Chapter 236: Assembly Line
After giving the models a few more instructions and correcting their poses, Duane accompanied Natalia on a tour of the factory.
「Time flew by, and soon, night had fallen.」
The five partners of the Time Closet held a simple dinner party in the adjoining villa next to the factory.
Though there were no songs, dances, or music, everyone was in high spirits.
Natalia cared little for the factory’s operations or its profitability, but she was delighted to see Duane’s creative designs come to life. As for Zelina, Derek, and Sharp, they were thrilled to have taken another step toward success.
As for Duane, he had also gained a great deal from this venture, most importantly his business partners.
They were all capable people.
After dinner, the group rested for a short while before gathering in the meeting room on the ground floor.
The room was furnished with high-quality armchairs and sofas, and five or six paintings and calligraphies adorned the walls.
"This is Duane’s first time at one of our meetings. Why don’t we start by briefly going over the current situation?"
Natalia, as the largest shareholder, began with a brief opening statement.
"I’ll start by outlining the factory’s current personnel and management situation."
Derek spoke first.
Duane listened intently. Derek had been busy that afternoon, so Duane had only managed to get a brief overview. Naturally, Derek, being in charge of factory management, knew the details far better.
"Our factory currently employs 43 tailors: three Advanced, ten Middle Level, and thirty Basic Level."
The numbers were a pleasant surprise to Duane.
On all of Black Forest Island, there were probably fewer than ten tailors who could even reach the Basic Level, yet here they had over forty. The difference was staggering.
Duane asked curiously, "How is the work divided among them right now?"
Derek was well-versed on this topic. "The Advanced Tailors are responsible for making the most complex garments, like the Lolita designs you created."
"The Middle Level Tailors handle clothes that are a bit less complex, like those layered skirt designs."
"And the Basic Level Tailors make the simplest items, like the double-breasted naval coats."
Duane nodded slightly. "What about production volume?"
Derek smiled. "That’s what I was just getting to. I have them working at maximum efficiency right now, and they can produce roughly 90 to 120 garments per month."
At this point, Zelina took over the conversation.
"Since these are all new styles, I’ve surveyed the market and set the initial price point between 5 and 8 Gold Coins. After deducting costs and factoring in our production capacity, I estimate a monthly net profit of 315 Gold Coins."
"According to the distribution plan we agreed on, 10% will be set aside as a reserve fund. After that, Miss Natalia takes her 10%, leaving 252 Gold Coins to be distributed proportionally."
Duane did a quick calculation. With his 19% share, he would earn about 48 Gold Coins per month.
If things continued like this every month, his annual income would be around 600 Gold Coins.
This might not seem like a lot of Gold Coins, but in reality, some Barons with no industries of their own might not even earn that much in a whole year.
Of course, this was just a preliminary calculation, all on paper.
The actual number of garments sold, the final sales price, the costs—none of these were set in stone and would fluctuate.
But this was a meeting, after all. It was a time for words that would boost morale.
Derek added, "I’ll be hiring more tailors later on. As their Skill Level improves, our production capacity will increase, and we’ll earn even more."
Sharp chimed in, "Even though the clothes haven’t been officially released, a lot of people in Silent Shore have already contacted me about buying them. Some are even willing to pay a deposit in advance. I’m sure our clothing line will be a huge success!"
They were all heirs to Baron or Knight Clans. And while they lived well, their resources were certainly limited compared to the heirs of a High Lord’s family.
The prospect of gaining such significant profits through the Time Closet was tempting to anyone.
"If we’re short on cash, you can reinvest my share back into the factory’s operations for now."
Natalia wasn’t as interested in making money as Derek and the others, but she still wanted to see the clothing factory succeed.
"Oh, that’s right, Duane," Natalia said. "Didn’t you mention this afternoon that you had some suggestions? Now’s the time to share them!"
At her words, the others all looked over, their expressions curious and ready to listen.
