Six sigma and Quality management glossary:

What Is Six Sigma:

"Sigma" is a statistical term that measures how far a given process deviates from perfection. The central idea behind Six Sigma is that if you can measure how many "defects" you have in a process, you can systematically figure out how to eliminate them and get as close to "zero defects" as possible. Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process that helps us focus on developing and delivering near-perfect products and services.

To achieve Six Sigma Quality, a process must produce no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. An "opportunity" is defined as a chance for nonconformance, or not meeting the required specifications. This means we need to be nearly flawless in executing our key processes.

According to many business development and quality improvement experts, At present Six Sigma is the most popular management methodology in history. Six Sigma is certainly a very big industry in its own right, and Six Sigma is now an enormous 'brand' in the world of corporate development. Six Sigma began in 1986 as a statistically-based method to reduce variation in electronic manufacturing processes in Motorola Inc. in the USA. Today, twenty-something years on, Six Sigma is used as an all-encompassing business performance methodology, all over the world, in organizations. while Six Sigma has become a very widely used 'generic' term,the name Six Sigma is actually a registered trademark of Motorola Inc.

Six Sigma at three different levels:

• As a metric
• As a methodology
• As a management system

Six Sigma as a Metric: 

The term "Sigma" is often used as a scale for levels of 'goodness' or quality. Using this scale, 'Six Sigma' equates to 3.4 defects per one million opportunities (DPMO). Therefore, Six Sigma started as a defect reduction effort in manufacturing and was then applied to other business processes for the same purpose.

Six Sigma as a Methodology: 

Six Sigma is a business improvement methodology that focuses an organization on:

• Understanding and managing customer requirements
• Aligning key business processes to achieve those requirements
• Utilizing rigorous data analysis to minimize variation in those processes
• Driving rapid and sustainable improvement to business processes.." 

The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction through the application of Six Sigma improvement projects.

 This is accomplished through the use of two Six Sigma sub-methodologies:

·         DMAIC

·         DMADV.

DMAIC:  The Six Sigma DMAIC process is an improvement system for existing processes falling below specification and looking for incremental improvement.

      DMAIC is commonly used by Six Sigma project teams and is an acronym for:

• Define opportunity
• Measure performance
• Analyze opportunity
• Improve performance
• Control performance.." 

DMADV:

 The Six Sigma DMADV process (define, measure, analyze, design, verify) is an improvement system used to develop new processes or products at Six Sigma quality levels. It can also be employed if a current process requires more than just incremental improvement. Both Six Sigma processes are executed by Six Sigma Green Belts and Six Sigma Black Belts, and are overseen by Six Sigma Master Black Belts.

Six Sigma Management System:

The Six Sigma Management System drives clarity around the business strategy and the metrics that most reflect success with that strategy. It provides the framework to prioritize resources for projects that will improve the metrics, and it leverages leaders who will manage the efforts for rapid, sustainable, and improved business results.."

When practiced as a management system, Six Sigma is a high performance system for executing business strategy. Six Sigma is a top-down solution to help organizations:

• Align their business strategy to critical improvement efforts
• Mobilize teams to attack high impact projects
• Accelerate improved business results
• Govern efforts to ensure improvements are sustained.

Six Sigma DMAIC and DMAICT process elements

• D - Define opportunity
• M - Measure performance
• A - Analyse opportunity
• I - Improve performance
• C - Control performance, and optionally:
• T - Transfer best practice (to spread the learning to other areas of the organization)

One to Six sigma conversion table:

'Long Term Yield' (basically the percentage of successful outputs or operations) %	Defects Per Million Opportunities (DPMO)	'Processs Sigma'
99.99966	3.4	6
99.98	233	5
99.4	6,210	4
93.3	66,807	3
69.1	308,538	2
30.9	691,462	1

Perhaps the most objective way of looking at Six Sigma is to recognise that the Six Sigma methodology essentially provides a framework, and importantly a strongly branded corporate initiative, for an organization to:

• train its people to focus on key performance areas
• understand where the organization wants to go (its strategy, related to its market-place)
• understand the services that the organization's customers need most
• understand and better organize main business processes that deliver these customer requirements
• measure (in considerable detail) and improve the effectiveness of these processes.

Master Black Belt - A highly qualified Six Sigma practitioner, typically concerned with overseeing Six Sigma activities from an organizational perspective.

Black Belt - A specific Six Sigma term to describe a team leader and one who has achieved accredited 'Black Belt' qualification via an appropriate training course.

