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The document about importance of management information system in indian textile industry.
Indian textile industry: Porter analysis...
One of the worst hit sectors during the skyrocketing interest rate scenario in the late 90s and early 2000s, the debt-laden Indian textile industry has spun many turn-around stories since then. Aided by lower interest rates, restructuring packages from financial institutions and the recent dismantle of quotas; the sector is today well poised to capture growth opportunities. In 2005, the sector contributed 20% to industrial production, 9% to excise collections, 18% of employment in industrial sector, nearly 20% to the country's total export earnings and 4% to the GDP. The textile sector employs nearly 35 m people and is the second highest employer in the country. In fact, it is estimated that one out of every six households in the country directly or indirectly depends on this sector. Here we analyze the sector's dynamics through Porter's five-factor model.
Bargaining power of customers (demand scenario) Global textile & clothing industry is currently pegged at around US$ 440 bn. US and European markets dominate the global textile trade accounting for 64% of clothing and 39% of textile market. With the dismantling of quotas, global textile trade is expected to grow (as per Mc Kinsey estimates) to US$ 650 bn by 2010 (5 year CAGR of 10%). Although China is likely to become the 'supplier of choice', other low cost producers like India would also benefit as the overseas importers would try to mitigate their risk of sourcing from only one country. The two-fold increase in global textile trade is also likely to drive India's exports growth. India's textile export (at US$ 15 bn in 2005) is expected to grow to US$ 40 bn, capturing a market share of close to 8% by 2010. India, in particular, is likely to benefit from the rising demand in the home textiles and apparels
segment, wherein it has competitive edge against its neighbour. Nonetheless, a rapid slowdown in the denim cycle poses risks to fabric players.
Bargaining power of suppliers (supply scenario) India is the third largest producer of cotton in the world after China and US and has the largest area under cultivation. Cotton, a key raw material in the textile and garment industry, accounts for about 30% of the fabric cost and 13% of the garment cost. India has an abundant supply of locally grown long staple cotton, which lends it a cost advantage in the home textile and apparels segments. Other countries, like China and Pakistan, have relatively lower supply of locally grown long staple cotton. Moreover, low cotton prices due to a bumper cotton crop would enable India to lower its production cost and sustain pricing pressure. Further, efforts on improving the yield per hectare would ensure higher productivity and production, thereby providing the much-needed security of raw-material supply to textile producers. India also enjoys a significant lead in terms of labor cost per hour (US$ 0.6 in 2004), over developed countries like US (US$ 15.1) and newly industrialized economies like Hong Kong (US$ 5.1), Taiwan (US$ 7.1), South Korea (US$ 5.7) and China (US$ 0.9). Also, India is rich in traditional workers adept at value-adding tasks, which could give Indian companies significant margin advantage. Threat of new entrants In the quota free regime, capacity expansion is the name of the game in the textile sector. Resultantly, smaller players who cannot venture into the global markets are flooding the domestic markets with excess supply, thus weakening the pricing scenario. Be it denim (Arvind Mills), home textiles (Welspun and Alok Industries) or branded apparels (Raymond), new capex and consolidation with international players is also not likely to
safeguard margins for the larger players, unless they can tap a significant pie of the overseas markets. Threat of substitutes Low cost producing countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh (labour cost 50% cheaper) are also posing a threat to India's exports demand. Infact, players like Arvind Mills have already started feeling the pinch as overseas buyers have started shifting to 'alternative sources', thus impacting their incremental volume off-takes. Competitive rivalry India's logistic disadvantage due to its geographical location can give it a major thumbsdown in global trade. The country is distant from major markets as compared to its global competitors like Mexico, Turkey and China, which are located in relatively close vicinity to major global markets of US, Europe and Japan. As a result, high cost of shipments and longer lead-time coupled with lack of infrastructure facility may prove to be major hindrances. The fragmented structure of the industry has also stood in the way of achieving true integration between the various links in the supply chain. The sector has one of the longest and most complex supply chains in the world, which the larger players are trying to correct by integrating their operations and improving efficiency levels. Textiles being a fairly regulated sector till the recent past (quota regime), another indispensable leg of the above analysis are government regulations. Technology Up gradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) was launched in FY99 for a period of five years (later extended upto FY07) to promote the up gradation of the textile and jute industry. The scheme aimed at providing loans to the sector at internationally comparable rates of interest (5% lower than the domestic interest rates), which enabled the players to upgrade their technology at lower cost of capital. Establishment of 'Apparel Export Parks' and fiscal incentives in the recent budgets also indicate the government's resolve to aid the sector's growth and international competitiveness. As one can comprehend from the above analysis, the potential for the sector's growth are ample, but the trick lies in competing effectively against rivals. Consolidation of the industry and delivery of better quality at effective rates and minimum lead time would certainly help the players surmount all competitive pressures.
Today, Information technology (IT) plays a vital role in the field of textile industry. Any manufacturing unit employs four Ms that is, Men, Material, Machine and of course Money. To get organizational success, managers need to focus on synchronizing all these factors and developing synergies with in and outside organizational operations. With the increased competition, companies are taking support of IT to enhance its Supply Chain Management (SCM) and using it as a competitive edge. In short, many textile companies are leveraging the technological power to adding value to their business. Supply Chain Management includes: sourcing, procuring, converting, and all the logistic activities. It seeks to increase the transaction speed by exchanging data in real-time, reduce inventory, and increased sales volume by fulfilling customer requirements more efficiently and effectively.
IT - Support functions in Textile industry
Lack of information on demand and supply aspects Most of the decisions a manager takes are related to demand and supply issues. But unfortunately very few are able to get it, as a result decisions taken carries risk and uncertainty. Excess inventory is one of the most common problems faced by managers which further results in long cycle-time, outdated stock, poor sale, low rates, and reduction in order visibility and finally leads to customer dissatisfaction. Long procurement time In a traditional textile industry, procurement process takes a much longer time. So, the retailers need to forecast demand and identify consumption trends at a much earlier stage. Lack of clarity about future can either result in early stock out, delay or overstock. Supply chain in-competency With the urge for getting global, apparel and textiles are facing hurdles of inefficiency in carrying out various processes involved right from designing, developing samples, getting approval, manufacturing, dispatching to payment procedures. The total time taken
can get extended to one year or even longer. If we calculate, production actually accounts for just ten to twenty percent of the total time. Rest of the time is taken for the information processing from one end to the other. The trajectory of development of Information Technology has intersected every application in textile industry. From enhancing performance of textile manufacturing and tighter process control, IT has inserted intelligence at every node of textile supply chain. Step into the global trade It is a fact that a company going global is opened with lot of opportunities as well as threats in terms of competition, changing trends, and other environmental changes. It necessitates managing every kind of information efficiently and at much faster speed.
Interaction of Information Technology with Textile Supply Chain
Sharing of Information Proper flow of information among supply chain member is very crucial. Such flow of information can influence the performance of overall supply chain operations. It includes data about customers and their demand, inventory status, production and promotion plan, shipment schedules, payment details, etc. Bar coding and Electronic data interchange are the two information technology tools which can facilitate information integration. Bar coding facilitates recording of detailed data by converting it to electronic form and can be easily shared among members through EDI system. EDI with its high efficiency is able to replace the traditional ways of transmission like telephone, mail and even fax. EDI enables managers to analyze and apply it in their business decisions. It also helps in expediting order cycle that reduces investment in inventory. EDI based network enables Company to maintain quick response and closure relations with suppliers and customers, who are geographically dispersed. Manufacturers and retailers can share even new designs developed through CAD/CAM.
