Profession footwear production manager

Footwear production managers plan, distribute, and coordinate all necessary activities of the different footwear manufacturing phases ensuring the adherence to quality standards and production and productivity pre-defined goals.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Conventional

Knowledge

• Footwear uppers pre-assembly

  The equipment and techniques used for pre-assembling operations of uppers in the footwear industry.

• Footwear components

  Footwear components both for uppers (vamps, quarters, linings, stiffeners, toe puffs etc.) and bottoms (soles, heels, insoles etc.). Ecological concerns and the importance of recycling. Selection of suitable materials and components based on their influence on the footwear style and characteristics, properties and manufacturability. Procedures and methods in chemical and mechanical processing of leather and non-leather materials.

• Assembling processes and techniques for cemented footwear construction

  Technology, equipment, machines and tools for lasting and soling in case of cemented footwear constructions.

• Health and safety in the workplace

  The body of rules, procdeures and regulations related to safety, health and welfare of people in their workplace. 

• Footwear quality

  Quality specifications of materials, processes and final products, the most common defects in footwear, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, adequate equipment for quality checks. Quality assurance of footwear production processes and fundamental concepts on quality including footwear quality framework and standards.

• Assembling processes and techniques for california footwear construction

  Technology, equipment, machines and tools for assembling california footwear construction type.

• Assembling processes and techniques for goodyear footwear construction

  Technology, equipment, machines and tools for assembling Goodyear footwear construction types.

• Footwear bottoms pre-assembly

  The equipment and techniques used for the preparation of bottom components in the footwear industry, including soles, heels, insoles, etc.

• Footwear manufacturing technology

  Footwear processes technology and machinery involved. The footwear manufacturing starts in the cutting/clicking room , cutting the uppers and bottom components. The upper components are joined together in the closing room by following a precise order of specific operations: skiving, folding, sewing etc. The closed upper, the insole and other bottom components are brought together in the assembling room, where the main operations are lasting and soling. The process ends with finishing operations in the finishing and packing room.

• Footwear stitching techniques

  The technologies, equipment, machines and processes for closing the upper components of footwear by various seams such as closed, lapped, butted, welted, piped and moccasin.

• Pre-stitching processes and techniques for footwear and leather goods

  Technology including machinery and techniques for the preparation for leather goods components and footwear uppers.

• Footwear finishing techniques

  The related machinery, tools, chemicals and mechanical finishing procedures applied to footwear manufacturing.

• Footwear materials

  The characteristics, components, advantages and limitations of a wide range of materials used in footwear production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, plastic, rubber etc. 

• Manual cutting processes for leather

  Cutting rules, variance of the leather properties on its surface and elongation directions of the footwear pieces.

Skills

• Use IT tools

  Application of computers, computer networks and other information technologies and equipment to storing, retrieving, transmitting and manipulating data, in the context of a business or enterprise.

• Exert a goal-oriented leadership role towards colleagues

  Embrace a leadership role in the organisation and with colleagues as to provide coaching and direction to subordinates aiming at the achievement of specific objectives.

• Communicate commercial and technical issues in foreign languages

  Speak one or more foreign languages in order to communicate commercial and technical issues with various suppliers and clients.

• Practice innovative thinking in the footwear and leather goods industries

  Innovate and create in the footwear and leather goods sector. Evaluate new ideas and concepts to turn them into marketable products. Use entrepreneurial thinking in all stages of the product and process development to identify new business opportunities for the targeted markets.

• Plan footwear manufacture

  Design the manufacturing process for each footwear model. Plan the stages of footwear manufacturing and operations for production. Plan the usage of materials and footwear components. Select machines and equipment. Plan the workforce. Calculate direct and indirect costs associated with manufacturing. Plan the maintenance of machines and equipment.

• Calculate the productivity of the production of footwear and leather goods

  Analyse the footwear and leather goods production capacity and collect information concerning human and technological resources. Follow the production process and make adjustments to the work methods and operative times according to the technical specification of the model, human resources and equipment. Optimise the production lines and increase the productivity.

• Plan supply chain logistics for footwear and leather goods

  Plan, organise and monitor logistics and supply chain activities based on the footwear or leather goods company's main objectives regarding quality, cost, delivery, and flexibility.

• Reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing

  Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.

• Work in textile manufacturing teams

  Work harmoniously with colleagues in teams in the textile and clothing manufacturing industries.

• Use technical documentation

  Understand and use technical documentation in the overall technical process.

• Prepare footwear samples

  Create, test and verify prototypes or samples of footwear against a predefined set of criteria throughout all stages of the manufacturing process. Revise the initial design concepts and implement technical improvements.

• Manage production of footwear or leather goods

  Plan the production of footwear or leather goods according to the company’s objectives, deadlines and available resources. Distribute, coordinate and control all activities and the various production phases using information from technical sheets and organisation and methods. Strive to optimise quality, productivity and safety. Collaborate with all linked departments. Report on production, quality, productivity deviations and propose corrective measures.

• Use communication techniques

  Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB