Global Fabric and Apparel Product Development - Assignment Example

Global fabric and apparel product development Student’s name Course code Professor’s name University name City, state Date of submission Introduction The apparel industry has experienced major changes in the recent years including the materials used and the methods of production applied in the production of the final materials. The importance attached to sourcing of the products in the apparel industry has grown over the years. This is attributed to the rising cost of labour and the cost of transport that has changed the process of sourcing of the products. As the cost of buying the products rise in the old markets such as Asia, global buyers are opting for cheaper markets. The majority of the companies in this industry are opting to buy the products from the nearby markets to keep the costs low and also to ensure that the designs and the products made reflect the changing global trends. The apparel industry, being a buyer-driven industry, is characterised by inequality of power between suppliers of the final apparel products and the global buyers. The global buyers mainly determine the kind of products to be produced, including the place of production and the price of the products. (Frederick, 2010) 1. Identify, analyse and evaluate the critical path and the main stages of the global supply chain, used for developing apparel products. The development of apparel products involves several stages that are key to the production of the required final product. The most basic stage in the apparel production process is the assembly stage. In this stage, the plants that sew garments acquire inputs for assembly purposes. The manufacturer of the apparel products, as far as this stage is concerned, is charged with cutting and sewing the knitted fabric or else they can knit the apparel directly from yarn. The buyer of the apparel products is responsible for supplying the fabric to the manufacturer of the apparel product. This stage mas been overlapped by the other stages such that the processes conducted in this stage can still be done in the subsequent stages. It does not encompass the final idea of the product intended. The second stage in the development of the apparel product is the original equipment manufacturing stage. Under this stage, the manufacture of the apparel product is responsible for the whole production process including the finishing and distribution of the final apparel product. Under this stage the manufacturer must be in a position to purchase the necessary raw materials and the trim needed for the production of the apparel product. There is the challenge that the manufacturer may not deliver a product as required due to the discretion offered by the buyer. The materials supplied and the raw materials should be with the consent of the buyer to ensure that the apparel product complies with the specifications given. (Frederick, 2010) The third stage is the original design manufacturing where the manufacture of the product is not only responsible for the manufacture of the product but also for coming up with the designs. The focus in this stage is the addition of the design capabilities to the production of the garments. The manufacture is required to coordinate the design of the product, approve the samples required, select and purchase the materials necessary for production and complete the production of the required garment. This stage gives the manufacturer the opportunity to plan for the whole product from the beginning to the end hence there exists certainty as to the quality of the product made. The final stage involves the branding of the product made. Once the designs have been made and the product manufactured, the product is then branded. This is to ensure that the buyer of the product acquires the full benefit from the sale of the product. The completion of the process of manufacture means that the buyer of the product can assess the apparel product and continue to purchase from the manufacturer. (Frederick, 2010) Other stages may be added to the process to add value to the final product. These may include research and development, variety of designs, production, logistics, marketing and branding services. Source: Frederick, 2010. The research and development involves activities related to improving the final product made by the manufacture. The designs made are meant to act as incentives for the sale of the product as well as to add value to the product. The distribution of the product on the other hand involves the creation of a network of agents and wholesalers responsible for the sale and distribution of the product to the potential buyers. 1. Consider the impact of manufacturing technologies, garment technology, I.T. and global production processes, which help produce mass manufactured products within the global supply chain. The adoption of technology in the manufacturing industries has become a key factor that determines competitiveness especially in the global trade. The manufacturing firms, including in the apparel and textile industries have to keep innovating and adopting new technology in order to acquire a competitive advantage in the market. The adoption of new technology and the driving force for innovation has been to promote mass production of products in the industry. (Bennet, 2006) The new technology that has so far been utilised in the textile manufacturing industry include the development of robotics used for assembly in the garment making process, the use of high speed sewing machines, the use of computer aided design and manufacturing and the use of computers in the marketing of products. The use of computers in the manufacturing process Computer assisted design (CAD) and computer assisted manufacture (CAM) have had a great impact in the textile industry. Their application has especially been in the grading and cutting of patterns and fabrics and also in garment design. There has been the introduction of computers to help in the cutting process in the manufacture of apparel products. This method of cutting of fabrics has led to the reduction of labour required in the manufacturing of garments and generally contributed to the reduction in the cost of production. (Bailey, 1993) Computers use has also been implemented