Supports planning and execution operations Planning and coordination are very important issues in supply chain management. The next step after sharing information is planning which includes joint design and implementation for product introduction, demand forecasting and replenishment. Supply chain members decide their roles and responsibility which is coordinated through the IT system. Various software tools like MRP, MRP-II, APSS facilitates planning and coordination between different functional areas within the organization. Material Requirements Planning (MRP): It helps in managing manufacturing processes based on production planning and inventory control system. Proper implementation of MRP ensures availability of material for production and product for consumption at right time optimizes the level of inventory and helps in scheduling various activities. MRP system uses computer databases to store lead times and order quantity. MRP includes mainly three steps: first assessing the requirement of how many units of components is required to produce a final product; here it applies logic to implement Bill of Material (BOM) explosions. Second step includes deducting the stock in hand from gross to find out net requirement. Finally, scheduling manufacturing activities such that finished goods are available when required, assuming the lead time. Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRPII) system is a logical extension of MRP system which covers the entire manufacturing function. This typically includes machine loading, scheduling, feedback and Software extension programs in addition to material requirement planning. It provides the mechanism to evaluate the feasibility of a production schedule under a given set of constraints. A textile company which has multipoint manufacturing and engaged in global business necessitates something more than MRP and MRP-II like Distribution Requirement Planning (DRP), it has ability to solve both capacity and material constraints and quickly propagates the effects of problems in both backward and forward direction throughout the supply chain.
The Advance Planning and Scheduling (APSS) system includes both material focus of MRP and rapid response scheduling power of MRP-II. Coordination of logistics flows Workflow coordination can include activities such as procurement, order execution, implementing changes, design optimization, and financial exchanges which results in cost and time efficiency. The results are cost-effective, speedy and reliable supply chain operations. IT contributes towards the maximizing the value of textile supply chain through integrating supply chain operations within and outside the organization and collaborating the acts of vendors and customers based on shared forecasts. Internet adds to IT contribution towards supply chain management through coordination, integration and even automation of critical business processes. New system of the supply chain game emerges as a result of business innovation fuelled by the Internet. Many supplying companies maintain demand data by style, size, fabric and color to replenish inventory at retail outlet. Level of replenishing is predetermined by both parties after reviewing history of sales by product and buying behavior of the community. New Business Models: Data mining and data warehousing Data mining is the process of analyzing data from different viewpoints and summarizing it into useful information that can be used as a basis of monitoring and control, enabling companies to focus on the most important aspects of their business. It allows users to analyze data from many different dimensions, categorize it, and summarize the relationships identified. In short it is the process of finding correlations or relationship among dozens of fields in large relational databases. Data warehousing is the repository of data and can be defined as a process of centralized data management and retrieval. Centralization of data maximizes user access and analysis.
E-commerce E-commerce can be B2B (Business To Business) and B2C (Business To Customer). B2C commerce is the direct selling to consumers through Internet. While B2B marketplace can be defined as neutral Internet-based intermediaries that focus on specific business processes, host electronic marketplaces, and use various market-making mechanisms to mediate transactions among businesses. B2B appears to be more prospective than B2C. E-retailing The textile-retail giants are adding an Internet shopping-component to their offering. It has affected their distribution and warehousing infrastructure. As a result of going online, retailers have changed their supply chain strategy. High volume products with stable demand are stocked in local stores, while low-volume products are stocked centrally for online purchasing. Companies prefer a direct route to consumers by closely scrutinizing individual customer's tastes, preferences, habits, and buying patterns. Instead of waiting for consumers to visit their stores, retailers simply send them e-mails with offers. Internet has facilitated quick response system. With the use of web-enabled technology it is possible to have automatic customer replenishment system.
ERP IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Top 5 Challenges of aligning IT with textile processes
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Demand planning: Long-term sales order forecasting Time period: Meeting customer delivery deadlines Production planning: Flexible production plans and reduction of plant setup time to meet customer order specifications Integration: Non-integrated IT approach resulting in lots of disparate IT systems Automation: Plant automation and quality management systems
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With a select group of vendors offering enterprise-wide solutions for the textile industry makes it a very niche vertical. Many vendors have shied away from addressing this vertical due to the complexities involved. The few solutions offered are highly customized and specifically address the IT requirements of the vertical. Take the example of Madura Coats, the Rs 750-crore Indian subsidiary of UK's Coats Plc, the world's leading sewing, threads, crafts and accessories manufacturer with 22% global market share and operations in 67 countries. In India, it operates through its two divisions-Coats India and Global Thread Supply (GTSI)-employing around 7,000 people. Headquartered in Bangalore, the company has eight manufacturing locations in India and an office in Dubai. It uses Ramco's IT solution in GTSI, Water Mill (an important dye house in Coats India) and at the group head office. Coats felt the need for an ERP in order bring in an integrated enterprise management software system adequate for all business activities. The need for an integrated IT environment was triggered by the existing IT setup that was not able to handle the performance on peak load, along with inadequate user involvement. The legacy applications built into the existing system led to various problems such as redundant information management, soaring data maintenance costs, lack of coordination among various business functions and the like. Post the roll out of Ramco's ERP, Coats India
accrued wide ranging benefits such as higher productivity, improved delivery performance, minimal IT maintenance, and an integrated IT environment.
TIM - Textile Integrated Manufacturing TIM is an integrated solution; therefore the enterprise information is available to everyone, not just to the few. Data is entered once and to be used across all company functions. A TIM implementation can cover all the manufacturing and logistical requirements, or only some of them. The TIM functions will be highlighted with reference to the following application areas: Sales, Planning, Inventory and Purchasing, Manufacturing, Costing and company Database. MTO / Make-To-Order Highlights • • • • • • Capacity and/or materials feasibility checking Multi-level product views Suggested dates or availability if original request is not feasible The ability to consider forecasted orders from the master Gantt chart without having to create firm production orders Manual overrides of blocking as required Scheduling and allocating of scarce (critical) resources.
Fabric Inspection and Cut Optimization System CATS (Computer Aided Textile Supervision) is a PC based module that integrates the production and inventory systems with greige and finished inspection. It provides methods to identify, map, and place inspected fabric defects either directly into the TIM database, or into an integrated PC network, so as to both archive the data, and to make it immediately available for use in allocation and production confirmation. CATS utilize an encoder to measure the cloth and a PC screen at each inspection table.
CATS is capable of: • • • • • Providing a graphical user interface for inspection and cutting operators workstations, including connection to length counter Previous inspection performed for this roll or piece is simultaneously displayed on a graphical bar, just below the graphic bar of the actual inspection Coding defects, including length defects, keeping both length and width coordinates and denoting severity Ranking defects through user-defined parameters, including a points system Automatic calculation of quality level based on defect count or points. The quality level is constantly displayed on the graphic bar in real-time, changing color as one level is changed to another • • • • • • • • • Producing reports of defect types, quantities downgraded per shift, per loom, etc. Multiple evaluation methods with different value grids Optimizing roll cutting Creating piece labels and tags Automatic uploading of inspected rolls/pieces into inventory Initializing re-inspection activities Interfacing with electronic weight checking systems Management of narrow width splitting after inspection Optimization of the joining of small rolls within a batch
E-Commerce in Textile
The internet has already affected the world of apparel and textiles. Driven to provide consumer convenience, the majority of apparel manufacturer and retailers have created a virtual version of some aspects of their current physical environment. A few apparel manufacturers and retailers have used the internet to go beyond their existing offerings, providing the consumer with a value-added internet experience such as customized online apparel catalogs and custom-fit clothing. However, the potential impact of the internet on the consumer, and on the industry, lies not in what the consumer sees and does on a computer, but in how retailers and manufacturers leverage the internet to meet both expressed and latent consumer needs. The technology now exists to reinvent the textile-apparel supply chain to provide consumers with what they want, when and where they want it. The barriers to implementation lie more in the willingness of the members of the supply chain to redefine their policies and practices to take full advantage of the internet technology.