Green Belt - A Six Sigma team member who has received Green Belt training and who works part-time on Six Sigma projects under the guidance of a Black belt team leader.

Process mapping - diagrammatical representation of how processes work, as could be used and developed in team meetings on a flip-chart, or other media, to enable teams to understand processes, participants, and where and how improvements might be made.

Production planning - generic term describing the over-arching methodology used in managing the supply process from receipt (or forecast) of customer requirements through to delivery notes and invoicing. Production planning therefore includes:

• interpretation of customer orders/requirements
• works orders
• schedules and computer programs/ implications
• parts, stocks and materials
• machinery, plant, equipment availability and allocation
• people and teams
• quality and other targets - setting and monitoring
• stock and purchasing monitoring and records
• order processing, administration and accounting
• necessary inter-departmental liaison (e.g., sales, export, etc)

LEAN MANUFACTURING IN APPAREL INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION :

A systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement by flowing the product at the demand of the customer”.

Lean Manufacturing is a systematic approach for achieving the shortest possible cycle time by eliminating the process waste through continuous improvement. Thus making the operation very efficient and only consisting of value adding steps from start to finish. In simple words lean is manufacturing without waste.
Below are the few steps which are required to implement lean manufacturing

· -Identifying the fact that there are wastes to be removed.

· -Analysing the wastes and finding the root causes for these wastes.

· -Finding the solution for these root causes.

· -Application of these solutions and achieving the objective.

HISTORY OF LEAN MANUFACTURING:

Henry Ford was the first person to truly integrate an entire production process. In 1913, he integrated consistently interchangeable parts with standard work and moving conveyance to create what he called flow production.

Ford lined up fabrication steps in process order wherever possible. This was a revolutionary break from shop practices of the American system, that usually consisted of general-purpose machines grouped by process. Ford’s problem is that he could not provide the variety needed.

As Kiichiro Toyoda, Taiichi Ohno, and others at Toyota looked at this situation in the 1930s, and more intensely just after World War II, it occurred to them that a series of simple innovations might make it more possible to provide both continuity in process flow and a wide variety in product offerings. They therefore revisited Ford’s original thinking, and invented the Toyota Production System.

This system in essence shifted the focus of the manufacturing engineer from individual machines and their utilization, to the flow of the product through the total process. Toyota concluded that by right-sizing machines for the actual volume needed, introducing self-monitoring machines to ensure quality, lining the machines up in process sequence, pioneering quick setups so each machine could make small volumes of many part numbers, and having each process step notify the previous step of its current needs for materials, it would be possible to obtain low cost, high variety, high quality, and very rapid throughput times to respond to changing customer desires. Also, information management could be made much simpler and more accurate.

The though process of lean is described in 1990 in the book “The Machine That Changed the World,” by James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones. In a later book, “Lean Thinking,” in 1996, Womack and Jones stressed five principles in lean:

· Specify the value required by the customer.

· Identify the Value Stream for each product.

· Make the product flow continuously through the remaining value-added steps.

· Introduce a ‘pull system’ where possible

· Manage towards perfection, so that the number of steps and the amount of time and information needed to serve the customer is continually reduced.

The term "lean" is used because Japanese business methods used less human effort, capital investment, floor space, materials, and time in all aspects of operations. The resulting competition among U.S. and Japanese automakers over the last 25 years has lead to the adoption of these principles within all U.S. manufacturing businesses.

THE BASIC LEAN MANUFACTURING PRINCIPLES:

The five-step thought process for guiding the implementation of lean techniques is easy to remember, but not always easy to achieve:

1. Value

Specify value from the standpoint of the end customer by product family.

2. Value stream mapping
Identify all the steps in the value stream for each product family, eliminating whenever possible those steps that do not create value.

3. Flow
Make the value-creating steps occur in tight sequence so the product will flow smoothly toward the customer.

4. Pull
As flow is introduced, let customers pull value from the next upstream activity.

5. Perfection
As value is specified, value streams are identified, wasted steps are removed, and flow and pull are introduced, begin the process again and continue it until a state of perfection is reached in which perfect value is created with no waste.

THE TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION VS LEAN MANUFACTURING.

Traditional Manufacturing
In traditional manufacturing, costing is a vital process for charting production expenses; costing is the act of assigning costs to particular production activities and steps. The goal is to assign costs to the parts of production that actually produce related value, known as the matching principle. In this situation, costs are typically categorized by department or stage, with one cost being assigned for all resources, all labor and so forth.

