Applying TOC in the production planning and control of a knitwear manufacturer

Abstract

Purpose – This study seeks to discuss the theory of constraint (TOC)’s application and implications in a knitwear manufacturer, especially on production planning and control, to improve its operational performance and consequently achieve the goal of making money. Design/methodology/approach – This report presents a case study of a specific company in the textile and clothing industry. In-depth interviews have been used to describe the current business scenario of the company and help to analyse the feasibility of applying TOC. Originality/value – In this study, the feasibility of applying TOC is analysed based on a specific real-world knitwear manufacturer, investigating the application of TOC methods to deal with production planning and control problems. In addition to the effectiveness of TOC, it also points out some challenging in using TOC successfully in this business scenario, providing a more comprehensive understanding in practicing the TOC methods in a small and medium sized textile and clothing manufacturer. Keywords-Production planning and control, theory of constraint, textile and clothing manufacturer, knitwear Paper type-Company projec