StitchWorld Editorial Issue April 2019

StitchWorld magazine has just turned sixteen, a sweet journey that started in 2003 with technology and management for the sewn product industry. Its journey in the last five years has been very eventful due to various pressing changes in the industry and the technology ecosystem. The industry has grown beyond our thinking, and keeping pace with the industry we have also expanded our coverage to include woven, knitted as well as stitchless products and technologies alongside our core sewn product industry.

While Industry 4.0 is poised to revolutionise the technology offerings for the industry with smart factory in the horizon, garments are also getting smarter with each year passing-by. We have been covering Industry 4.0 technology very extensively during the last two years with encouraging response from the industry.

 Smart garments are part of the wearable technology system that are showing promise to disrupt the garment manufacturing industry. The way athleisure has disrupted the performance wear category, smart garment will do the same to commodity wear as well as luxury segment.

According to Wearable Technology Group, the three most dominant wearable technologies sold to consumers in 2018 have been smart watches/fitness trackers, earbuds/headsets and smart patches. Nevertheless, the growth of smart garments (from being negligible in 2018) will be faster going ahead than other categories and is likely to integrate with smart patches to form the single biggest category by 2023.

In our teaser article on smart wearables in February 2019 issue, we had reported how garments are merging with gadgets and stealing the limelight in world’s premier showcase CSE 2019. Keeping pace with the future and offering value to our esteemed readers, we have decided to cover smart garments also as a regular feature in our magazine from now onwards. The lead article by Prof. Prabir Jana (NIFT, Delhi) talks about an interesting concept about the use of wearable technology in workplace for augmenting planning accuracy.

Apart from wearable technology, our focus on sustainability is also highlighted in an article based on ‘waterless’ dyeing technology which talks about the eminent names supplying this technology. In a bid to continue with the retail technology write ups, this issue also entails how chatbots and artificial intelligence tools, designed to convincingly stimulate human conversation, are making a difference in the apparel retail industry.

We hope you will enjoy our new foray into wearable technology and smart garments; also please write back to us with your suggestions as well as report any interesting developments happening in the smart garment space.

StitchWorld Editorial Issue March 2019

Already so many garment manufacturing technology fairs happen in India, but the focus is still not realistic India is a mega country with diverse needs and every state is as big as Bangladesh if not bigger, so why question the number of garment manufacturing technology fairs happening in India…

Looking at it from another perspective, each Indian state has so many garment manufacturing hubs that every one of them deserves a separate fair… consider Meerut, Panipat, Jaipur townships in North of India that are still unrepresented at such fairs, and on similar lines, there are many townships in South and East of India which require a technology fair to bring the local industry up to date on latest hardware and software technologies.

The understanding is that these townships comprise smaller players whose needs are also met by very basic technologies, and at most through automation at basic level.

But the factors that are still ignored at these technology fairs are the technologies of the future and the knowledge forum, which start with Industry 4.0, moving on to AI, Data Analytics, VR, additive technology to robotics… a missing platform for understanding how these new systems/ technologies are going to impact the way the industry will work in the future.

Though technologies and discussion forums need not be part of every technology fair since only the big and organised companies would be keen to take cognizance of the newer set of systems and processes at present; for them, having one big technology fair which showcases a route map for the future in any one place within India would be very much reachable.

If today, we do not start updating ourselves on such solutions, in no time, we will find that the industry is left with only small producers that are largely unorganised and unable to cater to the demands of the growing retail in India… Hence, leaving the space empty for import of garments from global manufacturers that are hungry for work and are ready to invest time, energy and resources to meet the needs of an evolving Indian retail market

We are very clear on the future directions and soon you will find StitchWorld fulfilling the role of guiding the industry to address the future… a future which is sustainable and growth-oriented!

StitchWorld Editorial Issue October 2018

Industry’s mantra: An amalgamation of technological upgradation and constructive HR methodology for best results.
The latest trend in the industry is to hold and even attend seminars and workshops on the concept of Industry 4.0 which includes digitisation, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, machine-to machine learning and 3D printing.

Gone are the days when technology for better and efficient production was the focus of attention. It seems that the incremental changes towards automation in sewing are taken as not so critical anymore, at least not critical enough to hold or attend workshops. And this can be substantiated by the fact that many of the smaller sewing machine manufacturers are selling out to bigger companies.

This is certainly not going to help the garment manufacturing industry in the short or even in the long term. However small they may be, upgradation in technology is significant to keep pace with the needs of today and should be discussed and appreciated.