This was especially true for Derek, Zelina, and Sharp. Every one of Duane’s suggestions had yielded excellent results, and frankly, they placed great importance on his input.
This was why they respected Duane, even though he lacked Natalia’s status and hadn’t contributed much to the factory’s day-to-day operations.
Duane smiled and nodded, then gestured to the Male Servant standing behind him. "Take good notes."
"Yes, My Lord!" Owington took out a pen and paper and sat nearby, ready to listen attentively.
"I toured every workshop today and got a basic understanding of each stage of production. I did notice a few problems."
Derek’s brow furrowed. This clearly touched on factory management, which was his domain.
"My main point is this: even with over forty tailors, our production efficiency is still too low."
Hearing this, Derek instinctively assumed Duane wanted to increase the tailors’ working hours.
"They already start working at five in the morning, just as it’s getting light. Their average workday is about sixteen hours. If we extend that any further, their eyes, energy, and stamina won’t hold up. It would actually hurt their efficiency."
There was no nighttime illumination; working too long by candlelight was incredibly damaging to one’s eyesight.
Using Magic Lamps, on the other hand, would raise costs too much.
"No, no, no," Duane explained with a smile, "I’m not suggesting we extend their work hours."
"I want to introduce a new working method. I call it an ’assembly line’."
Assembly line?
The partners exchanged glances. It was another new term.
"Under the current model, each tailor has to complete an entire garment by themselves. This is inefficient, and the quality is inconsistent. If the tailor working on a particular garment has a health issue or some other problem, production on that piece could halt entirely."
"Take the Advanced Tailors, for example. If one of them leaves, it would be very difficult for us to find a replacement on short notice. Training a new one ourselves would be impossible in the short term."
Derek nodded in complete agreement upon hearing this. It was one of his daily worries.
He asked curiously, "So, your... ’assembly line’... it can solve this problem?"
"The ’assembly line’ concept," Duane explained, "is about breaking down the process of making a garment into separate steps. Each tailor would only need to focus on one specific task—like cutting, sewing, or attaching buttons. This division of labor will dramatically increase production efficiency."
"We would establish a standard for each step. This lowers the technical barrier, allowing new hires—even Basic Level Tailors—to start working after just a short training period."
Duane shrugged, emphasizing, "After all, they would no longer be making an entire garment, just one part of the process. After a few repetitions, I think even the clumsiest tailor would likely get the hang of it very quickly."
"This..."
Derek was astonished, as were Zelina and the others.
It sounded so simple, yet it was a layer of thinking they had never considered.
Duane continued, "Beyond those benefits, producing on an assembly line will also reduce material waste. And more importantly, it will ensure consistent quality across all finished products."
Derek’s mind was reeling.
He’d always considered himself a decent manager, but listening to Duane, he felt his methods were on a completely different, lower level.
He was not a fool, nor was he stubbornly set in his ways.
As he took in Duane’s suggestion and mentally walked through its implementation, the potential results were clear to see.
"Baron Duane, you are truly brilliant!"
Derek stood up and bowed. "If we can implement this, our factory’s production capacity will skyrocket without even hiring more tailors! This will bring us so much more profit!"
"And our costs will drop dramatically!" Zelina added.
Sharp scratched his head, chuckling in admiration. "That’s a whole new concept right there. Duane, your mind is incredibly sharp. Everything you come up with impresses me."
A look of adoration sparkled in Natalia’s eyes.
And it wasn’t just Natalia, who already harbored feelings for Duane; even Zelina’s gaze was filled with fervor.
Of course, Zelina’s fervor wasn’t romantic—she and Derek were quite close.
Duane said, "This is indeed a new concept, which is why assembly line production must be considered a trade secret of the Time Closet. None of us should speak of it to outsiders."
"Absolutely!"
The four partners nodded in agreement. If word of this got out, the impact would be enormous and could even be detrimental to the Time Closet’s business.
"Beyond that," Duane said, "I have a few other suggestions."
...