Emerging B2C Business Models in the Apparel Industry Apparel web sites have been launched by established apparel retailers and manufacturers as well as by new entrants. Forrester breaks the B2C firms into five categories: 1. Catalog companies (retailers that derive the majority of their revenues from catalog sales); 2. Brick and mortar retailers (retailers that derive the majority of their revenues from physical stores); 3. Pure manufacturers (apparel manufacturers that sell products only through stores owned by others); 4. Hybrid manufacturers (manufacturers that sell both in their own stores as well as stores owned by others); and 5. Pure play firms (retailers that sell apparel only on-line).
Business-to-Business E-Commerce Models in the Textile-Apparel-Retail Channel The potential benefits from successfully leveraging web-based B2B models in the textile and apparel industries are tremendous. With increasing product proliferation and shorter product life cycles, these industries incur significant excess costs in the form of inventory carrying costs, stockout costs, and markdown costs. The very factors that led to the implementation of lean retailing also compel the industry to adopt B2B models that facilitate supply channel integration. Indeed, we can interpret many aspects of certain web-based B2B models as extensions of supply channel management practices brought about by lean retailing. The general structure of the textile-apparel-retail supply channel shown below indicates where some of the B2B opportunities lie.
B2B Exchanges in the Textile-Apparel-Retail Channel We believe that the first link in the channel to be exploited by B2B firms will be the link between manufacturers and retailers, mirroring the implementation of EDI and other technologies required by lean retailing. Indeed, a number of B2B exchanges that focus on apparel manufacturer-retailer interface have been launched. Leading retailers have founded two major exchanges in the last 2 months.
WorldWide Retail Exchange, announced in April 2000, includes 16 powerful worldwide retailers, representing 42,000 stores with total 1999 sales of nearly $400 billion. The founding members of the exchange are: Albertson’s (USA), Auchan (France), Best Buy (USA), Casino (France), CVS (USA), Delhaize (Belgium), J.C. Penney (USA), Jusco (Japan), Kingfisher (UK), Kmart (USA), Marks & Spencer (UK), Royal Ahold (The Netherlands), Safeway, Inc. (USA), Target (USA), Tesco (UK) and Walgreens (USA). Global netXchange: In late February 2000, Sears Roebuck and the French hypermarket Carrefour launched Global netXchange. The partnership now includes Kroger Co. (US), Metro AG (Germany) and J. Sainsbury (UK). The exchange has chosen Oracle as its software partner. At this point, GlobalNetXchange is leading the implementation race: Sears and Carrefour are conducting some transactions through GlobalNetXchang, whereas WorldWide Retail Exchange has yet to name a software partner. Performance Impact of B2Bs Both vertical exchanges and horizontal B2B are expected to extend and improve performance aspects of supply channels that have been critical to meet lean retailers requirements. Enhancement of these exchanges will allow companies to more closely collaborate on product design, inventory planning, and other value add activities. Some of the positive effects of B2Bs in the textile-apparel-retail channel include: 1. Decreasing the cost of communication in the channel. Electronic data interchange (EDI) has been used to improve the speed, accuracy, and cost of transferring data between channel partners. B2B models rely on web-based data exchange, which has significant advantages, such as a. Using a hub-and-spoke type of system rather than pair-wise connections. Having a centralized exchange means that only one additional link needs to be added when a new firm is added to a network, rather than having to add one link between the new firm and each of the established firms in the network. b. By keeping the software, protocols, etc. centralized, changes or improvements
can be made to processes in one centralized location, rather than requiring each link in the network to be upgraded. This can be a significant advantage, since maintenance and upgrading costs can be considerable for EDI systems. c. The use of centralized systems also improves standardization, which decreases costs by reducing or eliminating proprietary standards or requirements. The magnitude of these savings can be huge. For example, the COO of Sears estimates that the cost to place an average purchase order will drop from $100 (its current cost using its current EDI system) to $10 per using the Web-based retail exchange. As Sears handles about 100 million purchasing orders annually, savings should total roughly $9 billion per year. 2. Improving visibility in the supply chain, thereby improving order fulfillment, inventory management, forecasting, and customer service. The use of EDI has allowed rapid transfer of information among channel partners. The information currently provided, including point-of-sale data, orders, forecasts, and information about inventory levels, has improved visibility in the supply chain considerably. However, using web-based B2B models will improve this visibility substantially. Instead of having to adhere to a set schedule (e.g., transmits POS data and inventory levels weekly) or having to request the transmission of data, web-based models will allow continuous visibility among channel partners. A retailer can access a manufacturer’s inventory data when and how often it wishes to, rather than having to negotiate for each transfer of data. One apparel B2B firm, Fasturn.com, describes its on-line tracking system as a glass pipeline Fasturn plans to be the ASP host for 1,500 apparel factories in 25 countries and mid- to high-end fashionlabels and retailers. Using Fasturn.com, buyers can specify what they want in terms of color, style, size, or country of origin, and then negotiate prices, order sample shipments, and close transactions. Fasturn’s I2 marketplace software then tracks inventory, shipping and delivery. In addition, Fasturn will have on-line "showrooms", an auction site, and an off-price market for liquidated goods. 3. Improving Forecasting Capability One of the greatest benefits of B2Bs in this industry will be the increased forecasting capability, which in turn will allow the firms in the industry to better match supply and demand. Few industries are as notorious as the apparel industry for having such difficult
predicting demand, and thereby incurring costs of stockouts, markdowns, and inventory carrying costs. Channel visibility, in concert with good collaboration between channel partners, will allow a much more streamlined supply chain. 4. Reducing Channel Inventories The high cost of carrying inventory in this industry will make reduced inventory a significant benefit. 5. Improving Design As technology improves in representing products and components online, and as designers become more accustomed to virtual collaboration, the ability to design new products quickly should improve. In addition, access to a global supply network should increase apparel firm’s ability to locate the right fabric and components. Impact of E-Commerce on Competitive Landscape of the Industry In some ways, B2B businesses are a natural progression of EDI and automated ordering systems, so some of the impact of B2B business will simply be an extension of current trends: shorter lead times, more reliable lead times, smaller, more frequent orders. Internet technology has opened the door for the restructuring of some aspects of the textile-apparel-retail channel. Some functions, especially those related to information -currently performed by agents and other intermediaries can be transferred to the web, although the difficulty of specifying the qualities of apparel, textile, and other components will make the web a less-than-perfect substitution.
