Contrary to other industries, the fashion and textile sector is confronted with complex supply chain issues. The ultimate objective of the fashion and textile industry is to reduce costs while increasing consumer satisfaction and achieving long-term corporate success. For this, the supply chain evolved into a more agile form to take advantage of responsiveness with various strategies. The proximity manufacturing approach is one of them. Given this context, reshoring as a management technique to increase supply chain demand responsiveness (SCDR) has gained substantial attention in the fashion and apparel industries. considering that the purpose of this study is defined as to strategize the factors of reshoring and supply chain demand responsiveness (SCDR) in the apparel industry. This study reveals the factors of the apparel manufacturing supply chain. By attaining these factors a supply chain can achieve responsiveness attributes. It also accumulates data regarding positive factors that drive the reshoring of apparel manufacturing. Moreover, connections between these two factors have been established which illustrates the influence of reshoring on achieving demand responsiveness of the apparel supply chain.

No description available.

Apparel manufacturing characterizes a sustainable means of creating employment and encouraging economic growth; however, 86% of U.S. apparel manufacturing companies and 74.7% in North Carolina have closed since the late 1990s. Less than 3% of apparel bought in the United States is domestic. The purpose of this case study was to explore the strategies used by American apparel manufacturing business leaders who produce competitive products using Porter's diamond theory as the conceptual framework. Data were collected through semistructured interviews of 4 business leaders from an apparel manufacturer that had been in business a minimum of 5 years in North Carolina. Member checking and transcript review were used to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings. Data were coded using a qualitative analysis software. Coded data were analyzed to identify themes. The results led to 3 major themes: technology, time, and brand development. The findings revealed that apparel manufacturing business managers used technology to produce competitive apparel products by owning the fiber, fabric, and technologies in the apparel products and shortened lead-times to the retailer. New knowledge from this study could contribute to social change through improved opportunities for apparel workers, improved business strategies among apparel manufacturing business leaders, and increased demand for apparel products produced in the United States. The findings from this study may also contribute to positive social change by potentially increasing business prospects for apparel manufacturers, suppliers, auxiliary businesses, thereby increasing revenue in North Carolina and the United States.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of environmental factors on business strategies for U.S. apparel manufacturing companies. Three research objectives were established to achieve this study purpose: (a) to explore the business environment of the U.S. apparel manufacturing industry from 1970 to 2005, (b) to investigate the business strategies for selected major U.S. apparel manufacturing companies in response to the environment from 1970 to 2005, and (c) to determine if patterns or themes are found in changes of the business strategies for the selected U.S. apparel manufacturing companies. Two theories were used as a framework for this study: organizational interpretation process (e.g., Daft & Weick, 1984; Milliken, 1990) and organizational adaptation theory (e.g., Miles & Snow, 1978; Zeithaml & Zeithaml, 1984). Qualitative analysis was conducted for data analysis. Part 1 of data analysis was the in-depth exploration of the business environment for the apparel manufacturing industry in terms of globalization, technology, and consumer; and apparel firms' business strategies that have been implemented in response to these environments, from 1970 to 2005. Part 2 of data analysis was the case studies of two sample apparel companies (i.e., Nike, Inc., VF Corporation). The business strategies of the two companies in response to their business environments from 1970 to 2005 were investigated. The in-depth exploration of general business strategies of the U.S. apparel industry and the case studies of two sample companies' specific business strategies revealed that U.S. apparel manufacturing companies have gone through the process that was proposed in the model of the study; they have been significantly affected by the environmental changes and have made changes to their business strategies in order to survive. These changes did vary between the two companies in the case study and were related to the original organization of the companies showing a variation in interpretation of the information. / Master of Science

Given that the end-customer has become more demanding, the retailer has to deliver products according to the market demands, which have forced manufacturing companies to constantly search for new opportunities to reduce costs and improve efficiency. It is, therefore important to choose suppliers that are able to compete with the market demands.The market demands in the textile industry have lead to shorter product life cycles, which have caused manufacturers to deliver flexibility with high technology to compete successfully on the global market. To achieve the market requirements the underlying factor is to be aware and optimally use and control time. New technology can have a major influence in the production development, if the company choose to take benefit of the advantages, by optimal allocation of the internal resources the productivity and efficiency will increase, to accomplish a competitive advantage. One way to achieve this is by investing in a Unit Production System.In our thesis we have questioned what the main driving forces for an apparel manufacturing company is when it chooses to invest in new technology. Our previous knowledge says that manufacturing companies are forced to invest in a UPS to deliver to the market demands; therefore our sub-question investigates whether market demands impact the investment in new technology.In our theory we have concluded aspects in our study which is important for the reader to have an understanding of. We describe the textile industry from the view of Porters value chain and elaborate some concepts and their definitions, which will be used as a basis throughout our thesis. Finally we present a model of Five forces that determine industry competition made by Porter, to use as an analysis method when investigating whether an UPS may bring a competitive advantage.Our field study has been carried out in South India, where we have visited five textile factories and interviewed managers. We have questioned their decision-making judgment about implementing or choosing not to implement a UPS. Other production factors and general information about the companies have been asked to have an understanding of underlying factors. We have also had the opportunity to observe their manufacturing handling systems and seen how they have chosen to use this in an optimal way.Our previous knowledge of this subject has routed to that our research will be performed in a hermeneutics scientific approach. Our role as researchers has during the study been open-minded, subjective and committed according to a hermeneutics view. / Program: Textilekonomutbildningen

