Transforming Apparel Manufacturing with AI: ISAIC’s Journey with Khenda’s Continuous Improvement Platform
By:
Seren Tusun (Sr. Business Developer / MSc. Industrial Engineer, Khenda)
Eli Chodock (Innovation and Skilling Associate, ISAIC)
ISAIC Teams Up with Khenda to Modernize Apparel Manufacturing
ISAIC (Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center) is a Detroit-based, industry-leading non-profit focused on reshoring apparel manufacturing using sustainable and technology-forward practices. As a key production partner for brands like Carhartt and DO Apparel, ISAIC is committed to modernizing its operations for long-term competitiveness.
Recently, ISAIC became the first U.S. textile manufacturer to adopt Khenda, an AI-powered video analytics platform for continuous improvement (CI). With Khenda, ISAIC can now perform AI-based time studies and equip its engineering team with smart tools to analyze and optimize production lines; faster, more efficiently, and at scale.
Measuring the Impact – Pre-Khenda Insights
To understand the impact of Khenda, ISAIC ran an internal survey comparing team experiences before and after implementation.
Before implementing Khenda, ISAIC’s continuous improvement efforts were mainly driven by traditional KAIZEN events and manually collected metrics, which made tracking progress and driving change slow and inconsistent. Visibility into current operations was limited, manual time studies were difficult to schedule during production, and operators often struggled to understand the reasons behind process changes.
Internal survey results reflected these challenges, with ease of tracking and communication rated just 2 out of 5, and the efficiency of current methods only 3 out of 5, highlighting the need for better data transparency and clarity.
Use Case Spotlight: Improving the Shorts Line for DO Apparel
One major application of Khenda at ISAIC focused on improving the production line for athletic shorts manufactured for DO Apparel.
Step 1: AI-Powered Video Analysis
ISAIC engineers recorded footage of the shorts line using a tablet and uploaded it to Khenda. The AI then analyzed each operation cycle to extract insights.
Key findings include:
Total process time: 640 seconds/unit
Bottleneck stations had cycle time averages up to 182 seconds
Non-value-added activities were detected across several steps
Task distribution between operators was unbalanced
Best-practice video clips revealed faster, more efficient motions:
Step 2: Implementing Improvements
Using these insights, ISAIC introduced a series of Kaizen actions:
Removed non-value-added steps by updating SOPs based on motion analysis
Reordered production flow, moving pocket tasks to earlier stations
Tagged optimal cycle clips to train staff using real examples
Balanced the line to reduce overload on specific operators
After the implementations, team recorded new videos of the improved status and measured the impact.
Results
The shorts line improvements delivered tangible results: roughly 100 seconds of cycle time were eliminated, driving about a 15% lift in line efficiency. Training and standardization improved, and the team gained clearer visibility into cost per unit for more accurate planning and pricing. Overall, this case shows how small, evidence-backed changes can produce measurable gains in efficiency and quality.
Key Benefits
Enhanced Costing & A3 Thinking:
Early-production costing with Khenda supports lean thinking during new product development (NPD)
Enables faster, more precise quotes by using line balancing and operational analysis to model current state and labor-driven costs.
Establishes a data-backed “Current State” and “Ideal Future State” for A3 reports
Operators are more engaged thanks to visual tools and traceability
SOPs are more data-driven, consistent, and easier to train with
Cycle comparisons help pinpoint training needs
Post-implementation feedback
“The process for capturing current state is exponentially more efficient.”
“Khenda has made it much easier to capture and share improvement ideas.”
“The BEST PRACTICE feature helps us understand how much room we have to improve.”
What’s Next
ISAIC and Khenda are now collaborating on new benchmarks for the apparel sector, driven by a shared vision to build digital, human-centered continuous improvement cultures in manufacturing.
Ready to Transform Your Apparel Operations?
If you're in the fashion or apparel industry and struggling with manual processes, operator variability, or line balancing challenges, visit Khenda’s site at Khenda.com and see how they can help you unlock measurable improvements.