This study addresses the problem of a high return rate in a company that manufactures industrial workwear. Over the past four years, the organization recorded an average return rate of 12.6%, exceeding the industry standard by 7.14%. The root causes identified were a lack of standardization in finishing processes, the absence of quality controls at critical points, disorganization in the storage area, and deficiencies in production planning. This research proposes a comprehensive improvement model based on Lean Manufacturing and quality management tools, such as Total Quality Management, process standardization, and 5S. The results obtained through the implementation of the tools proposed in this study show a projected reduction in the return rate of 5.16%, a decrease in the defective rate from 15% to 5.6%, and an improvement in the On-Time Delivery (OTD) indicator from 72.5% to 77%. In economic terms, the model generates an estimated savings of between $41,734 and $47,696 annually, thus contributing to the sustainability and competitiveness of the company in the Peruvian textile sector. This research provides a practical and scalable contribution for textile SMEs, demonstrating how the integration of Lean and TQM tools can standardize manual finishing operations, reduce variability, and strengthen quality assurance. The proposed model is structured in a way that allows replication in similar manufacturing environments facing high rework levels and unstable delivery performance, positioning it as a valuable reference for operational improvement across the Latin American textile industry.

Keywords 

Textile industry; Lean Manufacturing; returns; quality control.