Introduction By The Managing Member - Puma

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Theft and unethical ISSUE PERFORMANCE TARGETS behaviour On-site losses are minimal at Vimal premises. However, losses can occur both in-transit and in customer warehouses. On-site monitoring of losses is monitored by comparing cutting stats with packaged orders and defaults. The implementation of on-site CCTV cam- eras has reduced occurrences of theft and/ or over-reporting of work performance. One incident of personal property theft was identified and addressed during the course of the year. Cost Reduction Vimal continuously strives to reduce operat- Absenteeism and Late Arrival ing costs and overheads. Our 2007 focus was on the implementation of new technology to speed up production, reduce labour costs and reduce wastage. 2007 saw a significant increase in employee absenteeism and late arrivals, although much of the tardiness was directly linked to the new location and has been addressed. Skill levels Although skill levels are not a concern in the Solid waste sent for disposal, including fabric wastage Quality of local fabric suppliers short-term, the lack of interest in garment manufacturing among the youth of South Af- rica is an ongoing concern for the future. Fabric wastage has been identified as a cost-first, environmental second, concern. The move to new technology has already be- gun to demonstrate a decrease in the num- ber of waste haulage bins being retrieved from our premises. The move to new technology has increased the amount of recyclable materials (specifi- cally plastic) being generated within the fac- tory. Although Vimal is committed to procuring fabric from local suppliers, issues of quality and on-time delivery continue to be a limit- ing factor. 10 • Continue to monitor potential losses. • Continue to remind employees of their responsibility to avoid theft and unethical behaviour. • Complete the installation of data manage- ment system to control inventories of fabric and accessories. • Complete the acquisition and installation of new machinery to further improve production efficiencies. • Complete the implementation of the ‘Qualifying for 2010’ bonus scheme to reduce absenteeism. • Need to investigate ways to find new machine operators, including the possible need to relocate some of the assembly activities to more rural areas. • Continue to implement new technology to ensure that fabric wastage is reduced. • Identify ways to sort and recycle solid wastes. • Continue to engage with local suppliers to identify ways in which Vimal can increase purchases from them, without compromising on customer quality expectations.
USE OF APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY As a proudly South African company, we are constantly reminded of the need to balance the challenges of operating within a globally competitive market with the socio-economic challenges in our community. Poverty, high unemployment and the presence of less than scrupulous employers all plague the South African industrial sector, and we are constantly reminded that Vimal is ‘an employer of choice’ rather than ‘an only option’. As such, we believe that the delicate balance between competitive pressures toward automation and job creation places Vimal in the unenviable position of looking for inventive ways to improve efficiencies without compromising on our commitment to the welfare of our staff. Over the past 26 years of operation, we have focused mainly on ensuring that our cutters, machine operators and finishers were all supplied with reliable, safe and appropriate machines that would allow them to deliver against increasingly challenging targets. However, our experience over the past couple of years has indicated that we must alter our production strategies to rely less on human behaviour and more on the increased accuracy and efficiency of computers. Although our design, printing and planning activities have been at least partially automated for several years, 2007 became our watershed year for the automation of production activities. Thus far, we have acquired one large automated cutting machine (Lectra VectorFashion- MH8Cutter) which is expected to reduce cutting time by up to 80%, while improving our ability to make more efficient use of raw material and reducing cutting errors, thus decreasing the volume of wastages being sent to landfills. We have also purchased two automated cuff, collar and waistband knitting machines which will reduce our concerns over access to reliable sources of knitted cuffs, while allowing us to offer clients more sophisticated cuff, collar and waistband options. These three machines are expected to be fully operational before the end of the first quarter of 2008. CUTTING Basic Cutting Machines End Cutter Machines Lectra VectorFashionMH8Cutter KNITTING Mechanical Knitters Kauo Heng Flat Bed Knitters EMBROIDERY AND PRINTING Tajima TMEX – c901 Embroidery Machine Tajima TFMX – 2c904 Embroidery Machine Tajima TFHX – 2c1208 Embroidery Machine Tajima TMFD – 615 Embroidery Machine Tajima TMFD – 620 Embroidery Machine Tajima TFGN – 920 Embroidery Machine Sublimation Machine Monti Midi Printer Press Mini Printer Press Hand held electric cutter/knife Hand held straight line end cutter/knife Automated fabric cutting machine Mechanical knitting machine for collars and cuffs Computer-aided knitting machine for collars and cuffs Single head automatic logo embroidery machine Four head automatic logo embroidery machine Eight head automatic logo embroidery machine Fifteen head automatic logo embroidery machine Twenty head automatic logo embroidery machine Twenty head automatic logo embroidery machine Printing machine for creating sublimation heat transfers Heat transfer press for sublimation prints Small scale heat transfer press for sublimation prints 11 11 6 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3
Page 2 and 3: CONTENTS PAGE Introduction by the M
Page 4 and 5: Our operations exist only in South
Page 6 and 7: Start (20 employees) ‘81 ‘87 Th
Page 8 and 9: In order to ensure that the same pr
Page 10 and 11: OUR MOST MATERIAL ISSUES At Vimal,
Page 14 and 15: ASSEMBLY AND MATERIAL PREP Flat Mac
Page 16 and 17: Vimal is a proud supplier of soccer
Page 18 and 19: THE VIMAL TEAM At the heart of any
Page 20 and 21: Since 1988, Vimal has recognised th
Page 22 and 23: What our employees have told us In
Page 24 and 25: 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2003 2004 Injuries on
Page 26 and 27: Vimal’s parking lot could have be
Page 28 and 29: 3. Non-hazard- ous waste 3. Hazardo
Page 30 and 31: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Until recent
Page 32 and 33: - Collecting reasonably large piece
Page 34 and 35: VISION & STRATEGY ECONOMIC SOCIAL S
Page 36 and 37: • A review of the approach of man

Introduction By The Managing Member - Puma

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