Factors Associated with Standard Hour Variations of Production Lines: A Case of a Sri Lankan Manufacturing Company

Time study is a modern efficiency indicator in Apparel Industry. The time study concept leads the industries to have a focus not only on the material and machinery inputs but also the time taken in each step to produce the product. Relating with the time study concept, standard hour variation in production lines is a major issue faced by XYZ (Pvt) Ltd that caused several inefficiencies in their business operations. Therefore, this article discusses the factors associated with standard hour variations of production lines in XYZ (Pvt) Ltd and applies the theory of constrain with the intention of making recommendations to bridge the gap between planned hours and actual hours in production lines. Based on a qualitative approach the study uses case study strategy. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and secondary data. The findings reveal many factors affecting the negative variation of standard hours such as time waste on machine breakdown, boring and stressful work environment, unfamiliar styles of products, and capability issues of the employees and delays in internal inputs. Hence, the study recommends the implementation of long-term, enduring practices that aim to assist policymakers and practitioners in mitigating the disparity between planned and actual standard hours.