Lean Manufacturing
In lean manufacturing, the traditional methods of costing create problems. Lean manufacturing tends to use techniques like work cells in order to easily adapt to new product needs and rapidly shifting production amounts. With a variety of different work cells, each often requiring its own types of labor, resources and machines, broad costing procedures do not work as well to represent production expenses. Accountants need to find more accurate ways of representing costs.

THE LEAN PRODUCTION GOALS:
The principal goal of lean manufacturing is to create a continuous flow of

Product from raw material to finished goods and on to the customer – no stoppages, no delays, no Interruptions because of inventory scrap or yield issues, downtime or the other problems that occur in a typical manufacturing operation.

"maximizing value (give the customer what they exactly need)”
“Minimizing waste (eliminate anything not needed for delivering value)”
“Pursuing perfection”

LEAN MANUFACTURING TOOLS & TECHNIQUES:
Here are some of the most important tools of lean, ones that a typical lean practitioner must be
proficient it and capable of applying:

· Value Stream Mapping
· Takt Time
· EPEI
· Leveling (Heijunka)
· Pull Systems
· Setup Reduction
· Pokayoke (Mistake Proofing)
· 5S
· Seven QC Tools
· JIT
· Kanban
Value Stream Mapping

Value stream mapping is the identification of all the specific activities (material and information
flow) as well as the resulting lead times occurring along the value stream for a particular product or product family, usually represented pictorially in a value stream map.

Takt Time
Takt time is the rate at which product must be turned out to satisfy market demand. It is determined by dividing the available production time by the rate of customer demand. It is a calculated number, not a reflection of your capability. It sets the pace of production to match the rate of customer demand.

EPEI
A measure of how frequently a process can produce all the items assigned to it. For example, if a machine is able to change over and produce the required quantity of all the high-running part types dedicated to it within three days, then the production batch size for each individual part type is about three days worth of parts. Thus this machine is making every part every three days.

Leveling (Heijunka)
Leveling is the sequencing of orders in a repetitive pattern, and the smoothing of day-to-day
variations in total orders to correspond to longer-term demand.

Pull Systems
A pull system is a system of production and delivery instructions in which nothing is produced by the upstream supplier until the downstream customer signals a need. Pull can operate with single units or small batches. It enables production without preset schedules.checklists, worksheets, diagrams, area maps, etc., and may pertain to equipment use, operations,processes, metrics, storage, safety, quality, movement in an area, or general use of the environment.

Setup Reduction (Single Minute Exchange of Dies or SMED)
SMED is a series of operator techniques pioneered by Shigeo Shingo that result in changeovers of production machinery in less than ten minutes. The long-term objective is always zero setup, in which changeovers are instantaneous and do not interfere in any way with one-piece flow.

Poka-yoke (Mistake Proofing)

Japanese term used by Shigeo Shingo to mean "innocent mistake-proofing," it is an improvement
technology that uses a device or procedure to prevent defects or equipment malfunction during
order-taking or manufacture. Mistake proofing devices are important to the production line in
several ways:
(1) enforce correct operations by eliminating choices that lead to incorrect actions,
(2) signal or stop a process if an error is made or a defect created
(3) prevent machine and product damage.

Kaizen  5S Principle

Five S (5S) an improvement process, originally summarized by five Japanese words beginning
with S, to create a workplace that will meet the criteria of visual control and lean production. Seiri(sort) means to separate needed tools, parts, and instructions from the unneeded and to removethe latter. Seiton (set in order) means to neatly arrange and identify parts and tools for ease of use.Seiso (shine) means to clean and inspect. Seiketsu (standardize) means to require as the norm thateveryone sort, set in order, and shine at frequent (daily) intervals to keep the workplace in perfect condition, and also to make use of visual control systems. Shitsuke (sustain) means to maintain the five S gains by training and encouraging workers to form the habit of always following the first four Ss.

SEVEN QC TOOLS:
Check sheet or tally sheet
Histogram
Pareto chart
Cause and effect diagram
Process flow chart
Control chart
Scatter diagram

JIT (JUST IN TIME):
Just in time (JIT) is a production strategy that strives to improve a business return on investment by reducing in-process inventory and associated carrying costs. To meet JIT objectives, the process relies on signals or Kanban between different points in the process, which tell production when to make the next part. Kanban are usually 'tickets' but can be simple visual signals, such as the presence or absence of a part on a shelf. Implemented correctly, JIT focuses on continuous improvement and can improve a manufacturing organization's return on investment, quality, and efficiency. To achieve continuous improvement key areas of focus could be flow, employee involvement and quality.