INNOVATIVE USE OF IT FOR GAINING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE The characteristics of the European clothing industry are as follows: accelerated transfer of production function first of all into East European countries which means abandoning labor-intensive production in Europe, market specialization and investments into modern and innovative technologies, intensified market access and internationalization as well as strategic links. The latter was especially presented as the only means of the survival of the textile branch and a good possibility of strengthening the position of companies by combining different sources. It is necessary to restructure the overall program at organizational, technological, financial, personnel and information level. It is given great significance to the development and application of intelligent systems, intelligent clothing, textiles, footwear and online system for automatic monitoring of the sewing process of high-quality garments. For example in Croatia investigations were carried out and the area for the application of intelligent carpet was found for the usage in apartments or houses in order to protect the household against undesired visitors (burglars). After the household members leave the house, the security code is switched on, and the sensor carpet enters the security system of the object. SCANNING BY 3D BODY-SCANNERS Cyberware WB4 of the whole body scanner will be used in the CAESAR project to make a high resolution of data about human body. The whole body is digitally represented by a color picture and by a series of data. All subjects will be scanned in three bodily postures. The scanner possesses four scanning heads projected by the horizontal laser on the subject. The subject can sit or stand on the scanning platform. The scanner can record a 2 m high and 1.2 m wide area (subject area). The whole body was scanned for 17 seconds. After finishing the scanning the digital idea is "closed". "Closing" is a process of combining the data by four scanning heads. A few types of data were generated in the Cyberware scanner and in the Cypie software package. The Cybeware scanner generates
"unclosed" data or enters the data from each scanning head; they contain a series of information and colors. The Cypie software package combines all the data into one closed file (one file consists of 9 mb data in binary form of approximately 40 mb in ASCII form). Finished files are accessed on CD. Subjects dressed by standard and the momentary posture on the scanning platform are included in scanning. Standard garment parts for scanning include light green cotton shorts for bicycle riders, both for men and women, and a green sports woman's bra. A latex cap will cover the hair and ensure a better picture of head form. To understand the used data better, a list of 99 variations was collected in collaboration with police, automotive, clothing and space industries. This system is installed and used for measurements at the Faculty of Technical Engineering, University of Bihac. To develop the method, efforts were made to obtain differences of these measurements. At the beginning CARLD Lab investigations used 99 variations of body measurements to determine how many subjects are necessary in the selection for the best range of models. Two of three postures for scanning are sitting and standing posture, in traditional anthropometric measurement. Standard scanned posture must obey some rules:
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to compare measurements precisely with traditional anthropometric variations, to be reproductive so that the subject is always scanned in the same manner, to position the body so that there is no shadow when scanning, to check whether anthropometric body measurement is used.
Traditional anthropometric sitting and standing posture is highly productive. A few scanners support effective 3D scanning. For example, traditional anthropometric standing posture implies that the arms are lowered, and the legs and ankles are gathered. In this position it is impossible for the scanner to see many shadows under the arms and between the legs (shadows are hidden within the knees and ankles). By keeping apart the arms and legs (keeping them away from the body) the scanner is able to record and register better and to recognize the arms and legs. Suggestions for sitting and standing posture in the CAESARE project are similar to the whole body with some changes of the posture of the arms and legs.
Working method with 3D Body scanner The standard anthropometric sitting posture implies that the arms and legs are joined in the knees. Placed horizontally the scanner laser does not reflect the light on the scanning head. Without this information it is difficult to determine and clear up measurements and determine details of the arms. To solve the dilemma, the CARD research plan made a sitting position and provided visibility. The result is not horizontal any more and can be seen by cameras. The arms are lifted towards the head, bent in the elbow. There is no shadow. The 3D technology of body scanning has the following advantages: High resolution (1 to 3 mm), cheap and simple beginning (standard components), rapid scanning (procedure of measurement - 20 seconds), reliable data, simple for use, following process commands and simple use. INTELLIGENT GARMENT MANUFACTURE A change in CAD/CAM technology over the past years has increased the speed and development of new technological achievements. Fortunately, these achievements have encouraged and simplified garment manufacture, fabric utilization and easier mass production. Such a system replaces traditional production and inspires to innovations in garment designing. Technological development helped in the CAD/CAM function and provided a new way of applying the design system in production development. The technological space between 3D scanner and CAD/CAM production system is supplemented by the IPA software. NTU samples for cutting are linked with Lectra, making 2D/3D mathematical models for the manufacture of ladies' wear. Scanned data were analyzed according to the characteristic form so that by a special adaptation system garment samples can be made fitting perfectly. Today fashion industry is confronted with strategic challenges. Technology provides assistance to designers, manufacturers and
retailers to overcome these challenges. Today's solutions are global from design over production to sales.
Modern software packages are implemented to solve the following:
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design, CAD, cutting area visual presentation, data about CAD/CAM equipment, automatic cutting systems, automatic spreading, plotters, textile digital printer and Internet communications platform.
Centralization of the production information and better organization of the world's partner network:
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to centralize the whole files for one product or collection into organized folders for the collection, for the season etc. without restrictions of the organization, type and size of documents in the case of division and exchange less amount of double information about the product dispersed in workshops worldwide support by the WebDAV protocol allows a drag and flow of documents and folders directly between desktop and Lectra on-line exchange rapid organization of your world's partner network at a favorable price; together with support and training by the Lectra world's centre user-friendly security system; edited by professionals, intermediately accessible, only Web browser and Internet access are necessary
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available in 8 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, simplified and traditional Chinese, Fig.
The Lectra on-line exchange facilitates the exchange of patterns and brands at a great distance among production partners. Costs of failure and micro communications will be avoided by adapting patterns and brands in such a way that each partner can use them, regardless of file composing, size and experience. The Lectra teams provided a list of edited communications. The Lectra on-line exchange is open to the whole Lectra community including more than 10,000 Lectra customers and 60,000 users worldwide, and it is available to all their business partners, regardless of the site of their equipment.
Concept of intelligent garment production
Modern intelligent environment of computer support and systems CONCLUSION The development of 3D scanning technology is of great importance to the industry due to many reasons. This technology has a possibility of combining results of linear and nonlinear bodily measurements; an imagined body is registered in the scanning process, and a description of bodily measures can be done in a few seconds. This technological process of describing bodily measurements is simpler and more accurate than manually registered measures. For possible storage of a great number of measurements it is possible to design clothing according to a unique form of the scanned human body. Scanning technology enables the measures to be in digital form and to be placed in the CAD system without human intervention, taking minimum time and possibility of faults. Textiles enter new fields of application increasingly, from aviation over medicine to construction; the application is multiple. Production communication is very important in the field of high technical textiles and garment manufacturing. The main goal is to find new possibilities for space technology in textiles and clothing. Technical textile intelligent clothing, smart materials and versatile electronics will play an important role in the future. Clothing includes a technology which will not only change fashion appearance, but also define the practicability of the new technology for better garment
samples, including space technology which is at the beginning stage. An example of such a garment is a pair of Mamagoose pyjamas. A pair of Mamagoose pyjamas contains five sensors arranged in the area of breast and stomach, three of them monitor heartbeat, and two sensors monitor breathing. Double sensors guarantee accurate measurement. A special sensor is built into the garment and has no direct contact with the body and does not generate discomfort to the baby. A pair of Mamagoose pyjamas is made of two parts: the first one can be washed by machine and has no direct contact, whereas the second one with sensors is washed by hand. There are three sizes of pyjamas made from non-allergic fabrics and in a special design to protect sensors during use. The control alarm unit is connected with a pair of pyjamas and with the monitor for showing sensor data. It is programmed to monitor breathing and to alarm in the case of unexpected and dangerous situations. The data are stored before and after an alarm, in the situations which may be considered as dangerous. The following examples are: cold suit, intelligent shirt, intelligent jacket "Absolute Zero".
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Pankaj Sharma. Enterprise Resource Planning. Aph Publishing Corporation, NewDelhi (2004) 2. Hanson, J.J. "Successful ERP Implementations Go Far Beyond Software." San Diego Business Journal (5 July 2004). 3. Olinger, Charles. "The Issues Behind ERP Acceptance and Implementation." APICS: The Performance Advantage 4. Millman, Gregory J. "What Did You Get from ERP and What Can You Get?" Financial Executive (May 2004). 5. The E-Business Transformation: Sector Developments and Policy Implications by Jan Hammond and Kristin Kohler, Harvard Business School Websites: http://www.developer.com http://www.erpandmore.com http://www.isnare.com http://sysoptima.com http://guide.darwinmag.com/technology/enterprise/erp http://fibre2fashion.com
doc_568072498.doc
The document about importance of management information system in indian textile industry.
