Digitalisation
IT4Fashion is an industrial and scientific conference and
exhibition where fashion companies, brands, practitioners,
researchers and software houses, discuss IT technologies
in the field of fashion and luxury. The conference
represents, since its first edition in 2011, a unique event
where fashion companies present their greatest success
stories in the application of IT solutions. The next edition
will be held on November 23 in Florence, Italy. Pic
courtesy: it4fashion.org
The report was a word for circumspection, and a bit constrained—it looked at only the sourcing
aspect of the apparel business, and went by the assumption that sourcing is only one link in that chain.
A more explorative report, that was more of a white paper than a study of the current state
of affairs in the industry, was one by Fung Global Retail & Technology (FGRT). Deep Dive: An
Overview of the Digitalization of the Apparel Supply Chain examined the stages of the apparel supply
chain-—design, manufacturing, distribution and sales—and illustrated how digital technology
can be applied to each stage. The application of digital technologies, the report underlined, has
the potential to reduce the time it takes to move an item through the supply chain by 48 per cent,
according to industry experts at sourcing giant Li & Fung, a sister company of FGRT.
The FGRT document was not earth-shaking by any yardstick in so far as making revelations, since
it was pre-occupied with outlining areas wherein companies in the fashion industry can streamline
the digitisation process, and thereby score and subsequently build on efficiency. But it did serve an
important task: that linking the disparate digitalisations that do take place in companies, but more
through the form of silos. The point is about integrating all processes, and doing it seamlessly.
Individual stakeholders and different links in the supply chain offer different perspectives.
In the last week of October, logistics giant DHL, the Council of Fashion Designers of America
Inc and Accenture released the findings of a joint study that outlined challenges and made
recommendations for successful supply chains in the fashion business. The Human-Centered
Supply Chain highlighted that, in an increasingly digital world, humans will continue to play a
critical role in the supply chain supporting the fashion industry.
The study identified four key areas in which digitalisation has created challenges and
opportunities for designers. The first, ‘process ownership’, involves defining both clear and flexible
processes that extend from purchase, through production to delivery. The second, ‘relationship
building’, becomes crucial since cooperation and sharing of expertise and structures have become
increasingly important to sustainable supply chains. The third, ‘brand operations’, is key in the
establishment of an unambiguous brand when it comes to working efficiently and presenting
a consistent image to customers and suppliers. The last, ‘actionable information’, would be a
constant flow of information between deliverers, designers and customers further optimising
processes and products and responding to customer demands.
Digitalisation is fine, but without the right human interventions it would remain only a watchword.
44 | FIBRE 2 FASHION NOVEMBER 2017