KANBAN TOOLING:
Kanban is one of most popular tools in lean manufacturing. This is a simple concept, but very effective. Kanban mainly focus on the reduction of overproduction. There are mainly two types of kanbans. They are

• Withdrawal kanban
• Production kanban

BENEFITS OF LEAN MANUFACTURING
The implementation of lean manufacturing through trying to make value flow at the pull of the customer (Just In Time) prevents and eliminates waste in your processes. Waste being categorized as part of the seven wastes: Transport, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Over-processing, Overproduction, and Defects.

Many studies have shown that we only add value for around 5% of the time within our operations, the remaining 95% is waste! Imagine if you could remove that 95% wasted time and effort; what would it do for your operations?

Typically Lean will improve:

Quality performance, fewer defects and rework (in house and at customer).
Fewer Machine and Process Breakdowns.
Lower levels of Inventory.
Greater levels of Stock Turnover.
Less Space Required.
Higher efficiencies, more output per man hour.
Improved delivery performance.
Faster Development.
Greater Customer Satisfaction.
Improved employee morale and involvement.
Improved Supplier Relations.
HIGHER PROFITS!
INCREASED BUSINESS!

Kaizen Principle: A Japanese Way to Approach Best Practices

“Kaizen” is a Japanese approach to the workplace that has proven to be a famously effective Best Practices strategy with companies like Toyota and Sony, among others. “Kai” is defined as continuous improvement while “Zen,” a more familiar term, is loosely translated as for the better or “good.” Therefore, kaizen is to make “continuous improvements for the good.”

Kaizen follows three principles: 

1) process and results; 

2) systemic thinking (the big picture); and

3) non-blaming, because to blame is counterproductive and wasteful in practice.

When kaizen is applied as a daily process, everyone in the company is involved, from the CEO and management team to your employees. The purpose of kaizen in the workplace is to eliminate the waste (or “muda” in Japanese) that is produced by your company, like waste in poor time 

management, inner office clutter, and other inefficient methods, while freeing other opportunities. Some companies hold a “Kaizen Event” where managers and employees work together to fine-tune and revise the current standards. Once a more efficient and superior system is achieved, it is then standardized and integrated into current policies, rules, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

When you implement kaizen into the workplace, you should aspire to make changes to your current operating standards by breaking down each process in detail, monitoring the results, and then making adjustments accordingly (“If it ain’t broke, Do fix it”).

Your management team should ensure that the current SOPs are being followed. Management must “go and see” operations, or MBWA (management by walking around), in order to achieve efficient operations and take corrective actions when required. That is the only way they can fully understand their current business climate and make educated adjustments.

The Toyota Corporation is renowned for its production system, The Toyota Production System, and its principles, The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way. Kaizen is the leading philosophy behind their efficient and productive systems and methods. Jeffrey Liker is the author of The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer. He writes, “The main ideas are to base management decisions on a philosophical sense of purpose and think long-term, to have a process for solving problems, to add value to the organization by developing its people, and to recognize that continuously solving root problems drives organizational learning.”

The Toyota Way has been called “a system designed to provide the tools for people to continually improve their work.” If you are not striving for constant improvements within your company, your business is not evolving, and neither are your employees.

Everyone on your team should be included in creating and attaining a well-organized, competent, and economical system. The benefits of empowering your employees create yet another virtuous cycle. It enriches the workplace and the work experience by allowing members of your company to excel and “bring out their best.”

If your team creates more efficient processes, you will gain faster lead times and keep wages down. All of this is to help keep you ahead of your competition. You can then add those new moneymaking activities to your Best Practices and SOP arsenals for redistribution and reinforcement.

The methods that can help you successfully manage and organize the workplace in kaizen are called “the 5 S’s”, or “good housekeeping,” as referred to by others. They are set in place with the intention to simplify the work environment.

The 5S’s are loosely translated as:

Seiri (Tidiness): Unused and unneeded items are cleared out (this applies to your contact management system, too). Keeping your data organized, refreshed, properly labeled, and backed up are efficient ways for you and your staff to locate data as needed. The benefits of applying Seiri are a safer and tidier environment, less time wasted when searching for items, fewer hazards, less clutter to interfere with productive work space, and additional space from cleared out items. And possibly more brain space, too.

