APPAREL PRODUCTION

PLANNING AND CONTROL

LEARNING
CURVES
 1 Learning Curve

2 Learning Curve Models

3 Individual Learning

CONTENT 4 Organizational Learning

5 Tables

6 Pros and Cons

6 Applications
Anyone becomes better at performing a task for the
second time than the first time.

This is due to accumulation of familiarity and

confidence by performing the task repetitively.

Thereby, measures such as the time to complete

and quality of outcome improves with the number of
tasks completed. This phenomenon is called
“Learning” or “Gaining Experience”.

Quantifying the amount learning is essential to

accurately predict the performance.
LEARNING
CURVE
A learning curve is a correlation
between a learner's performance
on a task and the number of
attempts or time required to
complete the task; this can be
represented as a direct proportion
on a graph.
 LEARNING CURVE THEORY
• The theory states that, as a new task is learned and repeated,
workers become more efficient at it, decreasing time or cost
while increasing performance on that specific task.
• If a task is complex and long, it may take many repetitions to
show positive change of improvement (that is to say, faster
time and fewer errors on the task).
• If a task is short and simple, improvement may occur within a
few repetitions.
• The learning curve definition in business applies to both
complex and simple repetitive tasks, where the efficiency of a
worker increases geometrically over time.
 LEARNING CURVE
FORMULA
The learning curve equation is an exponential equation, where:
• Y is the cumulative average time or cost per unit
• a is the time or cost to produce the initial quantity
• X is the cumulative units of production
• b is the learning curve coefficient (slope of the graph)
• b = log2(LR)=log(LR)log2log2(LR)=log(LR)log2 (LR is the learning rate or learning
curve percentage.)
 LEARNING CURVE MODELS

1. DIMINISHING- 2. INCREASING-
RETURNS LEARNING RETURNS LEARNING
CURVE CURVE

3. INCREASING-
DECREASING RETURN 4. COMPLEX
LEARNING CURVE LEARNING CURVE
(THE S-CURVE)
DIMINISHING-RETURNS
LEARNING CURVE
• The rate of progression
increases rapidly at the
beginning and then
decreases over time.
• This describes a situation
where the task may be
easy to learn and
progression of learning is
initially fast and rapid.
INCREASING-RETURNS
LEARNING CURVE
• The rate of progression is
slow at the beginning and
then rises over time until full
proficiency is obtained.
• This model describes a
situation where perhaps a
complex task is being learned
and the rate of learning is
initially slow.
INCREASING-
DECREASING RETURN
LEARNING CURVE (THE
S-CURVE)
• This model is the most commonly cited
learning curve and is known as the “S-
curve” model.
• It measures an individual who is new to
a task. The bottom of the curve
indicates slow learning as the learner
works to master the skills required and
takes more time to do so.
• The latter half of the curve indicates
that the learner now takes less time to
complete the task as they have become
proficient in the skills required. Often
the end of the curve begins to level off,
indicating a plateau or new challenges.
 COMPLEX LEARNING
• CURVE
This model represents a more complex
pattern of learning and reflects more
extensive tracking.
• The beginning of the curve indicates that
learning is initially slow.
• The second stage of the curve shows an
increase, which indicates that the learner is
becoming proficient in the skill.
• The third stage of the curve indicates that
the learner is plateauing in his proficiency
once the learner feels he has mastered the
skill.
• The fourth stage of the curve represents
that the learner is actually still improving the
skill.
• The last stage of the curve represents the
point at which the skill becomes automatic,
muscle memory for the learner, often
 EXAMPLE
Let's use an 80% learning curve as an example.
This means that every time we double the cumulative quantity, the process becomes 20% more efficient. In
addition, the first task we complete took 1,000 hours.

