervision. For this reason, it is important that a well thought out “formal” development program is in place to give the candidates every opportunity to succeed. Our comprehensive 14-week Supervisor Development Program starts with orientation, proper machine use and basic maintenance, hands on mentoring for continued knowledge transfer and supplemental monthly training to ensure success and a highly performing factory.

To compete as a sewn products manufacturer in today’s global marketplace requires that your factory is highly flexible, efficient and well-engineered. The role of the apparel engineer has never been more important. Many factories today have lost sight of the need for formal engineering practices such as efficient, consistent and well documented operational methods and workplace design, efficient plant layout and workflow, accurate product costing and standards development, and the application of lean practices. Whether experienced or a new hire, our Engineering Training and Development Program will help you meet and exceed the needs of today’s brands and retailers. 

Our roots are in manufacturing. Over the past three decades we have partnered with our clients to facilitate improvements and changes in the way sewn products are made and how product information surrounding them is communicated. We work with factories all over the world to positively impact their bottom line and improve their ability to develop and manufacture quality products. Our proven methodology and ability to gain insights based on depth of experience across our team allows us to assist in finding solutions to meet business objectives and optimize your organization through a holistic lens across operational areas, processes, technology and tools, and skill sets. We cover a number of areas for your organization including operators, supervisors, engineers and management up to the board room.