A STITCH IN TIME INDEED SAVES NINE!

摘要

The readymade garment manufacturing industry is labour-intensive and has a fragmented supply chain. At a broader level, it starts with fibre selection, yarn, and fabric production, and then, garment manufacturing. The major operations of the readymade garment industry fall under three categories: 1. Preproduction: This phase involves arranging materials, line planning, sample development and approval, sourc- ing, and production scheduling. 2. Production: During production, fabrics are spread, cut, bundled, and sewn. 3. Post-Production: Post-production includes inspection, pressing, folding, and packing, making the garment ready to sell. The labour-dependent nature of cutting and sewing makes the readymade garment expensive. While raw materials contribute up to 50-60% of the total product cost, sewing contributes approximately 35% of the total cost. Efforts have been made to lower labour costs through supply chain management by locating production facilities in developing countries like India and Bangladesh. However, this strategy is becoming complex and difficult to sustain, forcing the industry to find alternative solutions. Thus, automating readymade garment manufacturing processes is becoming the need of the hour! Automation not only improves productivity but also the quality of the finished product by minimising human intervention and preventing errors.