"Managing Productivity in the Apparel Industry"
by Rajesh Bheda, Ph.D., NIFT New Delhi, India
Foreward by Michael T. Fralix, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, [TC]²

In the 1800’s the textile industry in England flourished and the country became a major industrial and economic power worldwide. Likewise, in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the textile and apparel industry, fueled by the industrial revolution, put the United Slates in an unprecedented place in the developed world. After World War II, Japan used its textile and apparel industry to rebuild its economy and became one of the largest exporters of textile products in the world. Hong Kong and Taiwan followed suit and used low-cost labor to their advantage as they began to dominate imports into the Western hemisphere.

It is a well-documented fact that the textile and apparel industries have been the driving force for all developed countries. Today, such countries as China, Korea, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Africa have targeted the apparel industry as a means to provide jobs, raise their standard of living and create economic wealth. Each is at a different stage of development but all view the industry as a critical part of their social and economic health.

There are two primary reasons that the apparel industry continues to be the industry that is used to lead developing countries to the promise of a better tomorrow: apparel manufacturing continues to be extremely labor intensive, and the barriers to entry are relatively low.

While Dr. Bheda may originally have written this book with the needs of the Indian apparel industry in mind, it truly will serve as a guidebook for all countries. Individual companies can also use it as a tool to assess their individual performance and make comparisons on a global basis.

It is amazing how the majority of the apparel factories still rely on one primary ingredient for success. That ingredient is people. Because of the complexity and diversity of sewn products, and the variation in hand of the raw materials, no one has yet been able to replace the dexterity required by human hands to assemble woven products. In the chapter on productivity, Dr. Bheda describes how to measure performance at the most basic level. He also pro vides the formulas to determine potential areas for productivity improvement.

Dr. Bheda also points out that companies must be aware of the technologies that improve the effectiveness as well as the efficiency of garment factories. He has tracked the performance of the sewn products industry in the western hemisphere and compares that with Europe and other countries around the world. Not only does Dr. Bheda review the current state of technology in the apparel industry, he provides a mechanism for companies to benchmark themselves against the rest of the world. An important message is that just because today’s technology cannot replace the skills required by production workers at the needle, does not mean that it will not happen. In fact, technology already exists to knit whole garments from packages of dyed yarn.

The worldwide apparel industry of today is a collection of diverse products as well as the systems used to design, market, produce, and deliver them. In some parts of the world the industry is still in the craft era. Individual products are manufactured one at a time to meet the unique requirements of a specific customer. In others, mass production is the primary theme and the focus is on turning out huge volumes of low cost products. After all, that is what the system was designed to allow. Still others have adopted the Quick Response practices of the 1980’s and a smaller number have built their business strategy around the tenants of Agile Manufacturing and Mass Customization that became the theme songs during the 1990’s. The next decade will see the emergence of totally digital product supply chains that convert products into physical entities at or close to the point of consumption.
Regardless of the system employed, it is important to recognize one’s position in the marketplace, as well as that of others, in order to properly respond to the changing global environment. In fact, as the world continues to change very rapidly, it will become increasingly difficult to predict exactly how things will be in the next twenty, ten or even five years.

As one reads this book it is important to reflect on the long tradition that the “integrated textile complex” has had on societies around the world. It is one of the few industries located in every state in the U.S. and every country around the world. Competition will always separate the more successful companies and countries from the less capable. And, creativity and product differentiation will always allow new entrants into the industry, regardless of the cost of labor or the efficiency of production.

A tremendous amount of research and experience went into developing the content that is presented here. Use each chapter to determine how you can adapt the principles and concepts that are presented to your own organization. The author has established his credibility as one of the leading experts in the field.

I first met Dr. Rajesh Bheda during his tenure as the Director for the Garment Manufacturing Technology Center for NIFT in Delhi, India. In 1998 I had the pleasure to visit NIFT in Delhi and their outlying centers in other parts of India, namely, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore. The most significant thing I recognized on that trip was the great respect that all of the NIFT employees and industry associates had for Dr. Bheda. At every venue, people listened attentively to what he had to say and were motivated by his energy and his passion to make a difference in the industry that he serves.

Dr. Bheda has also traveled extensively to study the industry and get ideas that could be implemented in India. He recognizes that to advance the industry in India it is imperative to know what is happening on a global basis. He is current with such manufacturing systems as quick response, modular, cellular, JIT and other short-cycle production systems. He is knowledgeable with such business strategies as Quick Response, Agile Manufacturing and Mass Customization. Also, he understands the importance of technology and the potential impact of such systems as body scanning and digital printing.
It is not often that a book of this type is written. Dr. Bheda has captured the heart and soul of what makes apparel companies successful and has provided a vehicle whereby established firms can gauge their progress. In addition, he has provided the analytical tools for less progressive companies to use to become more effective in the global marketplace. More importantly, he has delivered a very important message to his home country. That message is that through continuous improvement and a focus on best practices, India can make an impact in the world marketplace.