Production target calculator
A daily and hourly target that the line can actually meet, from its manpower, working time, garment SMV and the efficiency you plan for.
How this is calculated
available minutes = operators × hours × 60. At 100% efficiency the line could make available minutes ÷ SMV pieces. The target applies the planned efficiency: target = operators × hours × 60 × efficiency ÷ SMV, and the hourly target is the daily target ÷ hours.
Worked example. 30 operators × 8 h × 60 = 14,400 minutes. At SMV 12 that is 1,200 pieces at 100%. At 60% planned efficiency the daily target is 1,200 × 0.60 = 720 pieces, or 90 per hour.
Quick table: daily targets for a 30-operator line
Pieces per day for a line of 30 operators working 8 hours, for different garment SMVs and planned efficiencies. Rounded to whole pieces; enter your own figures in the calculator above.
| Garment SMV | 50% efficiency | 60% efficiency | 70% efficiency | 80% efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMV 8 | 900 | 1,080 | 1,260 | 1,440 |
| SMV 10 | 720 | 864 | 1,008 | 1,152 |
| SMV 12 | 600 | 720 | 840 | 960 |
| SMV 15 | 480 | 576 | 672 | 768 |
| SMV 20 | 360 | 432 | 504 | 576 |
Questions
- What efficiency should I plan with?
- The efficiency this line has actually achieved on similar styles, adjusted for the learning curve if the style is new. Planning at 100% produces a target nobody meets and a delivery date nobody can keep.
- Why is the hourly target not the same every hour on our board?
- This calculator spreads the day evenly. Many factories set a lower target for the first hours of a new style and after lunch; the daily total is what should match.
- Does the SMV include helpers?
- Use the same definition for SMV and operators: if the bulletin includes helper operations, include helpers in the operator count.
- How do you calculate the daily production target of a sewing line?
- Multiply operators by working hours and 60 to get the available minutes, apply the planned efficiency, and divide by the garment SMV. For 30 operators, 8 hours, 60% efficiency and an SMV of 12 that is 14,400 × 0.60 ÷ 12 = 720 pieces.
- What is the difference between target and capacity?
- Capacity is what the line could make at 100% efficiency; the target is what you plan to make at the efficiency the line achieves. A board that shows the capacity as the target will be missed every day.
- How does a new style change the target?
- A new style usually runs at a lower efficiency in its first days while operators learn it. Use a lower planned efficiency for the early days and step it up, rather than holding one figure for the whole order.
- Should the target change when operators are absent?
- Yes. Enter the number of operators actually present. A line missing four of thirty operators has about 13% fewer available minutes, and its target should fall with them.
Read the full guide
Sources & verification
The capacity identity (standard minutes available ÷ standard minutes per piece) is the same one used in work study and line balancing texts, including the ILO's Introduction to Work Study. The worked example is recomputed in the automated tests.