in the fabric and garment designing process. This includes the use of high resolution colour systems in graphic design that has been able to manipulate images in different ways to come up with new designs. The making of designs through computers has made it easy to come up with different designs in the garment industry. This has improved the quality of the garments made as the use of computers has provided a wide range of designs. Computer integrated manufacture on the other hand has helped in ensuring that all the computer systems involved in the manufacturing of the garment product can be coordinated to ensure consistency and accuracy of the final product. (Bleaney, 2002) Manufacturing technologies The preparation of fabrics which includes various inspections to remove any defects that may exist and making finishing details has been improved to ensure effectiveness. Technology has been applied to reduce the need for multiple inspections while weaving and cutting. This has helped improve the quality of the product. The full automation that has been implemented in the cutting process has ensured that there is mass manufacture in the apparel industry. There has also been the introduction of advanced robotics for use in retrieving fabrics from the store and removing the cut material. There has been the introduction of conveyer systems to reduce the handling of materials in the industries and also to speed up the processes involved. This includes the use of moving belts and automatic conveyors that are found in the manufacturing industries to speed up the processes. There has been the development of flexible pneumatic roller systems to help out in the fusing process. This has ensured that there is an even application of pressure on the fusing area no matter how thick the fabric may be. (Bailey, 1993) There are new management systems that have been introduced in textile manufacture. The Quick Response management system has been used to shorten the duration used in manufacturing and supplying goods. It has also ensured that there is compliance with the needs of the customers to ensure an increase in the market for the sale of the products. As the market for the products increases the demand for the garments and apparel products is higher. This contributes to the mass manufacture of these products as a result of the introduction of the technology in the industry. Expert systems have been introduced in the manufacture of fabric and garment products. These systems have specialised knowledge in certain areas in the manufacturing process and are used to supplement human decision making in complex issues relating to the production process. These systems have been used in selection of raw materials, making of product designs and ensuring health and safety in the manufacturing process. This has increased efficiency in the production process and has led to increase in the products made. (Gereffi, 2003) Information Technology has been widely adopted in garment manufacturing firms. This has improved the communication and the marketing of products through the internet. The manufacturers can market their products in the global market without the need for intermediaries and agents in different parts of the world. This has enabled the firms to reach the customers directly and market their products. IT has generally reduced the costs of communication and marketing for the manufacturing firms. The firms have direct contact with the customers hence they can market their products and conduct sales across the globe. With the growth in the market from a national market to a global market then the firms have the ability to manufacture more products to meet the needs and demands of the customers. (Gereffi, 2003) The use of these new technologies has contributed to efficiency in the in the production of apparel and garments. They have speeded up the process involved in production and ensured the mass production of the apparel and garment products. The technology has also reduced the need for labour in the manufacturing plants hence the cost of production has gone down. This means that the more money can be used in further research and development to come up with other technologies to ease the manufacturing process. Computer related technology has especially reduced the degree of errors made in the manufacturing process. It has also helped in ensuring that there are no defects in the final product. 2. Consider international fibre and fabric sourcing and its potential short term and long term ethical and environmental impact on the planet and its people. Reflect on sustainable alternatives where appropriate and consider the commercial implications. The textile industry is comprised of products made from natural fibres and man-made fibres. The natural fibres include wool, silk, cotton and linen while the man-made fibres comprises of synthetic fibres which are made from petro-chemicals. The manufacture of polyester and elastane pollutes the environment due to the fact that they cannot be recycled and they take long to decompose. The textile industry has also contributed to continued environmental pollution due to the production of chemicals that are used in the various processes in the textile industry. These chemicals in clothes act as environmental pollutants especially once the clothes are disposed. (Brosdahl, 2010) The raw materials used in making fabrics have large impacts on the environment. The use of natural fibres in making fabrics for example cotton are in most cases considered as environmentally friendly. However cotton requires intensive use of water and pesticides which have a negative impact on the environment. Natural dyes on the other hand require additional chemicals that contain toxic metals hence causing environmental pollution. Animal based fibres on the other hand have severe environmental impacts especially in the areas where the animals are raised. This means that even for the sources that seem environmentally friendly, there is an adverse effect on the environment that results from the use of these fibres. Synthetic fibres made form petro-chemicals require a lot of energy to produce which leads to exploitation of natural resources in the search for more energy production to cater for the needs of the manufacturing firms. (Chen, 