 It is therefore important for the garment manufacturers to take a prudent approach and keep abreast of the latest hardware and upgraded technologies, as also be concurrently aware about the technologies of the future.

This balanced approach to learning will be helpful to grow in the present and be prepared for the future!

The second most popular topic for industry today is now Human Resource Development, which is nothing more than sharing newer methods or jargons to motivate employees/operators, considering the fact that the industry lacks formal, pragmatic contemporary HR systems and interventions.

For attaining lasting success, organisations need to embrace the key role of human resource as a necessary catalyst to enhance the entire production system by making it smoother and swifter than before.

Our current issue entails an exclusive coverage on the emerging ‘on-demand’ apparel manufacturing concept in the USA along with its diverse pros and cons being discussed by the US-based apparel industry experts.

Stitch World Editorial Issue June 2018

On-demand manufacturing gets streamlined with automation

Though the concept of ‘On-demand manufacturing’ may be in existence for long in the industry as claimed by many of the fashion technology solution providers, the practice of the same or what is now being referred to as ‘Purchase Activated Manufacturing (PAM)’, is not only being talked about currently in every forum, but is also being principally followed in the industry as well.

Though the concept may still be in its nascent stage where the companies are experimenting and improvising the concept…, looking in for ways on how to make all systems and technologies to be in sync, and ‘talking’ to each other to address the challenges posed by On-demand manufacturing, the implication of this movement is far-reaching.

Till about four years ago, the discussion in the US centred around ‘Made in US’, Inshoring, Reshoring, and about two years back, the discussion shifted to putting micro factories, store factories, speed factories, and smart manufacturing systems in place with the sole idea of bringing manufacturing of fashion back to the US…, the intent still continues.

Hence, another two years onwards, the concept has gained such a momentum that I now find many companies which have started to build reasonable-size factories to cater to the increasing demand of locally made products… with the effective support of the On-demand manufacturing concept.

My recent visit to Texprocess Americas supported my conviction. I was not surprised to see around 8 cutting solution companies showcasing single ply, vision-aided automatic cutters. I could not find specific sewing or transport solutions supporting the concept, except for autonomous mobile robot for bundled cut parts collection and transportation – through design-print-cut to robotic sewing stations across the aisle. It was but obvious that technology for customisation is finding takers.

In this issue, we have successfully covered the stories of three such US companies which are making a mark in terms of technology solutions they have put in place. Their experience only underlines more assertively that the concept of On-demand manufacturing is here to stay.

Certain topics will always be the centre of debate, with different people having different opinions. What the industry thinks and knows and if they will stand for change is critical for the future… Taking an initiative in this direction, the present issue marks the beginning of a new column ‘SW Poll’ where key industry people cast their votes on a topic of relevance. The first question revolves around the debate on automation, which is: ‘Will it be able to compete on the cost offered by mass apparel manufacturing hubs?’

Stitch World Editorial Issue August 2017

Participating in exhibitions is always a learning experience and being at Gartex 2017 was really an exciting experience after a long time. Though these are tough times for the industry, still they all came in large numbers to the fair with the hope for finding something new and different.

I met many owners, CEOs and senior management from export houses from across the country. Gartex 2017 saw participation of companies like Orient Craft, Eastman Export, Blackberry, KK Overseas (Jaipur) and companies from as far as Kolkata, Dehradun and Mohali. This was inspiring considering the fact that the market for both the segments is not at its best. The exporters and domestic manufacturers are all struggling to come to terms with the effect of demonetisation and GST. Both these policies have reduced money flow in the market and increased the need for working capital, affecting business at various other levels too.

Through candid interactions with all these companies, I found that though no one was really complaining that the policies are bad or not good for the country/industry, the main grouse was that many grey areas still exist and there is no clarity on many critical areas – mostly related to 18% GST on job work in the apparel segment. While those exporters who have all value adding capabilities in-house will be at an advantage, the middle level and smaller exporters who are dependent on contractual job workers for their value-added processes will have to bear the increased cost...

The other concern being reduction in duty drawback..., most exporters have come forward to discuss how the drawback was their only saviour amongst the several impediments and had helped to keep their balance sheet in black. But now with the reduction in the duty drawback to 3 to 4%, even this last expectation is gone.

With Surat being practically closed from the beginning of July and growing fear of another round of strikes, the supply chain has been hit badly. Deadlines are going for a toss and hectic lobbying is going on to break the deadlock.