Indian textile industry: Porter analysis...
One of the worst hit sectors during the skyrocketing interest rate scenario in the late 90s and early 2000s, the debt-laden Indian textile industry has spun many turn-around stories since then. Aided by lower interest rates, restructuring packages from financial institutions and the recent dismantle of quotas; the sector is today well poised to capture growth opportunities. In 2005, the sector contributed 20% to industrial production, 9% to excise collections, 18% of employment in industrial sector, nearly 20% to the country's total export earnings and 4% to the GDP. The textile sector employs nearly 35 m people and is the second highest employer in the country. In fact, it is estimated that one out of every six households in the country directly or indirectly depends on this sector. Here we analyze the sector's dynamics through Porter's five-factor model.
Bargaining power of customers (demand scenario) Global textile & clothing industry is currently pegged at around US$ 440 bn. US and European markets dominate the global textile trade accounting for 64% of clothing and 39% of textile market. With the dismantling of quotas, global textile trade is expected to grow (as per Mc Kinsey estimates) to US$ 650 bn by 2010 (5 year CAGR of 10%). Although China is likely to become the 'supplier of choice', other low cost producers like India would also benefit as the overseas importers would try to mitigate their risk of sourcing from only one country. The two-fold increase in global textile trade is also likely to drive India's exports growth. India's textile export (at US$ 15 bn in 2005) is expected to grow to US$ 40 bn, capturing a market share of close to 8% by 2010. India, in particular, is likely to benefit from the rising demand in the home textiles and apparels
segment, wherein it has competitive edge against its neighbour. Nonetheless, a rapid slowdown in the denim cycle poses risks to fabric players.
Bargaining power of suppliers (supply scenario) India is the third largest producer of cotton in the world after China and US and has the largest area under cultivation. Cotton, a key raw material in the textile and garment industry, accounts for about 30% of the fabric cost and 13% of the garment cost. India has an abundant supply of locally grown long staple cotton, which lends it a cost advantage in the home textile and apparels segments. Other countries, like China and Pakistan, have relatively lower supply of locally grown long staple cotton. Moreover, low cotton prices due to a bumper cotton crop would enable India to lower its production cost and sustain pricing pressure. Further, efforts on improving the yield per hectare would ensure higher productivity and production, thereby providing the much-needed security of raw-material supply to textile producers. India also enjoys a significant lead in terms of labor cost per hour (US$ 0.6 in 2004), over developed countries like US (US$ 15.1) and newly industrialized economies like Hong Kong (US$ 5.1), Taiwan (US$ 7.1), South Korea (US$ 5.7) and China (US$ 0.9). Also, India is rich in traditional workers adept at value-adding tasks, which could give Indian companies significant margin advantage. Threat of new entrants In the quota free regime, capacity expansion is the name of the game in the textile sector. Resultantly, smaller players who cannot venture into the global markets are flooding the domestic markets with excess supply, thus weakening the pricing scenario. Be it denim (Arvind Mills), home textiles (Welspun and Alok Industries) or branded apparels (Raymond), new capex and consolidation with international players is also not likely to
safeguard margins for the larger players, unless they can tap a significant pie of the overseas markets. Threat of substitutes Low cost producing countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh (labour cost 50% cheaper) are also posing a threat to India's exports demand. Infact, players like Arvind Mills have already started feeling the pinch as overseas buyers have started shifting to 'alternative sources', thus impacting their incremental volume off-takes. Competitive rivalry India's logistic disadvantage due to its geographical location can give it a major thumbsdown in global trade. The country is distant from major markets as compared to its global competitors like Mexico, Turkey and China, which are located in relatively close vicinity to major global markets of US, Europe and Japan. As a result, high cost of shipments and longer lead-time coupled with lack of infrastructure facility may prove to be major hindrances. The fragmented structure of the industry has also stood in the way of achieving true integration between the various links in the supply chain. The sector has one of the longest and most complex supply chains in the world, which the larger players are trying to correct by integrating their operations and improving efficiency levels. Textiles being a fairly regulated sector till the recent past (quota regime), another indispensable leg of the above analysis are government regulations. Technology Up gradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) was launched in FY99 for a period of five years (later extended upto FY07) to promote the up gradation of the textile and jute industry. The scheme aimed at providing loans to the sector at internationally comparable rates of interest (5% lower than the domestic interest rates), which enabled the players to upgrade their technology at lower cost of capital. Establishment of 'Apparel Export Parks' and fiscal incentives in the recent budgets also indicate the government's resolve to aid the sector's growth and international competitiveness. As one can comprehend from the above analysis, the potential for the sector's growth are ample, but the trick lies in competing effectively against rivals. Consolidation of the industry and delivery of better quality at effective rates and minimum lead time would certainly help the players surmount all competitive pressures.
Today, Information technology (IT) plays a vital role in the field of textile industry. Any manufacturing unit employs four Ms that is, Men, Material, Machine and of course Money. To get organizational success, managers need to focus on synchronizing all these factors and developing synergies with in and outside organizational operations. With the increased competition, companies are taking support of IT to enhance its Supply Chain Management (SCM) and using it as a competitive edge. In short, many textile companies are leveraging the technological power to adding value to their business. Supply Chain Management includes: sourcing, procuring, converting, and all the logistic activities. It seeks to increase the transaction speed by exchanging data in real-time, reduce inventory, and increased sales volume by fulfilling customer requirements more efficiently and effectively.
IT - Support functions in Textile industry
Lack of information on demand and supply aspects Most of the decisions a manager takes are related to demand and supply issues. But unfortunately very few are able to get it, as a result decisions taken carries risk and uncertainty. Excess inventory is one of the most common problems faced by managers which further results in long cycle-time, outdated stock, poor sale, low rates, and reduction in order visibility and finally leads to customer dissatisfaction. Long procurement time In a traditional textile industry, procurement process takes a much longer time. So, the retailers need to forecast demand and identify consumption trends at a much earlier stage. Lack of clarity about future can either result in early stock out, delay or overstock. Supply chain in-competency With the urge for getting global, apparel and textiles are facing hurdles of inefficiency in carrying out various processes involved right from designing, developing samples, getting approval, manufacturing, dispatching to payment procedures. The total time taken
can get extended to one year or even longer. If we calculate, production actually accounts for just ten to twenty percent of the total time. Rest of the time is taken for the information processing from one end to the other. The trajectory of development of Information Technology has intersected every application in textile industry. From enhancing performance of textile manufacturing and tighter process control, IT has inserted intelligence at every node of textile supply chain. Step into the global trade It is a fact that a company going global is opened with lot of opportunities as well as threats in terms of competition, changing trends, and other environmental changes. It necessitates managing every kind of information efficiently and at much faster speed.
Interaction of Information Technology with Textile Supply Chain
Sharing of Information Proper flow of information among supply chain member is very crucial. Such flow of information can influence the performance of overall supply chain operations. It includes data about customers and their demand, inventory status, production and promotion plan, shipment schedules, payment details, etc. Bar coding and Electronic data interchange are the two information technology tools which can facilitate information integration. Bar coding facilitates recording of detailed data by converting it to electronic form and can be easily shared among members through EDI system. EDI with its high efficiency is able to replace the traditional ways of transmission like telephone, mail and even fax. EDI enables managers to analyze and apply it in their business decisions. It also helps in expediting order cycle that reduces investment in inventory. EDI based network enables Company to maintain quick response and closure relations with suppliers and customers, who are geographically dispersed. Manufacturers and retailers can share even new designs developed through CAD/CAM.
