Performance Improvement Best Practices Applicable to the Sri Lankan Apparel Industry

Abstract

Despite the fact that performance improvement receives a significant attention among the Sri Lankan Apparel Industry, achievement of the results expected through performance improvement efforts has been low. The main reason for this is that managing and maintaining the improvements have not obtained a considerable devotion among the industry. Lack of consideration on practical applicability and compatibility of the well-known performance improvement philosophies have resulted in significant loss of time, money and effort with a lower level of success among some Apparel Manufacturing Organizations. Many researchers highlighted that implementing one performance improvement philosophy is not always capable in meeting all the business requirements. Therefore, the objective of this research is to present a set of best practices selected from different performance improvement philosophies, which are suitable for the Sri Lankan Apparel Industry. Fifty two best practices recommended by the existing performance improvement philosophies were subjected to an industry survey conducted among 60 Sri Lankan Apparel Manufacturing Organizations, which were recognized as experts in performance improvement. Survey results revealed that 49 among them were significantly used and successfully implemented by the responded organizations. Furthermore survey results exposed that they are highly useful for the Sri Lankan Apparel Industry. Furthermore, it was revealed that all the 49 best practices have at least a weak relationship between the level of use and level of success achieved by implementing them. The grouping criteria developed based on the level of use and the level of success of each selected best practice helps organizations as they can decide to which level they should implement the best practices they have selected to apply, in order to get better and effective results.