Another year, another GTE and 4 days of hectic display of technology… For me, more than seeing new technology, which we also get to do at other international technology fairs, it is the excitement of meeting old friends from the technology companies and interacting with the industry which is the attraction. The four days, right at the starting of the year, sets the tempo of what to expect from the industry and also presents an insight into the minds of players from all segments on the way forward…
While some real cutting edge technologies are waiting to be unfolded at GTE, the rest is merely the fight over cost of technology. Now manufacturers have also become knowledgeable and it is heartening to see serious discussions around ‘total cost of ownership’ while procuring some technology. Technology suppliers have to continuously reinvent themselves to remain in the limelight and not get marginalized by ‘happening’ management practices that promise results without the investment in technology…
The serious buyers are stretching the suppliers in threadbare discussions on value of technology. Frivolous technology features can no more win brownie points. Although I am a bit worried about the current scarcity of technology expertise and the dwindling role of technologists in apparel factories…
In a thought-provoking article Dr. Prabir Jana has questioned the positioning of a technologist in an apparel manufacturing setup… He analyses the role of a technologist, and how most of the roles have now been outsourced to agencies/technology providers who have expanded their role from mere providers of technology to full-service providers with special divisions working to support the companies through the process of selection and maintenance of the technology.
In the age of core competency, if the IT companies can outsource data centres to the cloud, why not technology outsourcing? Ultimately jobs should be done most efficiently and effectively; and if outsourcing a technologist’s role to ‘experts’ works for everyone…, then why not?
How can we forget the practice of outsourcing ‘cutting jobs’, where small manufacturers hire services of cutting masters who move from factory to factory carrying along their straight knives or around the corner shop ‘kaaj-button’ (button hole and button sew) guy doing the jobwork for some sewing fabricator?
Pondering over, be it in-house expertise or outsourced, technology continues to play an important role in mass manufacturing segment… I am confident that the role of technologist will never lose its importance… What is happening is the realigning of core roles within the industry at large.
It’s time to celebrate the technology and the technologist… Look forward to seeing you at GTE and will be more than happy to take the discussion forward…!
While some real cutting edge technologies are waiting to be unfolded at GTE, the rest is merely the fight over cost of technology. Now manufacturers have also become knowledgeable and it is heartening to see serious discussions around ‘total cost of ownership’ while procuring some technology. Technology suppliers have to continuously reinvent themselves to remain in the limelight and not get marginalized by ‘happening’ management practices that promise results without the investment in technology…
The serious buyers are stretching the suppliers in threadbare discussions on value of technology. Frivolous technology features can no more win brownie points. Although I am a bit worried about the current scarcity of technology expertise and the dwindling role of technologists in apparel factories…
In a thought-provoking article Dr. Prabir Jana has questioned the positioning of a technologist in an apparel manufacturing setup… He analyses the role of a technologist, and how most of the roles have now been outsourced to agencies/technology providers who have expanded their role from mere providers of technology to full-service providers with special divisions working to support the companies through the process of selection and maintenance of the technology.
In the age of core competency, if the IT companies can outsource data centres to the cloud, why not technology outsourcing? Ultimately jobs should be done most efficiently and effectively; and if outsourcing a technologist’s role to ‘experts’ works for everyone…, then why not?
How can we forget the practice of outsourcing ‘cutting jobs’, where small manufacturers hire services of cutting masters who move from factory to factory carrying along their straight knives or around the corner shop ‘kaaj-button’ (button hole and button sew) guy doing the jobwork for some sewing fabricator?
Pondering over, be it in-house expertise or outsourced, technology continues to play an important role in mass manufacturing segment… I am confident that the role of technologist will never lose its importance… What is happening is the realigning of core roles within the industry at large.
It’s time to celebrate the technology and the technologist… Look forward to seeing you at GTE and will be more than happy to take the discussion forward…!
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