Supports planning and execution operations Planning and coordination are very important issues in supply chain management. The next step after sharing information is planning which includes joint design and implementation for product introduction, demand forecasting and replenishment. Supply chain members decide their roles and responsibility which is coordinated through the IT system. Various software tools like MRP, MRP-II, APSS facilitates planning and coordination between different functional areas within the organization. Material Requirements Planning (MRP): It helps in managing manufacturing processes based on production planning and inventory control system. Proper implementation of MRP ensures availability of material for production and product for consumption at right time optimizes the level of inventory and helps in scheduling various activities. MRP system uses computer databases to store lead times and order quantity. MRP includes mainly three steps: first assessing the requirement of how many units of components is required to produce a final product; here it applies logic to implement Bill of Material (BOM) explosions. Second step includes deducting the stock in hand from gross to find out net requirement. Finally, scheduling manufacturing activities such that finished goods are available when required, assuming the lead time. Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRPII) system is a logical extension of MRP system which covers the entire manufacturing function. This typically includes machine loading, scheduling, feedback and Software extension programs in addition to material requirement planning. It provides the mechanism to evaluate the feasibility of a production schedule under a given set of constraints. A textile company which has multipoint manufacturing and engaged in global business necessitates something more than MRP and MRP-II like Distribution Requirement Planning (DRP), it has ability to solve both capacity and material constraints and quickly propagates the effects of problems in both backward and forward direction throughout the supply chain.
The Advance Planning and Scheduling (APSS) system includes both material focus of MRP and rapid response scheduling power of MRP-II. Coordination of logistics flows Workflow coordination can include activities such as procurement, order execution, implementing changes, design optimization, and financial exchanges which results in cost and time efficiency. The results are cost-effective, speedy and reliable supply chain operations. IT contributes towards the maximizing the value of textile supply chain through integrating supply chain operations within and outside the organization and collaborating the acts of vendors and customers based on shared forecasts. Internet adds to IT contribution towards supply chain management through coordination, integration and even automation of critical business processes. New system of the supply chain game emerges as a result of business innovation fuelled by the Internet. Many supplying companies maintain demand data by style, size, fabric and color to replenish inventory at retail outlet. Level of replenishing is predetermined by both parties after reviewing history of sales by product and buying behavior of the community. New Business Models: Data mining and data warehousing Data mining is the process of analyzing data from different viewpoints and summarizing it into useful information that can be used as a basis of monitoring and control, enabling companies to focus on the most important aspects of their business. It allows users to analyze data from many different dimensions, categorize it, and summarize the relationships identified. In short it is the process of finding correlations or relationship among dozens of fields in large relational databases. Data warehousing is the repository of data and can be defined as a process of centralized data management and retrieval. Centralization of data maximizes user access and analysis.
E-commerce E-commerce can be B2B (Business To Business) and B2C (Business To Customer). B2C commerce is the direct selling to consumers through Internet. While B2B marketplace can be defined as neutral Internet-based intermediaries that focus on specific business processes, host electronic marketplaces, and use various market-making mechanisms to mediate transactions among businesses. B2B appears to be more prospective than B2C. E-retailing The textile-retail giants are adding an Internet shopping-component to their offering. It has affected their distribution and warehousing infrastructure. As a result of going online, retailers have changed their supply chain strategy. High volume products with stable demand are stocked in local stores, while low-volume products are stocked centrally for online purchasing. Companies prefer a direct route to consumers by closely scrutinizing individual customer's tastes, preferences, habits, and buying patterns. Instead of waiting for consumers to visit their stores, retailers simply send them e-mails with offers. Internet has facilitated quick response system. With the use of web-enabled technology it is possible to have automatic customer replenishment system.
ERP IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Top 5 Challenges of aligning IT with textile processes
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Demand planning: Long-term sales order forecasting Time period: Meeting customer delivery deadlines Production planning: Flexible production plans and reduction of plant setup time to meet customer order specifications Integration: Non-integrated IT approach resulting in lots of disparate IT systems Automation: Plant automation and quality management systems
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With a select group of vendors offering enterprise-wide solutions for the textile industry makes it a very niche vertical. Many vendors have shied away from addressing this vertical due to the complexities involved. The few solutions offered are highly customized and specifically address the IT requirements of the vertical. Take the example of Madura Coats, the Rs 750-crore Indian subsidiary of UK's Coats Plc, the world's leading sewing, threads, crafts and accessories manufacturer with 22% global market share and operations in 67 countries. In India, it operates through its two divisions-Coats India and Global Thread Supply (GTSI)-employing around 7,000 people. Headquartered in Bangalore, the company has eight manufacturing locations in India and an office in Dubai. It uses Ramco's IT solution in GTSI, Water Mill (an important dye house in Coats India) and at the group head office. Coats felt the need for an ERP in order bring in an integrated enterprise management software system adequate for all business activities. The need for an integrated IT environment was triggered by the existing IT setup that was not able to handle the performance on peak load, along with inadequate user involvement. The legacy applications built into the existing system led to various problems such as redundant information management, soaring data maintenance costs, lack of coordination among various business functions and the like. Post the roll out of Ramco's ERP, Coats India
accrued wide ranging benefits such as higher productivity, improved delivery performance, minimal IT maintenance, and an integrated IT environment.
TIM - Textile Integrated Manufacturing TIM is an integrated solution; therefore the enterprise information is available to everyone, not just to the few. Data is entered once and to be used across all company functions. A TIM implementation can cover all the manufacturing and logistical requirements, or only some of them. The TIM functions will be highlighted with reference to the following application areas: Sales, Planning, Inventory and Purchasing, Manufacturing, Costing and company Database. MTO / Make-To-Order Highlights • • • • • • Capacity and/or materials feasibility checking Multi-level product views Suggested dates or availability if original request is not feasible The ability to consider forecasted orders from the master Gantt chart without having to create firm production orders Manual overrides of blocking as required Scheduling and allocating of scarce (critical) resources.
Fabric Inspection and Cut Optimization System CATS (Computer Aided Textile Supervision) is a PC based module that integrates the production and inventory systems with greige and finished inspection. It provides methods to identify, map, and place inspected fabric defects either directly into the TIM database, or into an integrated PC network, so as to both archive the data, and to make it immediately available for use in allocation and production confirmation. CATS utilize an encoder to measure the cloth and a PC screen at each inspection table.
CATS is capable of: • • • • • Providing a graphical user interface for inspection and cutting operators workstations, including connection to length counter Previous inspection performed for this roll or piece is simultaneously displayed on a graphical bar, just below the graphic bar of the actual inspection Coding defects, including length defects, keeping both length and width coordinates and denoting severity Ranking defects through user-defined parameters, including a points system Automatic calculation of quality level based on defect count or points. The quality level is constantly displayed on the graphic bar in real-time, changing color as one level is changed to another • • • • • • • • • Producing reports of defect types, quantities downgraded per shift, per loom, etc. Multiple evaluation methods with different value grids Optimizing roll cutting Creating piece labels and tags Automatic uploading of inspected rolls/pieces into inventory Initializing re-inspection activities Interfacing with electronic weight checking systems Management of narrow width splitting after inspection Optimization of the joining of small rolls within a batch
E-Commerce in Textile
The internet has already affected the world of apparel and textiles. Driven to provide consumer convenience, the majority of apparel manufacturer and retailers have created a virtual version of some aspects of their current physical environment. A few apparel manufacturers and retailers have used the internet to go beyond their existing offerings, providing the consumer with a value-added internet experience such as customized online apparel catalogs and custom-fit clothing. However, the potential impact of the internet on the consumer, and on the industry, lies not in what the consumer sees and does on a computer, but in how retailers and manufacturers leverage the internet to meet both expressed and latent consumer needs. The technology now exists to reinvent the textile-apparel supply chain to provide consumers with what they want, when and where they want it. The barriers to implementation lie more in the willingness of the members of the supply chain to redefine their policies and practices to take full advantage of the internet technology.
