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The global garment market has grown and changed significantly over the last ten years. The sector has grown to be a substantial contributor to many economies thanks to its reputation for creating clothes of the highest quality and hiring qualified personnel. In fact, the global apparel business was estimated to be worth $1.5 trillion in 2021.
Nevertheless, despite its great scale, the business has faced several difficulties as a result of its rapid expansion and continuously shifting consumer needs.
We'll look at some of the major issues plaguing the fashion apparel sector right now in this post, along with some remedies.
Recognizing the shifting environment of the garment industry
Over the years, there have been substantial changes in the global apparel business. changing how people interact with fashion and encouraging the industry to change to meet changing customer expectations and trends. The global movement towards sustainability and environmental consciousness may be the most prominent of all. Given that 78% of Americans say that leading a sustainable lifestyle is very important to them, it should come as no surprise that the fashion industry is not in a good light given that it contributes 8–10% of global carbon emissions, which is more than all international flights and maritime shipping put together. requiring clothing producers to produce their products using more environmentally friendly processes.
The development of technology, which led to a number of other innovations like artificial intelligence and e-commerce and consequently the emergence of fast fashion, is another crucial factor to take into account in this situation. While AI algorithms allowed businesses to examine enormous quantities of data, including market trends, the rise of e-commerce transformed how consumers shopped for clothing by giving them access to what seemed like an infinite number of alternatives. The convergence of these technological developments has accelerated the development of fast fashion, enabling the production of affordable apparel at a previously unheard-of rate but also resulting in more consumption and shorter product life cycles. A McKinsey & Company estimate states that over 100 billion clothes were produced between 2000 and 2014, roughly double that amount.
The difficulties that clothing manufacturers confront
As you may have already realized, it is quite difficult to stay up to date with the most recent trends and techniques given how dynamic the garment market is. As a result, it creates a plethora of severe obstacles for manufacturers to overcome, such as inadequate task balancing and production efficiency. These problems might arise if production tactics are not routinely reviewed and improved to meet the increasing demands and deadlines. Let's look at some of the most common obstacles they face that prevent effective clothing manufacture.
Production bottlenecks
A bottleneck is a place in the production flow where productivity is drastically slowed down or constrained, delaying the efficiency of the entire operation. For instance, if a particular operator is given a certain style, it's likely that the person working on that line doesn't have the abilities required to complete those operations efficiently. As a result, they might not be able to handle the burden, which could bring the entire production line to a halt. Because work study officers use traditional and manual procedures, there is a lack of talent identification.
As you would expect, using ineffective technology in conjunction with manual processes can cause lengthy delays and supply shortages at retailers. In actuality, it was discovered that the annual revenue lost to clothes and fashion merchants due to out-of-stock items was almost $634.1 billion. This is partly because manufacturing bottlenecks can significantly affect meeting deadlines for delivery when they result in delays. A other mode of transportation, such air freight, may be required if a consignment of clothes can't arrive at the planned shipping vessel in time. But shipping by plane is significantly more expensive than sending by ship.
Employee absenteeism at work
The garment business faces a serious difficulty due to staff absences, which affects productivity and operational effectiveness. Absenteeism is a serious problem due to the nature of the sector, which operates under strict deadlines and high demands.
The effects of absenteeism in the clothing sector are extensive. Kingslake estimates that the manufacturing industry in Sri Lanka experiences up to 5% absenteeism rates. Despite appearing little, this statistic has a big impact on many people because it directly employs about 300,000 people in Sri Lanka and indirectly employs about 600,000 people. putting a heavy weight on the remaining staff, which will raise workload, lower morale, and eventually have an impact on product quality and delivery schedules. It is also important to consider the effect absenteeism has on customer satisfaction, as delays brought on by it can lead to missed deadlines, disgruntled customers, and even the loss of future business possibilities.
Generally poor line balancing techniques
Line balancing is the process of evenly distributing the workload among all tasks in a clothing manufacturing line in order to eliminate bottlenecks and enhance production line efficiency. The two issues we covered above are just two examples of improper line balancing, which encompasses a wide range of subjects. Even though there is a technology revolution taking place in the world, some manufacturers still lack the necessary technology to handle these procedures.
Dealing with this problem
Technology is a key factor in the industry's transformation to make it more sustainable and lucrative. The laborious and time-consuming manual line balancing operations have been replaced by quick, AI-powered solutions in essential production processes.
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