For domestic manufacturers, since many markets are closed, demand is slow since June. And it is no secret that both the US and EU are facing difficult times…, yet the positive part is that the industry is keen to explore new technologies which will help them to become more competitive on value, and the quality visitation at Gartex is proof of the same!

Stitch World Editorial Issue June 2017

At Texprocess, Frankfurt, Germany, besides meeting a lot of old friends and colleagues from the industry, all that I heard there was ‘Industry 4.0’… Every technology provider was talking about concepts like Internet of Things, additive manufacturing, manto- machine communication, machine-to-machine communication, SaaS, smart manufacturing, and artificial intelligence – each concept an integral part of the term Industry 4.0.

Many of the technologies I saw were tailor-made for western countries where labour is a scarce and expensive resource. The idea behind many of the machines was to eliminate human intervention and fully automate processes from design to production and in some cases even include retail and logistics.

So, does that mean Industry 4.0 is actually about taking production back to the West…? I have my reservations on how relevant Industry 4.0 is for the manufacturing world today. Even before automation has properly been adopted in Asia and other developing nations where production is happening, the focus of technology providers is already shifting to the next phase without fully perfecting the automation stage and making it suitable to the needs of the countries that are leading production today…

Can the technology providers afford to ignore the requirements of these manufacturing destinations, which are their biggest selling markets…? I don’t think so! In reality, the Texprocess platform is about the future, though in manufacturing countries the push is still on selling automation.

Most industry experts agree that the future is still a mystery and difficult to predict, what’s sure is that it would be very different from today and if companies do not start preparing now, they would be wiped out of business…

Our analysis of Texprocess is an attempt to decode Industry 4.0 as the debate gets louder… The same will continue in the next issue where many more technologies including IT solutions will be featured.

Even as technology providers move into the future, in a wave of retail bankruptcies, over 8,600 retail stores closure is being projected. Consumers are shifting a greater percentage of their disposable income to ‘experiences’ rather than ‘shopping’, creating an ‘adapt or die’ situation for retailers. Ed Gribbin, President, Alvanon Inc. suggests some of the ways through which retailers can sustain in a competitive environment.

Another interesting read in this issue is WFX Cloud ERP that has integrated new features into the solution such as ‘Analytics’ tool, which enables control over complete supply chain, and ‘Alert System’ that notifies the user before the deadline. Also, the second part of Kaizen Korner series addresses Lean Manufacturing, where David Permenter, Educational Director, DCC Print Vision LLC, tells how to identify waste and eliminate it.

Stitch World Editorial Issue May 2017

Speed factory, store factory, micro-factory and cluster factory (a term coined by me) are some of the concepts conceived especially to reach out to the consumers faster… These very consumers are the ones who are also driving the price and the products they want.

The fallout is that so many of the big-box retailers and brands are either folding operations or stagnating in their growth, therefore necessitating new concepts to evolve with the help of IT innovations (collaborative designing and its communication), 3D printing, digital printing, dyeing, and also robotics, which in a simpler form means customized automation.

Some of the newer concepts slated to debut at Texprocess 2017 are digital processing, use of low-energy radial shockwaves to clean textile and cold ironing... In digital processing of performance textiles, functional chemicals are applied through inkjet technology; the low-energy radial shockwaves take lesser time, operate at low temperature and don’t harm textile much; and cold ironing technology simply reduces the energy consumption by 60 per cent.

These concepts may not be for many of you as manufacturers, as of now, but you can draw out a hint from the directions and take necessary steps which need to be there when the changes begin to shape up.

Continuing to present the current and future of the industry…, our section on Technology 4.0 discusses ‘Innovations in these disruptive times’. In this article, Frank Henderson, President, Henderson Sewing Machine along with Dr. Prabir Jana, Professor, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Delhi, talk about interesting concepts in sewing automation, three-dimensional sewing, robotics, affordable automation, IoT and smart wearables. Also discussed is ‘3D printing of sewing machine parts’ – a concept developed by Dr. Jana and Dr. Deepak Panghal, who is also a Professor at NIFT Delhi.

However much we may dwell into the future and prepare for the same, it is also important to be in present and ensure that the factories are running productively. In our production technology segment, David Permenter, Educational Director, DCC Print Vision LCC details the Kaizen concept in screen printing in a three-part series. He emphasizes that ‘synergizing’ printing, manufacturing and leadership are the three pillars of screen printing.
Read the section to know more...