Emerging B2C Business Models in the Apparel Industry Apparel web sites have been launched by established apparel retailers and manufacturers as well as by new entrants. Forrester breaks the B2C firms into five categories: 1. Catalog companies (retailers that derive the majority of their revenues from catalog sales); 2. Brick and mortar retailers (retailers that derive the majority of their revenues from physical stores); 3. Pure manufacturers (apparel manufacturers that sell products only through stores owned by others); 4. Hybrid manufacturers (manufacturers that sell both in their own stores as well as stores owned by others); and 5. Pure play firms (retailers that sell apparel only on-line).
Business-to-Business E-Commerce Models in the Textile-Apparel-Retail Channel The potential benefits from successfully leveraging web-based B2B models in the textile and apparel industries are tremendous. With increasing product proliferation and shorter product life cycles, these industries incur significant excess costs in the form of inventory carrying costs, stockout costs, and markdown costs. The very factors that led to the implementation of lean retailing also compel the industry to adopt B2B models that facilitate supply channel integration. Indeed, we can interpret many aspects of certain web-based B2B models as extensions of supply channel management practices brought about by lean retailing. The general structure of the textile-apparel-retail supply channel shown below indicates where some of the B2B opportunities lie.
B2B Exchanges in the Textile-Apparel-Retail Channel We believe that the first link in the channel to be exploited by B2B firms will be the link between manufacturers and retailers, mirroring the implementation of EDI and other technologies required by lean retailing. Indeed, a number of B2B exchanges that focus on apparel manufacturer-retailer interface have been launched. Leading retailers have founded two major exchanges in the last 2 months.
WorldWide Retail Exchange, announced in April 2000, includes 16 powerful worldwide retailers, representing 42,000 stores with total 1999 sales of nearly $400 billion. The founding members of the exchange are: Albertson’s (USA), Auchan (France), Best Buy (USA), Casino (France), CVS (USA), Delhaize (Belgium), J.C. Penney (USA), Jusco (Japan), Kingfisher (UK), Kmart (USA), Marks & Spencer (UK), Royal Ahold (The Netherlands), Safeway, Inc. (USA), Target (USA), Tesco (UK) and Walgreens (USA). Global netXchange: In late February 2000, Sears Roebuck and the French hypermarket Carrefour launched Global netXchange. The partnership now includes Kroger Co. (US), Metro AG (Germany) and J. Sainsbury (UK). The exchange has chosen Oracle as its software partner. At this point, GlobalNetXchange is leading the implementation race: Sears and Carrefour are conducting some transactions through GlobalNetXchang, whereas WorldWide Retail Exchange has yet to name a software partner. Performance Impact of B2Bs Both vertical exchanges and horizontal B2B are expected to extend and improve performance aspects of supply channels that have been critical to meet lean retailers requirements. Enhancement of these exchanges will allow companies to more closely collaborate on product design, inventory planning, and other value add activities. Some of the positive effects of B2Bs in the textile-apparel-retail channel include: 1. Decreasing the cost of communication in the channel. Electronic data interchange (EDI) has been used to improve the speed, accuracy, and cost of transferring data between channel partners. B2B models rely on web-based data exchange, which has significant advantages, such as a. Using a hub-and-spoke type of system rather than pair-wise connections. Having a centralized exchange means that only one additional link needs to be added when a new firm is added to a network, rather than having to add one link between the new firm and each of the established firms in the network. b. By keeping the software, protocols, etc. centralized, changes or improvements
can be made to processes in one centralized location, rather than requiring each link in the network to be upgraded. This can be a significant advantage, since maintenance and upgrading costs can be considerable for EDI systems. c. The use of centralized systems also improves standardization, which decreases costs by reducing or eliminating proprietary standards or requirements. The magnitude of these savings can be huge. For example, the COO of Sears estimates that the cost to place an average purchase order will drop from $100 (its current cost using its current EDI system) to $10 per using the Web-based retail exchange. As Sears handles about 100 million purchasing orders annually, savings should total roughly $9 billion per year. 2. Improving visibility in the supply chain, thereby improving order fulfillment, inventory management, forecasting, and customer service. The use of EDI has allowed rapid transfer of information among channel partners. The information currently provided, including point-of-sale data, orders, forecasts, and information about inventory levels, has improved visibility in the supply chain considerably. However, using web-based B2B models will improve this visibility substantially. Instead of having to adhere to a set schedule (e.g., transmits POS data and inventory levels weekly) or having to request the transmission of data, web-based models will allow continuous visibility among channel partners. A retailer can access a manufacturer’s inventory data when and how often it wishes to, rather than having to negotiate for each transfer of data. One apparel B2B firm, Fasturn.com, describes its on-line tracking system as a glass pipeline Fasturn plans to be the ASP host for 1,500 apparel factories in 25 countries and mid- to high-end fashionlabels and retailers. Using Fasturn.com, buyers can specify what they want in terms of color, style, size, or country of origin, and then negotiate prices, order sample shipments, and close transactions. Fasturn’s I2 marketplace software then tracks inventory, shipping and delivery. In addition, Fasturn will have on-line "showrooms", an auction site, and an off-price market for liquidated goods. 3. Improving Forecasting Capability One of the greatest benefits of B2Bs in this industry will be the increased forecasting capability, which in turn will allow the firms in the industry to better match supply and demand. Few industries are as notorious as the apparel industry for having such difficult
predicting demand, and thereby incurring costs of stockouts, markdowns, and inventory carrying costs. Channel visibility, in concert with good collaboration between channel partners, will allow a much more streamlined supply chain. 4. Reducing Channel Inventories The high cost of carrying inventory in this industry will make reduced inventory a significant benefit. 5. Improving Design As technology improves in representing products and components online, and as designers become more accustomed to virtual collaboration, the ability to design new products quickly should improve. In addition, access to a global supply network should increase apparel firm’s ability to locate the right fabric and components. Impact of E-Commerce on Competitive Landscape of the Industry In some ways, B2B businesses are a natural progression of EDI and automated ordering systems, so some of the impact of B2B business will simply be an extension of current trends: shorter lead times, more reliable lead times, smaller, more frequent orders. Internet technology has opened the door for the restructuring of some aspects of the textile-apparel-retail channel. Some functions, especially those related to information -currently performed by agents and other intermediaries can be transferred to the web, although the difficulty of specifying the qualities of apparel, textile, and other components will make the web a less-than-perfect substitution.
