Stitch World Editorial Issue July 2017

A change is inevitable now. All because of the few incidents that have happened or are going to happen…

Last year was the most uneventful year for exports in a long time…, maybe it was a year in brooding. The export growth figures were down and the domestic market was depressed due to demonetization and fear of GST (some are comparing it to the Y2K virus, which created such a hype at the turn of the century but fizzled out to nothing).

I believe that fear is bigger than reality…, yet there are genuine concerns, mainly because of the lack of clarity and implementation hurdles. In the meanwhile, the textile industry is divided on how the reforms would impact businesses along the supply chain, though there is a conviction that it would have a positive influence on the competitiveness in the long run.

The recently concluded Textiles India 2017 extravaganza was a breeding spot for discussions and the four major concerns with regard to GST that emerged are: Accumulation of credit at every level of the chain; Imported fabric to be cheaper than domestic fabric; 18 per cent service tax on apparel job work to make outsourcing unviable; and 18 per cent GST on MMF and Yarn serving as a severe blow to the synthetic sector.

Though the Government has assured a review and revision after three months, the industry is on the back foot. While demonetization brought in lack of funds to source raw materials and pay wages, GST has brought uncertainty, thereby further crippling the system.

As if this was not enough, the Delhi Government has increased minimum wages by 50%... I am not even sure if the industry can survive after such a huge blow… Where are the margins to absorb this increase?

Though the honourable court has reserved the decision till 11th September, I doubt if the court will eventually ‘stay’ the move.

With all this happening, the only way to survive is to move to places like Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana and other states where the Government is pro-active in building infrastructure and is offering incentives to the industry to come in, including a rebate on wages. Jharkhand already has three bigwigs setting up units there – Orient Craft, Shahi Exports and Matrix Clothing…, and I am sure others will follow suit soon.

I sincerely believe that this is the best and the only way for the industry to grow now!

In the meanwhile, things are getting tough on the retail front also with stores closure and frequently changing consumer demands putting pressure on retailers to be faster than their competitors in placing their products on the shelves. Ram Sareen, Founder, Tukatech shares with our readers how the long sheets of tech packs cannot keep pace with the evolving fashion industry. It is the digital platform that should be the new communication language between designers and technical team. Longer the retailers rely on outdated means, sooner they will be out of business.

Another trend which is taking fashion to a next level is ‘athleisure’. Driven by millennials’ fitness-conscious behaviour, athleisure is the new take of the town. Fad or classic, athleisure is not going to lose its charm in the coming years. Two of Indian sportswear manufacturers, Paragon Apparels and Creative Clothex, have launched their own athleisure brands in the market to tap the potential market in India

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 April 2017

May is going to be an interesting month for me as I will be attending Texprocess in Frankfurt, Germany…, something that I really look forward to.

Somebody, sheepishly asked me why visit Texprocess when such technology fairs take place in developing countries also…? My answer was simple: “Texprocess is the only international technology trade exhibition of our industry which is a ‘distinct depart’ from the basic technologies that one sees everywhere, at almost every fair happening in any part of the world!” It is not only the range of products that makes it impressive, but the advancements in each process which is a ‘value creation’, makes the fair a must-visit for those looking to understand< the future of the industry.

The Digital Textile Micro Factory, which is a live demonstration of apparel production chain to address the needs of small batches or even one-piece orders, is definitely something that the industry will find interesting at the fair.

Another special experience at the show will be the ‘Living in Space’, a part of Techtextil, which happens concurrently with Texprocess that will showcase a wide variety of applications for technical textiles in space travel together with the processes involved.

On a recent visit to India, Michael Jänecke, Director, Brand Management, Technical Textiles & Textile Processing, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH presented me with a beautiful pen drive in the shape of a space traveller wearing a space suit and also handed over space food, which travellers eat when in space… Nowhere else can I get such an experience… Only at Texprocess in combination with Techtextil we can even expect something so unique!

Going by the trend to think futuristic…, the next issue of StitchWorld will carry two articles of utmost importance. One is on Robotics – Innovations in these disruptive times by Frank Henderson, President, Henderson Sewing Machine and Dr. Prabir Jana, NIFT Delhi. The other on practical application of 3D printing of sewing machine parts, which will not only reduce time wasted in finding the correct spare part from the inventory but will also empower SMEs to 3D print the required part/attachment near the point of consumption, thus reducing their dependence on agents for machine spare parts.

The futuristic concept has become so big that the same is also the theme of this edition of StitchWorld. Whether we talk about the digital feed in sewing machine in which brands like Brother, TYPICAL, Juki and Duma are coming up or web-based solutions offered by Lectra, I am sure of the fact that technology suppliers are aggressively harnessing the concept of Industry 4.0.

A detailed analysis on ‘Digital Feed in Sewing Machine’ by Dr. Prabir Jana is surely a step ahead in IoT and will provoke my readers to think upon its future benefits. Following the series, where we exclusively interact with industry leaders, this issue carries a detailed discussion with Daniel Harari, CEO, Lectra on the ‘future’ where he throws light on technology acceptance in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, and shares about the SaaS model, introduced by the company.

The current issue of SW concludes the three-part series by Anand Deshpande in which he has explained the strategies to implement Lean process in a factory.

Stitch World Editorial Issue March 2017

The buzzword today is Industry 4.0… Every international forum, seminar and trade fair is discussing and deliberating on disruptive innovations such as IoT, M2M, Vision Systems Integrated Sewing, 3D Sewing, and Robotics. The topics are relevant today in the wake of efforts by Western countries – the US and Europe - to bring back the sewing industry… I think the industry is on the cusp of evolution since the talk on such subjects is overwhelming.

In a new series starting this issue, we will bring to our pages the leaders driving the innovation in the industry. The first part of the series is an excerpt of the discussions I had during a recent tête-à-tête with the management team of the ShangGong Group, which has acquired some really big names in European technology, including Duerkopp Adler.

During my regular visits to Bangladesh, I have noticed that the country is fast moving towards high-end technology, much more than compared to India, though India is the largest importer of sewing machines today. While India is importing a lot of basic machines, established brands are very happy working with Bangladesh for their automated machines.

It seems that the garment export industry in India has reached a plateau and now the domestic market is at the stage which was occupied by export market in the early 80s, providing good opportunities for technology providers to work in large numbers, but in basic machines. Perhaps that is why we see large number of domestic players at technology events in India these days.

I hope it is not the end of growth for the garment export industry… There has to be a lot more juice left in the industry than generally perceived. The drive to skill people in huge numbers for the sewing industry and the overtly active State Governments inviting industry to set-up units for exports with lucrative incentives, will surely not let the export industry die out.

This is one editorial in which I have not offered any solution, but only raised my concerns… If you think otherwise, please send me your views.
In the meanwhile, we bring to our readers another edition of StitchWorld which is a gamut of technology and management tools. INH Quality Management by Groz-Beckert facilitates an interconnected process for the entire history of a needle from its entry into the company through the documentation of needle breakage to the point at which it leaves the factory in a recyclable condition.

Our content remains incomplete without the experts sharing their valuable strategies and experiences. Piyush R Vyas and Anand Deshpande are there in the issue to share on how to reap the advantages from implementation of lean, not only benefiting the factory, but Indian apparel industry as a whole.

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.