Seiton (Orderliness): “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Seiton focuses on the need for an orderly workplace to promote workflow. Conversely, seitan is a vegetarian meat substitute, and satan is…well, forget it.

Seiso (Cleanliness): Indicates the need to keep the workplace clean and neat daily. The key point is that maintaining cleanliness should be part of everyday work—not an occasional activity initiated just when things get too messy.

Seiketsu (Standardization): When the first three are set in place, they are then standardized. Create the rules, and then regulate them. Since it is easy to fall into old habits, this sets easy-to-follow standards and develops structure and conformity.

Shitsuke (Sustenance): This refers to educating and maintaining standards. Once the previous 4S’s have been established, they become the new way to operate. Maintain the system and continue to improve it.

History of our Proud Muslin Fabric

Muslin was a brand name of pre-colonial Bengal textile, especially of Dhaka origins. Muslin was manufactured in the city of Dhaka and in some surrounding stations, by local skill with locally produced cotton and attained world-wide fame as the Dhaka Muslin
Origin of the word ‘Muslin’:
The origin of the word Muslin is obscure; some say that the word was derived from Mosul, an old trade centre in Iraq, while others think that Muslin was connected with Musulipattam, sometime headquarters of European trading companies in southern India. Muslin is not a Persian word, nor Sanskrit, nor Bengali, so it is very likely that the name Muslin was given by the Europeans to cotton cloth imported by them from Mosul, and through Mosul from other eastern countries, and when they saw the fine cotton goods of Dhaka, they gave the same name to Dhaka fabrics. That the name Muslin was given by the Europeans admits of little doubt, because not only Dhaka cotton textiles, but cotton goods imported by the Europeans from other parts of India like Gujrat, Golconda, etc were also called Muslin.
Historical Background of Muslin:
The textile industry of Bengal is very old. Bengal cotton fabrics were exported to the Roman and the Chinese empires and they are mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, and by the ancient Chinese travellers. But Dhaka Muslin became famous and attracted foreign and transmarine buyers after the establishment of the Mughal capital at Dhaka. The Muslin industry of Dhaka received patronage from the Mughal emperors and the Mughal nobility. A huge quantity of the finest sort of Muslin was procured for the use of the Mughal emperors, provincial governors and high officers and nobles. In the great 1851 Exhibition of London, Dhaka Muslin occupied a prominent place, attracted a large number of visitors and the British Press spoke very highly of the marvelous Muslin fabrics of Dhaka।
Different types of cotton for making Muslin:
The finest sort of Muslin was made of phuti cotton, which was grown in certain localities on the banks of the Brahmaputra and her branches. The other kinds of cotton called bairait and desee were inferior and were produced in different parts of Dhaka and neighbouring areas; they were used for manufacturing slightly inferior and course clothes. The persons connected with the manufacture of cloth, from the cleaner to the maker of thread and the person who did the actual weaving, belonged to a family of weavers, or if the family was small two to three families joined together to manufacture the clot.
Different types of Muslin:
The productions of Dhaka weavers consisted of fabrics of varying quality, ranging from the finest texture used by the highly aristocratic people, the emperor, viziers, nawabs and so on, down to the coarse thick wrapper used by the poor people. Muslins were designated by names denoting either fineness or transparency of texture, or the place of manufacture or the uses to which they were applied as articles of dress.Names thus derived were -
1.Malmal :
The finest sort of Muslin was called Malmal, sometimes mentioned as Malmal Shahi or Malmal Khas by foreign travellers. It was costly, and the weavers spent a long time, sometimes six months, to make a piece of this sort. It was used by emperors, nawabs etc. Muslins procured for emperors were called Malbus Khas and those procured for nawabs were called Sarkar-i-Ala. The Mughal government appointed an officer, Darogah or Darogah-i-Malbus Khas to supervise the manufacture of Muslins meant for the emperor or a nawab. The Malmal was also procured for the diwan and other high officers and for JAGAT SHETH, the great banker. Muslins other than Malmal (or Malbus Khas and Sarkar-i-Ali) were exported by the traders, or some portion was used locally.
2. Jhuna’ was used by native dancers.
3. Rang’ was very transparent and net-like texture.
4. Abirawan’ was fancifully compared with running water.
5. Khassa’ was special quality, fine or elegant.
6. Shabnam’ was as morning dew.