Also in focus are the growing number of Chinese sewing machines manufacturers invading the Indian market, and a preview of what to expect at the Texprocess in Frankfurt.

Stitch World Editorial Issue February 2017

An interesting beginning to the year is the growing number of ‘technopreneurs’ – people who have garment manufacturing education and are now starting business on their own… I have met some of them recently and am very happy with the development.

I have always said in my earlier editorials that unless we have the new generation coming forward to establish factories, this industry will wane away. And now I have a hope that the industry is on a strong footing because my list of start-ups is growing.

For me it does not matter whether the start-up is for exports or domestic manufacturing… A start-up in garmenting is what is important. At least these young professionals are getting into the business on their own…, willing to manufacture garments, which even older players are finding difficult to do!

I would wish to extend them any help if they would want from us, to see them grow and progress to be the next Shahi or Orient Craft… If you know any such start-ups, do connect them to StitchWorld, we would love to welcome them into our folds.

We have also recrafted the StitchWorld to suit their needs… When I say recrafted, I mean the focus is now clearly on benchmark practices, new models of operations, more automation and robotics and not to be ignored of innovative ways to manage and motivate employees. Emphasis is also on career building and sustainable initiatives.

I look forward to your suggestions to be more targeted and valuable to my readers.
In line with our new editorial thrust, an interesting article is ‘Entrepreneurship: Transformation from Learning to Execution’ wherein Sanjay Yadav shares how his experience on the shopfloor at other factories and education helped him in setting up his own unit.

 In the article – ‘Anatomy of an Efficient Apparel Production Manager’, the traits and the deliverables of an ideal production manager are discussed in detail. This is particularly important as the foundation of an efficient apparel manufacturing setup is led by production, and the production manager is the critical bridge between the company’s financial goals and workers.

We have also initiated a new series wherein SW will present ‘Top-List’ technology providers in different segments used in apparel industry processes. The section aims at analysing the best available in the market.

Stitch World Editorial Issue January 2017

StitchWorld is in its 14th year, and has evolved tremendously in its content and reach. We have graduated from topics like operator and supervisor training to concepts like IoT, M2M and automation, moving towards Robotics and the era of 3D printing and 3D pattern making. Yet, the focus of the magazine has not changed at all - productivity, on-time delivery and quality - still remain at the core; how to achieve these goals are evolving, resulting in new concepts and management tools.

Today, managing a factory is a very complex game; it is no longer about just building a state-of-the-art factory. How the factory is managed, and what are the external influences and challenges of profitability are critical elements that can make or break even the best of factories… Through the year, my editorials have reflected these challenges…, emerging from factors both within and outside the factory.

It all sounds very nice, but the industry is taking a cautious stand… They know that Governments don’t really understand the nuances of the industry, and just by giving incentives to set-up a unit is not going to help the cause. I have pointed out many
times that the issue is inter-related to many concerns… In my editorial in February, I had said, “The three areas that need attention are ‘Clean India’, ‘Healthy India’ and ‘Corruption-free India’. If these three areas are taken care of, all other requirements for sustainable growth of manufacturing will follow automatically.”

Another interesting point that evolved over the year and strongly advocated by the stalwarts of the technology industry is that automation alone is not the answer to labour issues… They emphasize on the need to balance automation with motivation. I fully endorse this view and we are almost ending from where we started - operator training; only the focus is not so much on training but motivation!

I had pointed out in my September editorial that too much automation is not a solution, it has to be selective automation on those operations where replacing the labour makes sense. After all it is about replacing labour wages that cost rupees per month as against western countries where the equation is in dollars per day.

External influences like terrorism, Brexit, US elections have all been contemplated on, and 2017 will see how these events of the past year will push business interest. New innovations, technology service outsourcing, re-shoring and new global manufacturing destinations like Ethiopia and Myanmar have all found place in various editorial musings… But what I would like to say fresh is that the time has come to reassess the scope of StitchWorld - sewing industry is now too big to be limited by the literal context.

This year we propose to re-orient focus within the gamut of garment manufacturing and management. The new focus areas besides the core subjects of production technology and production/product management will be on: Technology 4.0 that will talk about future technologies; Information Technology - a rundown on latest offering from the segment; Global Sourcing - acknowledging that manufacturing in one country is a culmination of sourcing from various destinations; Sustainability - the future no doubt; HR Management - a step upward from pure labour issues; Value Addition - creating differentiation for companies and countries; and finally Knitting Technology - a reality check, recognizing that garmenting is both
about woven and knitted products.