INNOVATIVE USE OF IT FOR GAINING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE The characteristics of the European clothing industry are as follows: accelerated transfer of production function first of all into East European countries which means abandoning labor-intensive production in Europe, market specialization and investments into modern and innovative technologies, intensified market access and internationalization as well as strategic links. The latter was especially presented as the only means of the survival of the textile branch and a good possibility of strengthening the position of companies by combining different sources. It is necessary to restructure the overall program at organizational, technological, financial, personnel and information level. It is given great significance to the development and application of intelligent systems, intelligent clothing, textiles, footwear and online system for automatic monitoring of the sewing process of high-quality garments. For example in Croatia investigations were carried out and the area for the application of intelligent carpet was found for the usage in apartments or houses in order to protect the household against undesired visitors (burglars). After the household members leave the house, the security code is switched on, and the sensor carpet enters the security system of the object. SCANNING BY 3D BODY-SCANNERS Cyberware WB4 of the whole body scanner will be used in the CAESAR project to make a high resolution of data about human body. The whole body is digitally represented by a color picture and by a series of data. All subjects will be scanned in three bodily postures. The scanner possesses four scanning heads projected by the horizontal laser on the subject. The subject can sit or stand on the scanning platform. The scanner can record a 2 m high and 1.2 m wide area (subject area). The whole body was scanned for 17 seconds. After finishing the scanning the digital idea is "closed". "Closing" is a process of combining the data by four scanning heads. A few types of data were generated in the Cyberware scanner and in the Cypie software package. The Cybeware scanner generates
"unclosed" data or enters the data from each scanning head; they contain a series of information and colors. The Cypie software package combines all the data into one closed file (one file consists of 9 mb data in binary form of approximately 40 mb in ASCII form). Finished files are accessed on CD. Subjects dressed by standard and the momentary posture on the scanning platform are included in scanning. Standard garment parts for scanning include light green cotton shorts for bicycle riders, both for men and women, and a green sports woman's bra. A latex cap will cover the hair and ensure a better picture of head form. To understand the used data better, a list of 99 variations was collected in collaboration with police, automotive, clothing and space industries. This system is installed and used for measurements at the Faculty of Technical Engineering, University of Bihac. To develop the method, efforts were made to obtain differences of these measurements. At the beginning CARLD Lab investigations used 99 variations of body measurements to determine how many subjects are necessary in the selection for the best range of models. Two of three postures for scanning are sitting and standing posture, in traditional anthropometric measurement. Standard scanned posture must obey some rules:
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to compare measurements precisely with traditional anthropometric variations, to be reproductive so that the subject is always scanned in the same manner, to position the body so that there is no shadow when scanning, to check whether anthropometric body measurement is used.
Traditional anthropometric sitting and standing posture is highly productive. A few scanners support effective 3D scanning. For example, traditional anthropometric standing posture implies that the arms are lowered, and the legs and ankles are gathered. In this position it is impossible for the scanner to see many shadows under the arms and between the legs (shadows are hidden within the knees and ankles). By keeping apart the arms and legs (keeping them away from the body) the scanner is able to record and register better and to recognize the arms and legs. Suggestions for sitting and standing posture in the CAESARE project are similar to the whole body with some changes of the posture of the arms and legs.
Working method with 3D Body scanner The standard anthropometric sitting posture implies that the arms and legs are joined in the knees. Placed horizontally the scanner laser does not reflect the light on the scanning head. Without this information it is difficult to determine and clear up measurements and determine details of the arms. To solve the dilemma, the CARD research plan made a sitting position and provided visibility. The result is not horizontal any more and can be seen by cameras. The arms are lifted towards the head, bent in the elbow. There is no shadow. The 3D technology of body scanning has the following advantages: High resolution (1 to 3 mm), cheap and simple beginning (standard components), rapid scanning (procedure of measurement - 20 seconds), reliable data, simple for use, following process commands and simple use. INTELLIGENT GARMENT MANUFACTURE A change in CAD/CAM technology over the past years has increased the speed and development of new technological achievements. Fortunately, these achievements have encouraged and simplified garment manufacture, fabric utilization and easier mass production. Such a system replaces traditional production and inspires to innovations in garment designing. Technological development helped in the CAD/CAM function and provided a new way of applying the design system in production development. The technological space between 3D scanner and CAD/CAM production system is supplemented by the IPA software. NTU samples for cutting are linked with Lectra, making 2D/3D mathematical models for the manufacture of ladies' wear. Scanned data were analyzed according to the characteristic form so that by a special adaptation system garment samples can be made fitting perfectly. Today fashion industry is confronted with strategic challenges. Technology provides assistance to designers, manufacturers and
retailers to overcome these challenges. Today's solutions are global from design over production to sales.
Modern software packages are implemented to solve the following:
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design, CAD, cutting area visual presentation, data about CAD/CAM equipment, automatic cutting systems, automatic spreading, plotters, textile digital printer and Internet communications platform.
Centralization of the production information and better organization of the world's partner network:
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to centralize the whole files for one product or collection into organized folders for the collection, for the season etc. without restrictions of the organization, type and size of documents in the case of division and exchange less amount of double information about the product dispersed in workshops worldwide support by the WebDAV protocol allows a drag and flow of documents and folders directly between desktop and Lectra on-line exchange rapid organization of your world's partner network at a favorable price; together with support and training by the Lectra world's centre user-friendly security system; edited by professionals, intermediately accessible, only Web browser and Internet access are necessary
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available in 8 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, simplified and traditional Chinese, Fig.
The Lectra on-line exchange facilitates the exchange of patterns and brands at a great distance among production partners. Costs of failure and micro communications will be avoided by adapting patterns and brands in such a way that each partner can use them, regardless of file composing, size and experience. The Lectra teams provided a list of edited communications. The Lectra on-line exchange is open to the whole Lectra community including more than 10,000 Lectra customers and 60,000 users worldwide, and it is available to all their business partners, regardless of the site of their equipment.
Concept of intelligent garment production
Modern intelligent environment of computer support and systems CONCLUSION The development of 3D scanning technology is of great importance to the industry due to many reasons. This technology has a possibility of combining results of linear and nonlinear bodily measurements; an imagined body is registered in the scanning process, and a description of bodily measures can be done in a few seconds. This technological process of describing bodily measurements is simpler and more accurate than manually registered measures. For possible storage of a great number of measurements it is possible to design clothing according to a unique form of the scanned human body. Scanning technology enables the measures to be in digital form and to be placed in the CAD system without human intervention, taking minimum time and possibility of faults. Textiles enter new fields of application increasingly, from aviation over medicine to construction; the application is multiple. Production communication is very important in the field of high technical textiles and garment manufacturing. The main goal is to find new possibilities for space technology in textiles and clothing. Technical textile intelligent clothing, smart materials and versatile electronics will play an important role in the future. Clothing includes a technology which will not only change fashion appearance, but also define the practicability of the new technology for better garment
samples, including space technology which is at the beginning stage. An example of such a garment is a pair of Mamagoose pyjamas. A pair of Mamagoose pyjamas contains five sensors arranged in the area of breast and stomach, three of them monitor heartbeat, and two sensors monitor breathing. Double sensors guarantee accurate measurement. A special sensor is built into the garment and has no direct contact with the body and does not generate discomfort to the baby. A pair of Mamagoose pyjamas is made of two parts: the first one can be washed by machine and has no direct contact, whereas the second one with sensors is washed by hand. There are three sizes of pyjamas made from non-allergic fabrics and in a special design to protect sensors during use. The control alarm unit is connected with a pair of pyjamas and with the monitor for showing sensor data. It is programmed to monitor breathing and to alarm in the case of unexpected and dangerous situations. The data are stored before and after an alarm, in the situations which may be considered as dangerous. The following examples are: cold suit, intelligent shirt, intelligent jacket "Absolute Zero".
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Pankaj Sharma. Enterprise Resource Planning. Aph Publishing Corporation, NewDelhi (2004) 2. Hanson, J.J. "Successful ERP Implementations Go Far Beyond Software." San Diego Business Journal (5 July 2004). 3. Olinger, Charles. "The Issues Behind ERP Acceptance and Implementation." APICS: The Performance Advantage 4. Millman, Gregory J. "What Did You Get from ERP and What Can You Get?" Financial Executive (May 2004). 5. The E-Business Transformation: Sector Developments and Policy Implications by Jan Hammond and Kristin Kohler, Harvard Business School Websites: http://www.developer.com http://www.erpandmore.com http://www.isnare.com http://sysoptima.com http://guide.darwinmag.com/technology/enterprise/erp http://fibre2fashion.com
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