7. Alaballee’ was very fine.
8. Tanzib’ was as the adorning the body.
9. Nayansukh’ was as pleasing to the eye.
10. Buddankhas’ was a special sort of cloth.
11. Seerbund’ used for turbans.
12. Kumees’ used for making shirts.
13. Doorea’ was striped.
14. Charkona’ was chequered cloth.
15. Jamdanee’ was figured cloth.
Manufacturing areas of Muslin:
Weaving was prevalent in the Dhaka district in almost every village, but some places became famous for manufacturing superior quality of Muslins. These places were Dhaka, SONARGAON, Dhamrai, Teetbady, Junglebary and Bajitpur. Dhaka does not need introduction, it is the same place where the capital stands now; Sonargaon is now in Narayanganj district, it was once the capital of Sultan FAKHRUDDIN MUBARAK SHAH and his son (1338-1353), and again capital of ISA KHAN in the Mughal period; Dhamrai is still an important place on the Bangshi river, about 20 miles west of Dhaka; Teetbady is a village in the Kapasia thana of Gazipur district; Junglebary is now in the district of Mymensingh on the eastern bank of the river Brahmaputra; Bajitpur, 15/20 miles away from Junglebary is also in Mymensingh district; Junglebary was for long a residence of the family of Isa Khan. These places manufactured fine quality cloth, because they were situated near the places where cotton suitable for manufacturing Muslins was produced. These were also the places where the headquarters of ruling dynasties, Muslim or Hindu, were established. So the weavers of these places got support and encouragement from the aristocratic class.
National and International Markets for Muslin:
Dhaka Muslin was in great dtions and sent them to Dhaka, where foreign buyers were ready with cash in hand. The foreign traders came from far-off countries like Arabia, Iran, Armenia, in the west, and China, Malaya, Java in the east. Some traders were busy in inter-provincial trade, while others sent the Muslin to countries outside India. The government officials procured various types of Muslin, which they sent to Delhi for the use of emperors and ministers. When the capital was transferred to Murshidabad, the Muslins meant for the subahdar, diwan and other aristocratic people (like the banker Jagat Sheth) were sent there. In the 17th century, the European companies came and established their settlements in Bengal.
Their principal settlements were located near HUGHLI, on the bank of the river Bhagirath; the DUTCH settled at Chinsura, the PORTUGUESE at Hughli, the ENGLISH settled first at Hughli but later shifted to Calcutta and the FRENCH settled at Chandernagore. The Ostend Company also came towards the beginning of the 18th century. They procured Dhaka Muslin, through dalals, paikars and also through their own officials. When they found their export of Muslin extremely profitable, they also established settlements at Dhaka. By the beginning of the 17th and certainly by the middle of that century, the Portuguese trade declined. The Dutch set up their factory at Dhaka in 1663, the English in 1669 and the French in 1682.
Formerly Europe used to get the Muslin through Iranian and Armenian merchants, but with the coming of the European companies and the establishment of their settlements in Bengal the export of Dhaka Muslin increased enormously. The volume of the export trade of the European companies increased year to year, so much so that they had to establish settlements and factories at Dhaka proper to feed the increased volume of trade. The imports of European companies had no local markets, so the companies imported hard cash, bullion, to meet the growing demand of Bengal, and particularly of Dhaka. Available estimates show that in 1747 the export of Dhaka cotton goods (chiefly of the fine variety of Muslin), including those procured for the emperor, nawab etc was valued at rupees twenty-eight lakh and a half.
Declined after the Battle of Palashi:
The Muslin industry of Dhaka declined after the BATTLE OF PALASHI, 1757; by the end of the 18th century, the export of Dhaka Muslin came down to almost half of that of 1747, and by the middle of the 19th century was valued at less than ten lakh Rupees. The decline of Dhaka Muslin was due to loss of patronage from the Mughal emperors, nawabs and other high officials. The Mughals not only lost their power and prestige but also their buying and spending capacity. With the establishment of the EAST INDIA COMPANY's monopoly over the trade of Bengal after the battle of Palashi, the trade of other European companies and traders belonging to other nationals practically came to a stop. But the most important cause of decline and the ultimate extinction of the Muslin industry was the industrial revolution in England, which introduced modern inventions in manufacture. The costly Dhaka cotton goods, particularly the Muslin, lost in competition with the cheap industrial products of England.

What Is an Electrolyte & Why salt used in Textiles? (Wet processing)

Why salt used in Textiles?