Y = 1000 * (1 ^ (log .80 / log 2) = 1000 * 1 = an average of 1,000 hours per task to complete one task
Now let's double our manufacturing output. The initial time spent on the first task will stay 1,000 hours. However,
our value for X will now change from one to two:
Y = 1000 * (2 ^ (log .80 / log 2) = 1000 * .8 = an average of 800 hours per task to complete two tasks

This means that the total cumulative amount of time needed to perform the task twice was 1,600. Since we know
the total amount of time taken for one task was 1,000 hours, we can infer that the incremental time to perform
the second task was only 600 hours. This diminishing average theoretically continues as you advance along the
learning curve. For example, the next doubling of tasks will occur at 4 tasks completed:

Y = 1000 * (4 ^ (log .8 / log 2) = 1000 * .64 = an average of 640 hours per task to complete four tasks

In this final example, it took a total of 2,560 hours to produce 4 tasks. Knowing it took 1,600 hours to produce the
first two tasks, the learning curve indicates it will only take a total of 960 hours to produce the third and fourth
task.
 LEARNING CURVE TABLE

The learning curve can become complicated when trying to distinguish between the
cumulative quantity, the cumulative production time, the cumulative average
production time, and the incremental production time. Therefore, it is common to
see a learning curve table that summarizes and neatly organizes each value. This
type of information is very useful in cost accounting. The example above would have
table as follows:
LEARNING CURVE GRAPH

Learning curve graph for the example:

Individual learning is the
customization and adaptation
of educational methods and
techniques so that the learning INDIVIDUAL
process is better suited for
each individual learner, with
LEARNING
their own unique learning style,
background, needs, and
previous experiences.
Learning curve models for the assembly sewing lines in apparel
manufacturing industry
ORGANIZATIONA
L LEARNING
Organizational learning is the
process by which an
organization improves itself
over time through gaining
experience and using that
experience to create
knowledge. The knowledge
created is then transferred
within the organization.
ORGANIZATIONA
L LEARNING
Organizational learning is important for
all companies, as the creation,
retention and transfer of knowledge
within the organization will strengthen
the organization as a whole
 The organizational learning theory

The theory of organizational learning focuses on the creation of

knowledge and the use of that knowledge within an organization.

Key aspects of organizational learning theory are that learning

happens when people interact while finding and solving problems.

Organizational learning theory stresses the importance of developing

a learning culture within an organization.
 According to this theory, organizations should:

Develop a culture that prizes knowledge sharing

Take time to learn the lessons that failure can teach

Encourage employees of all levels to engage in lifelong learning

Allow individuals and teams to challenge the status quo of the

organization
 The importance of organizational learning

Increased employee job satisfaction.

Lower turnover rates

Increased productivity, profits and efficiency

Developing leaders at all levels

Enhanced adaptability throughout the organization

 PROS AND CONS OF THE
LEARNING CURVE THEORY
PROS CONS
• Performance improvement is • Using a learning curve to predict
connected with learning. By overall performance of larger groups
incorporating a learning culture within or processes means that many
the organization where employees assumptions are made on variables
are encouraged and supported to like motivation, sociological factors,
keep learning, performance levels can workplace dynamics, training
be expected to increase on the curve. resources, and previous knowledge or
• The rate of learning is also considered experience.
to be consistent enough that trends • A learning curve that may not show
can be established using the learning expected results would need further
curve, enabling better forecasting and analysis to determine the underlying
business decisions. variables impacting its shape, as the
curve does not tell the whole story.
 APPLICATION
In Industry
Manufacturing costs as related to workforce performance can be tracked by
using the learning curve.
Instead of performance and number of attempts, the values could be unit cost
or unit labor hours and cumulative production in units. As workers produce
more product, the per-unit cost will often decrease.
The learning curve can be used to predict potential costs when production
tasks change.
For example, when the pricing of a new product is being determined, labor
costs are factored in.
If a product takes two hours to produce, the product is released to the market
for sale at a cost that reflects the two-hour production period plus other
associated costs and markups.
But what if the production time was based on the first few attempts? What if
by the 100th time the product was produced, production time is reduced to
 • https://www.valamis.com/hub/
personalized-learning#examples-
of-personalized-learning
REFERENCE • https://www.valamis.com/hub/
organizational-learning
S • http://ieomsociety.org/ieom_2016/
pdfs/189.pdf
• https://www.valamis.com/hub/
learning-curve