Consumers and retailers worldwide increasingly seek high-quality apparel at competitive prices. However, the rising expenses associated with rework, inspection, and comprehensive quality assurance create a critical challenge for manufacturers to sustain both quality and production efficiency. End-of-line inspection processes are costly and often lead to high rejection rates, production delays, and reduced profitability, resulting in losses for buyers, manufacturers, and consumers alike. To address these challenges, real-time process quality control offers a proactive approach to identifying and solving problems during production. One effective method is the Traffic Light-Based Quality Control System, which visually signals real-time production status using color codes (Red, Yellow, and Green) to represent different quality states. This enables operators and supervisors to take immediate corrective actions, ensuring smoother operations and preventing defects before they escalate. This study examines the effectiveness of the traffic light quality system in improving First-Pass Quality (FPQ) and overall production efficiency in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh. Empirical data were collected from 94 production lines across three factories to analyze the system’s impact on Defects per Hundred Units (DHU), line efficiency, and hit rate. The research also evaluates the role of operator responsiveness, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and employee training programs in reinforcing the factory’s quality management culture.
The Two-Factor ANOVA results demonstrate highly statistically significant improvements in process performance. The Group Factor (TLS implementation vs. Control) was highly significant across all metrics: DHU (P=0.00035), Line Efficiency (P=0.000843), and Hit Rate (P=0.00389). This confirms significant improvements in process stability, quality, and production efficiency, which leads to higher customer satisfaction. The study confirms that traffic light-based real-time quality control is a strategic tool for achieving sustainable competitiveness in the global apparel market.