Is an interesting and basic question in the area of textile processing, particularly in dyeing. The textile substrate and dye molecule, not necessarily should have of homogeneous characteristics to combine with each other. In such case, we require some catalyst to facilitate dyeing action on fabric. Salt plays this crucial role of catalyst. Salt has an extremely high affinity for water. Broadly speaking, Salt is necessary in three ways, firstly, to drive dye into textile during the dyeing process in textile. Secondly, use of salt leads to maximum exhaustion of dye molecules during dyeing process in textiles. Thirdly it is used as an electrolyte for migration, adsorption and fixation of the dyestuff to the cellulose material.

What Is an Electrolyte?
An electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible.
An electrolyte is a liquid substance which acts as a medium to conduct electricity. An electrolyte is full of ions, which are atoms that have some sort of net electric charge, either positive or negative. An electrolyte in a solution may be described as concentrated if it has a high concentration of ions, or dilute if it has a low concentration. If a high proportion of the solute dissociates to form free ions, the electrolyte is strong; if most of the solute does not dissociate, the electrolyte is weak. The properties of electrolytes may be exploited using electrolysis to extract constituent elements and compounds contained within the solution.
Electrolyte solutions are normally formed when a salt is placed into a solvent such as water and the individual components dissociate due to the thermodynamic interactions between solvent and solute molecules, in a process called solvation. For example, when table salt, NaCl, is placed in water, the salt (a solid) dissolves into its component ions, according to the dissociation reaction
NaCl(s) → Na+(aq) + Cl−(aq)
It is also possible for substances to react with water producing ions, e.g., carbon dioxide gas dissolves in water to produce a solution which contains hydronium, carbonate, and hydrogen carbonate ions.

Fashion Designer, Career Profile!!

As a fashion designer, you will have a creative and exciting career that many people only dream about. Of course, it takes hard work, creativity, and a true passion for fabulous designs to achieve success as a fashion designer. Many are attracted to pursue a career in the fashion industry due to lucrative income opportunities. Aside from that, the idea that you can succeed on your own motivates aspirants even more. As a matter of fact, about one-third of professional fashion designers are self-employed. A good fashion designer would have a keen eye for detail, exceptional creative talent, superb artistic skills, and great determination.

There are many fashion design career paths for you to choose from. Some fashion designers work for top fashion houses such as TOMMY HILFIGER, CHANEL, ARMANI, CHRISTIAN DIOR, PRADA and GUCCI.

Others are employed by mass-market manufacturers of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel such as WALMART, KMART,OSPIG, MOTHER CARE, LEE, WRANGLER, DOCKERS, ADIDAS, FALCON,AMERICAN EAGLE, MILES, J.C PENNY, GAP, LAFUMA, REEBOK,DECATHLON, H&M, BROUKS, RELEIGH, EMMILEE, FREE SPRIL etc.

World famous fashion designer stars are Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Valentino Garavani, Gianni Versace, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Roy HalstonFrowick, Christian Dior,Laura Ashley, Vera Wang . In Bangladesh Bibi Russell is the pioneer of fashion designing. She was Born in Chittagong, Bangladesh. she studied in London College of Fashion. she worked as a model for different magazines including Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar. She also working with Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo, Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani.

The main area of work in the fashion industry are :

1. Design Department

2. Marketing and Merchandising

3. Manufacturing department

4. Fashion coordinators

In general, fashion designer professionals have innate artistic and creative qualities. They use their creative gifts and artistic talents to create unique design concepts for various fashion applications. Today, fashion designer professionals are in demand in a variety of industries. Since there is a constant demand for fashion designers specializing in a particular field, most of the aspirants focus their talent in one specialized fashion area like interior designing, merchandise displays, clothing/apparel, theatre sets and many more.

More fashion designer jobs will continue to flourish due to the consistent need for skilled and qualified fashion designer professionals. That being said, competition will become more intense. Aspiring fashion designers should prove themselves by showing their capabilities and hidden potentials.

As a professional fashion designer, you need to possess diverse skills and talents including the following:

• strong eye for detail

• A great appreciation for beauty

• Superb visual and spatial perception

• outstanding drawing and sketching abilities (very important)

• Strong artistic, creative and imaginative skills

• Exceptional sense of style and color

• superb skills in communication and problem-solving

• exception pattern making and sewing skills

• strong sales, persuasion and presentation skills

• above average leadership skills (a plus)