Bangladesh’s Readymade Garments (RMG) industry started its journey back to the ’80s and now it is at a breakeven point. During its long journey, the industry has achieved a significant milestone and adopted lots of new technologies. However, whereas the world industry is running by 4.0 technology, mostly we are still in the 2.5 or 3.0 stage.
We are lagging here for many reasons including lack of conception, technology phobia, infrastructure problem, lack of objective-oriented education, lack of R&D and so on. The buyer is always talking about compliance, technological adaption but doesn’t agree to give a single send extra for those facilities, so that owner doesn’t get confidence to invest in new technology like 4.0 or above.
Most of the RMG factory (except some exceptional factories) is not producing hi-value added products, fancy items, functional products. They are not strong in new product design, marketing, communication and presentation whereas our competitors comparatively better in these parameters.
We’ve to be good in this parameter as soon as possible, because lots of order and investment are coming for rising the labor cost around the other producing countries like China, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, etc. If we are not able to achieve the quality, the order will be placed in our competitors’ country. So that we should have some essential technologies to solve our basic problem remaining on communication, presentation, marketing, wastages, efficiency, productivity, accuracy, new product design and integrity.
ERP
Literarily, ERP refers to Enterprise Resource Planning software. In general, ERP is an industry term for the broad set of activities supported by the multi-module application software that help our manufacturer including order receive, booking, sourcing, production planning, purchasing, maintaining inventories, interacting with suppliers, providing customer service, and tracking orders.
Typically, an ERP system is integrated with a relational database system. It attempts to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all those departments’ particular needs. The integration streamlines internal business processes and improves the productivity of a company.
To be concise, ERP software offers the following benefits:
- ERP integrates all aspects of the business processes including manufacturing, design, customer services, financial, sales and distribution. By integrating business processes and people anywhere in your company, you can enjoy more efficient workflow and improved productivity.
- Nowadays, retailers and consumers push for lower prices, better quality and quicker lead time. ERP implementation shows your determination to head in that direction. The confidence of your business partners and consumers will be increased.
- ERP provides the right information to the right people at the right time anywhere in the world, enabling you to improve productivity, enhance decision making and promote communication between coworkers, customers and vendors.
- For better ERP software, it helps to reduce or eliminate duplicate work, and automates operational tasks and provides easy access to information. ERP, therefore, can deliver significant time savings.
CAD
Technology now plays a major role in the fashion industry, from initial design to clothing manufacturing. A valuable way technology is used is through something called CAD and CAM software. Pens and paper maintain their importance in fashion design.
However, the convenience of copy-pasting, reshaping and drafting overlays of the initial sketches add a much greater level of detail for efficiency, as well as allowing further creative dabbling with color, patterns, and shapes.
Computer-aided design (CAD) is simply the use of computers to design things, from vehicles to apparel. It can do so in two-dimensional flat (2D) and three-dimensional space (3D), helping to provide an enhanced idea of how the design will look from all angles.
In fashion, CAD software is a computer-aided graphic design tool for creating digital fashion sketches, garment design, artwork, and other elements related to the design of apparel.
Fashion design software intends to help designers create digital fashion blueprints that communicate their concept of how a design should look once manufactured.
Computer-aided manufacture (CAM) is software usually used alongside CAD. After a designer finishes their design process using CAD software, it can then be transferred to a CAM system, which allows increased automation in the manufacturing process.
Digital marketing tools
A digital marketing tool helps manufacturers to identify new buyers, new market, target price, desire quality, specific lead time. It’ll solve the communication and presentation problem. Each company has different specific goals, but most are trying to achieve growth by reaching more consumers and convincing them to purchase.
To do this effectively, you have to take advantage of all the most valuable marketing resources and technologies. This makes every business in need of digital marketing.
You must understand the benefits of digital marketing for businesses, which included affordability marketing cost, remotely accessibility, customer flexibility, more expansion opportunity, multimedia presentation of the products, interactivity product presentation, customer tracking, authority, influencer engagement & print enhancement.
CRM
The factory knows that making a great product alone is not enough. They must also have processes in place for managing customer relationships and improving product sales.
To do that, manufacturing companies should look to customer relationship management (CRM) software designed for their industry.
Known as manufacturing CRM, this type of software allows manufacturers to organize customer data within a single tool. It helps their sales agents better understand buyer requirements, close deals more quickly, and identify upselling or retargeting opportunities.
That said, there are many manufacturing CRM tools on the market, and choosing the right one can be tricky. Factories need to be aware of these tools’ core features, deployment options, suitability for their business size.
There are some common features of the CRM system like contact management, interaction management, lead and sales pipeline management, task and workflow management, document management, reporting and analytics, inventory tracking, product repository and sales forecasting. It’ll be a great tool for the marketing team which is suffering hugely.
HRM
Human resource management (HRM) can be defined as “planning, implementing, and evaluating programs for the people in an organization, in a fashion consistent with the organization’s strategies and values.”
HRM includes decisions about several activities involving the employees of the organization. The major activities comprising HRM systems can be classified as staffing (e.g., employee recruiting, selection, promotion, termination), reward (e.g., pay, incentives, performance management), and development (e.g., employee training) activities.
HRM decisions and activities have been linked to many outcomes for the organization, including employee performance, satisfaction, retention, attendance, and product/service quality.
HRM has recently been recognized as an important source of sustained competitive advantage for a factory, buying house and liaison office. The three main acronyms used to describe human resources management systems are HRIS, HCM, and HRMS. Each type of system has explicit capabilities and characteristics that may be best for different organizational needs.
MRP
Material Resource Planning MRP Software (MRP) system outlines the production planning and inventory management system. The overall production planning control concept and the process can be defined through the MRP software. So, many roles and features play in the resource planning software section. Merchandising procedure plays a role in Mrp system software.
This module is designed to help your business gain complete control over fabric & trim purchasing and stock holding. As the system is specific to the Apparel industry, bills of material are defined for color, quality for each finished product. Thus all data entry, reporting and inquiry facilities analyses information using by matrix. Cash tied up in raw materials stock, is not working for you. The MRP module provides the accurate information and forecasting required to enable you to reduce stock and free up your capital. An improved control system will reduce the costs of regular stock-taking.
Lean management
Lean manufacturing improves efficiency, reduces waste, and increases productivity. The benefits, therefore, are manifold: Increased product quality: Improved efficiency frees up employees and resources for innovation and quality control that would have previously been wasted.
According to the Lean Enterprise Institute, the core idea behind “lean” is: “To maximize customer value while minimizing waste.” The business benefits of “lean” are achieved because there’s less process waste, reduced lead time, less rework, reduced inventories, increased process understanding, improved knowledge of the products.
Based on the research of high-performance companies at the Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation in the Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University (Center for SEV), there are at least three major unrecognized advantages of instituting lean principles.
- The lean manufacturing process provides a simple framework for defining a company’s purpose and decision-making to reflect the needs of all stakeholders.
- “Lean” results in a highly engaged employee culture.
- Lean manufacturers can better navigate the competitive life cycle
(To be continued…)
