Texprocess: in-company logistics & IT systems in apparel sector

07 Dec '10

5 min read

In view of this, it is amazing that hand-written product data-sheets still exist in many companies. The reason is that people distrust the consistency of the various IT systems, which have often grown up alongside each other as island solutions. And there is neither the money – nor the courage – for a major IT re-launch, which would involve throwing the old systems overboard and entering details of everything that is to be retained in the new IT system. In the apparel sector, too, a rollout during normal business operations is a complex task.

There is great resistance to processing and communicating all information digitally, especially among the sector's small to medium-sized companies. And the paper-bound traditionalists generally win the day when the first data meltdown occurs or the electricity fails – a realistic scenario in many countries where garments are made. Internet-based solutions also suffer from the disadvantage that online access can be restricted in many production countries.

From A to B
Warehousing and interim storage, buffer zones and routing remain an important subject when it comes to optimising or restructuring operations. Depending on the size of the parts to be dealt with, the facilities vary from simple boxes, which are moved from point to point along conveyor belts, to hanging systems that automatically distribute individual pieces marked with RFID chips. Systems of the latter kind are particularly widespread in the upholstery industry where very large and heavy textile or leather covers have to be sewn. Finished covers are packed in large bags and hung up in the interim store until the piece of furniture is ready to be covered.

Small products, such as T-shirts, which are made in large quantities, are still transported from sewing station to sewing station in bundles. The size of the bundle depends on how many layers of fabric are to be cut in each cutting stage. For many years, it has been customary to maximise the number of layers by using a vacuum to compact the fabric layers. As in the past, hand-pushed trolleys are also used to move larger pieces, such as trousers, jackets and coats, along the production process. Automatic, semi-automatic and manual logistics systems exist side by side, some even in the same plant.

At the start of the production process, containers on hand-pushed trolleys could be useful. At the end of the process, it is usual to transport blouses, shirts, jackets, skirts, trousers and coats on hangers and, after finishing and labelling, to hang them singly or in batches on trolleys and take them to the finished-goods warehouse. Horizontal goods, T-shirts and pullovers are increasingly transported using conveyor systems, in suitable pallets or containers. Ideally, warehousing is aided by RFID chips or bar codes. In many cases, dockets are still used. However, this is only practicable for small warehouses used, for example, by middlemen.

From the finished-goods warehouse, the goods are sent to the company's own distribution centre or to the customer. It is usual for ex-factory consignments to be handled by logistics specialists who cover all stages from the manufacturer to the customer's warehouse. Between the works of the individual manufacturers, the transport of semi-finished and finished goods is handled by local forwarding agents or the company's own vehicles.

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