Difference between SAM and SMV

SMV & SAM both are very important terms for garments industry. Both terms are used in Industrial Engineering department. In a garment factory for industrial engineering interview or production interview few questions are the most commonly asked question. The frequently asked questions are:

• What is SAM?
• What is SMV?
• What is difference between SAM and SMV?

Frankly speaking, I feel the interviewer who is asking this question even he/she may not be knowing the exact answer for this question. Many knows only one answer that is – SAM is extended version of SMV. Interviewer expects the following answer.

i.e.

SAM = SMV+ Allowance %

Here

SMV= Cycle time* operator rating

But this not the only answer.

In this article, I have made 3 different cases which are generally followed in different organizations. In future you will not have any confusion related to difference between SAM and SMV after reading this article. Read all 3 cases to understand the difference between both the terms.

Case 1

SMV is standard minute value and this is minimum time required to do a particular task, where SAM is extended version of SMV where some allowance percentage is added in SMV. This answer is the most common answer, which is available everywhere

Case 2

In few companies, people say SAM and SMV both are same. There is no difference between SAM and SMV. Both are time in which a particular task should happen.  

Case 3

Third case is even more interesting in this case few companies treat both terms differently people says SAM is standard allowed minute, it is a time in which a particular task should happen while SMV is Standard minute value and this is an amount, which can be used for costing.

• SAM= Time for garment (let’s say unit is minute)
• SMV= Value of a particular time (Let’s say unit is ₹/ min)

So when SAM is multiplied with SMV we get value for a garment as unit Minute gets cancel.

SAM*SMV= value of a garment in terms of ₹.

So with this we can conclude 3 differences with 3 cases,

• First Case: SAM and SMV both are same there is no difference and both are measured in time.
• Second Case: SAM is extended version of SMV. First SMV is calculated and when allowance is added in SMV we get SAM.
• Third Case: SAM and SMV both are different. SAM is time where SMV is value in terms of ₹. So both has different purpose.