O dinamismo inerente a moda expõe as cadeias de suprimentos a um desafio constante: gerenciar a relação com múltiplos agentes envolvidos em um longo lead time produtivo, enquanto atendem aos anseios por novidades frequentes no ponto de venda. A Cadeia Produtiva Têxtil e de Confecção (CPTC) se antecipa, em até dois anos, nas apostas de tendências e direciona às suas confecções um fluxo empurrado de produtos originais em formas, matérias, cores e estampas. Contudo, é no varejo que o êxito, ou insucesso, de uma coleção fica nítido e tem seus maiores impactos de incerteza. Em sentido contrário, o fast fashion ganha notoriedade por resolver esta problemática, encurtando ciclos produtivos e postergando acabamentos de produção, em uma cadeia de suprimentos que atende às solicitações do varejo, com trocas constantes de informação. Este modelo de negócios se torna, na revisão bibliográfica, um bom exemplo de aplicação das práticas de Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos (GCS) na moda, com exemplos recorrentes de marcas do Reino Unido, Suécia, Estados Unidos, Itália e Espanha. Surge, então, o interesse em verificar como interagem os agentes das CPTC do Brasil, comparando coleções programadas e de moda rápida, e se conseguem aplicar as diretrizes da GCS. Um estudo de casos múltiplos em 4 empresas, sendo 2 em modelo tradicional e 2 fast fashion, leva a resultados que confirmam a literatura nas práticas varejistas, enquanto diferem, especialmente nos métodos produtivos, levando a indagações sobre a adaptação dos parâmetros internacionais ao cenário local / The inherent dynamism of fashion exposes supply chains to a constant challenge: managing the relationship with multiple agents involved in a long productive lead time, while meeting the yearnings for frequent novelties at the point of sale. The Textile and Apparel Production Chain (TAPC) anticipates trends, within two years, and directs to their factories a flow of original products into shapes, materials, colors and prints. However, it is in retail that the success, or failure, of a fashion collection becomes clear and has its greatest impacts of uncertainty. On the other hand, fast fashion is notorious for solving this problem, shortening production cycles and postponing production finishes, in a supply chain that responds to retail requests, with constant information exchanges. This business model becomes, in the bibliographic review, a good example of applying the practices of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in fashion, with recurring examples of brands from the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Italy and Spain. Arises interest in checking how the TAPC agents of Brazil interact, comparing traditional and fast-fashion collections, and whether they are able to apply the guidelines of the SCM. A multiple case study in 4 companies, 2 in a traditional model and 2 fast fashion, leads to results that confirm the literature in retail practices, while differing, especially in productive methods, leading to inquiries about the adaptation of international parameters to the local scenario

O dinamismo inerente a moda expõe as cadeias de suprimentos a um desafio constante: gerenciar a relação com múltiplos agentes envolvidos em um longo lead time produtivo, enquanto atendem aos anseios por novidades frequentes no ponto de venda. A Cadeia Produtiva Têxtil e de Confecção (CPTC) se antecipa, em até dois anos, nas apostas de tendências e direciona às suas confecções um fluxo empurrado de produtos originais em formas, matérias, cores e estampas. Contudo, é no varejo que o êxito, ou insucesso, de uma coleção fica nítido e tem seus maiores impactos de incerteza. Em sentido contrário, o fast fashion ganha notoriedade por resolver esta problemática, encurtando ciclos produtivos e postergando acabamentos de produção, em uma cadeia de suprimentos que atende às solicitações do varejo, com trocas constantes de informação. Este modelo de negócios se torna, na revisão bibliográfica, um bom exemplo de aplicação das práticas de Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos (GCS) na moda, com exemplos recorrentes de marcas do Reino Unido, Suécia, Estados Unidos, Itália e Espanha. Surge, então, o interesse em verificar como interagem os agentes das CPTC do Brasil, comparando coleções programadas e de moda rápida, e se conseguem aplicar as diretrizes da GCS. Um estudo de casos múltiplos em 4 empresas, sendo 2 em modelo tradicional e 2 fast fashion, leva a resultados que confirmam a literatura nas práticas varejistas, enquanto diferem, especialmente nos métodos produtivos, levando a indagações sobre a adaptação dos parâmetros internacionais ao cenário local / The inherent dynamism of fashion exposes supply chains to a constant challenge: managing the relationship with multiple agents involved in a long productive lead time, while meeting the yearnings for frequent novelties at the point of sale. The Textile and Apparel Production Chain (TAPC) anticipates trends, within two years, and directs to their factories a flow of original products into shapes, materials, colors and prints. However, it is in retail that the success, or failure, of a fashion collection becomes clear and has its greatest impacts of uncertainty. On the other hand, fast fashion is notorious for solving this problem, shortening production cycles and postponing production finishes, in a supply chain that responds to retail requests, with constant information exchanges. This business model becomes, in the bibliographic review, a good example of applying the practices of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in fashion, with recurring examples of brands from the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Italy and Spain. Arises interest in checking how the TAPC agents of Brazil interact, comparing traditional and fast-fashion collections, and whether they are able to apply the guidelines of the SCM. A multiple case study in 4 companies, 2 in a traditional model and 2 fast fashion, leads to results that confirm the literature in retail practices, while differing, especially in productive methods, leading to inquiries about the adaptation of international parameters to the local scenario