2006) The use of water in all the stages required in the textile industry means that the industry has a high demand for water which is slowly becoming scarce. Further, the fabric manufacturing firms discharge their waste in to water sources causing environmental pollution. These wastes from the manufacturing firms contain chemicals that cause diseases to human beings Fabrics that have already been produced contain residuals of the chemicals that have been used to make the fabrics. These chemicals have the ability to evaporate in to the air causing air pollution. Further since these chemicals are in the fabric and clothes that we wear, they also can be absorbed through the skin which may cause harm to children or cause allergic reactions in adults. (Chen, 2006) The fabric manufacturing firms contributes significantly to water pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. This causes environmental pollution which has an effect on the environment causes different diseases to human beings. The impact of water pollution is that it leads to the extinction of certain organisms especially those living in water. Water is an important commodity for use by human beings. Water pollution therefore poses significant danger to people especially where there is consumption of polluted water. The whole process of making of fabrics involves the use of water and energy hence is a major cause of environmental pollution. There are however different ways to curb the excessive use of water and energy in the manufacturing firms. The frequent detection of leaks in water and steam can help reduce the effect on the environment. The leaks especially leaks in water contribute to unnecessary use of water. The detection and prevention of such leaks helps reduce the environmental impact and also has financial benefits to the firm. The leaks could also be energy leaks hence the prevention of such leaks saves money for the firm and helps reduce the negative impact on the environment. (Wang, 2002) There has emerged other alternative source of fibre that may lead to the abandonment or the decrease in use of cotton which has adverse impacts on the environment. Cellulose fibres also referred to as regenerated fibres have been considered as a replacement for cotton. The production of these fibres is based from sustainable forests. The fibre acquired from these forests is far much higher than that obtained from cotton. Their use has also been suggested due to the fact that these fibres are obtained from trees which do not require irrigation or the use of pesticides. (Wang, 2002) The limitation for these types of fibres is that their production involves a lot of use of chemicals and energy hence has adverse effects on the environment. The fibres mostly obtained from trees are a danger to the forests as its use would encourage deforestation. The high use of energy and chemicals in these regenerated fibres means more cost to the manufacturing firm and consequently more harm to the environment. There has also been a breakthrough where new fibres can be made from food by-products. Specifically there are fibres that are made from milk that is not fit for human consumption for lack of compliance with hygienic standards. These fibres are produced without the use of chemicals and with minimum water use. This means that such method of obtaining fibre is environmental friendly and does not cause unnecessary expenses to the firm. This is because the making of the fibre requires waste milk that is not fit for consumption hence the cost incurred by the firm will mostly be transport cost. The limitation for this method of fibre extraction is that the source of milk is limited, that is, can only be acquired from animals. (Chen, 2006) The use of natural or synthetic fibres that are harmful to the environment should be abandoned or reduced and other alternative means sought to reduce the environmental impact. Such measures would ensure a safe environment for human existence and also prevent the occurrence of diseases that result from the chemicals used in the textile industry. There is need to protect the environment especially due to the adverse climatic changes and global warming that is as a result of the use of harmful chemicals. Conclusion The growth in the fabric and apparel production means that there will be adoption of new ways to make the products. This is to ensure quality and to meet the growing needs of the consumers. The textile industry has adopted different technological advances to ease the process of production and also to promote competitiveness. The technology used including the use of IT has made sure that there is mass production of apparel products. The new technology has also expanded the market for the manufacturing firms such that they have access to the global market. The textile industry is a major contributor to pollution of the environment due to the chemicals used in coming up with the final product. It is imperative that other sources of fibre that are environmental friendly be established. References Frederick, Stacey. 2010. Development and Application of a Value Chain Research Approach to Understand and Evaluate Internal and External Factors and Relationships Affecting Economic Competitiveness in the Textile Value Chain. Unpublished Phd Dissertation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. Bennet, Mark. (2006). Lesotho’s Export Textiles & Garment Industry. Bonn: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. [cited 25th May 2015] Available from: http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/03796/12lesotho.pdf. Gereffi, Gary and Olga Memedovic. 2003. 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Environmental concern and apparel consumption. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 16(3), 126-133. Bibliography International Labour Organization. 2005. Promoting fair globalization in textile and clothing in a post quota-MFA environment, pp. 1-76. International trade statistics. 2004. World trade developments in 2003 and prospects for 2004. World Trade Organization. Datta, A. 2004. Strategies for increasing competitiveness of the domestic textile and apparel industries: a production-cost approach, National Textile Center Annual Report. S03-PH02: National Textile Center. Read More