Traffic Light System in Garments Industry

Color Coding: The Traffic Light System uses colors similar to Traffic Lights:
- Green: Indicates that everything is on track, and production is proceeding as planned.
- Yellow/Amber: Suggests caution or that there might be some minor issues or delays that need attention but are manageable.
- Red: Signals a problem or a significant delay that requires immediate attention and action to resolve.
Application: Each stage or process in garment production can be assigned a Traffic Light System indicator. For instance:
- Cutting
- Sewing
- Quality Control
- Packing
- Shipping
At each stage, a Traffic Light System indicator (often a physical tag or a digital display) reflects the current status using the appropriate color.
Monitoring and Control: By using this system, managers and supervisors can easily scan the production floor and quickly identify areas where there are delays or problems. This allows them to prioritize actions, allocate resources effectively, and ensure that production targets are met efficiently.
Benefits of Traffic Light System :
- Visibility: Provides a clear visual representation of production status.
- Timely Decision Making: Enables quick decision-making based on real-time information.
- Problem Solving: Facilitates prompt identification and resolution of production bottlenecks or issues.
- Efficiency: Helps in optimizing workflow and improving overall production efficiency.

Overall, the Traffic Light System in the garments industry enhances productivity by improving communication, reducing downtime, and ensuring smoother operations throughout the production process.

How it work in Garments Industry?

In the context of the garments industry, a Traffic Light System (TLS) is a quality control mechanism used to classify and manage the status of garments during various stages of production, especially in large-scale manufacturing environments.

Here’s how it generally works:

Classification of Defects: The Traffic Light System categorizes defects into different levels or classes, often represented by colors similar to a Traffic Light:
- Green: No defects or minor defects that do not affect the overall quality significantly.
- Yellow/Orange : Moderate defects that need attention but might still be acceptable after rectification.
- Red: Critical defects that render the garment unacceptable for sale without immediate correction.
Implementation: The Traffic Light System is typically implemented at key checkpoints in the production process, such as after cutting, sewing, inspection, and finishing stages.
Monitoring and Decision Making: Garments are inspected at each checkpoint, and inspectors or quality control personnel assign a color code (green, yellow, or red) based on the severity and type of defects found.
Response and Corrective Actions: Depending on the Traffic Light System result:
- Green: The garment can proceed to the next stage or be shipped as it meets quality standards.
- Yellow/Orange: The garment may require rework or repair to correct defects before proceeding further.
- Red: The garment must undergo immediate correction to fix critical defects before it can move forward in production.
Documentation and Feedback: The Traffic Light System provides a structured way to document quality issues and their resolution. This documentation is crucial for analyzing trends, identifying recurring problems, and improving overall production quality.
Training and Continuous Improvement: Traffic Light System implementation also involves training personnel to recognize and classify defects accurately. Continuous improvement efforts focus on reducing the number of defects flagged as yellow or red over time.

The Traffic Light System in the garments industry serves as a visual and systematic approach to managing quality control throughout the production process, ensuring that only garments meeting specified quality standards proceed to the next stage or final shipment to customers. It helps in minimizing defects, reducing rework, and maintaining consistency in product quality.