Introduction
With developing times, the need of consumers changes. With that, the manufacturing companies have to adopt the latest methods to fulfill their needs and keep them happy. The first industrial revolution transformed small-scale manufacturing into large-scale industries. The introduction of machinery allowed factories to mass-produce garments with ease. Since then, the advancements kept coming and the development doesn’t seem to stop. I have focused in this article on Industry 4.0 and way to digitization in garment industry.
After the industrial revolution, came four more major industry shifts that completely transformed the face of production and manufacturing. Currently, we’re in the “Industry 4.0” phase in which the production process is completely digitized to make it more efficient, transparent, mobilized and cost-effective. The four periods in which the industries have developed thus far are:
Industrial Revolution
After the invention of the steam engine, the textile industry started using power machinery to speed up the manufacturing process, producing bigger batches of garments.
Industry 2.0
Electricity was discovered and so was assembly line production. The production process became efficient, producing garments in mass quantities.
Industry 3.0
In the third industrial shift, computers and information technology were introduced in the process of manufacturing. Entire production processes were automated leaving less use of the man force.
Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is an enhancement of 3.0’s foundation, we use the same information technology but with much more improvements and efficiency. Focusing on creating digital connectivity, 4.0 has brought all the procedures and communications to a single network making factories smart and production more efficient than before.
Benefits of Industry 4.0
Adopting the new business model embedded with technology has proven to be very beneficial for garment industries. It has helped immensely to optimize the process. Some of the major fourth revolution benefits are:
1. Scalability
Industry 4.0 has provided several opportunities for industries to grow. Automation and programmed production process helps a company in expansion, integrating new approaches as suited to the manufacturer. A lot of the work is handled by machines due to which there is a lesser need for labor and staff can be transferred to the areas where their assistance is needed. With everything running through programmed machines, there is a little chance of error and the output is more efficient as well as it gives the company the ability to compete in bigger markets.
2. Sustainability
The supply chain, as well as IT operations management, is much more sustainable in the Industry 4.0 phase. The production processes are carried out by programmed machines with no alterations that help produce similar quality garments. Whereas carrying out operations through cloud technology further improve the managing experience. There is no need to manage the software manually; instead, they run on servers remotely and updates automatically. It helps bigger industries as well but smaller industries with limited resources can benefit from these systems more.
3. Transparency
With the whole operational and production process digitized, all the required information about garments as well as the processing is available through the software. It easier for the responsible parties to keep a check and balance of their operations that allows them to be transparent to their consumers.
Teams operating from different locations are all logged on to the same server and communicating through a similar channel. It keeps all the involved personnel on the same page and no one is left out of the loop when sharing information.
4. Customer Satisfaction
It helps create better communication between the business and the customers. From the beginning of production to dispatch and delivery, customers can be informed about their orders just by logging on to the OmniChannel systems provided by the manufacturer.
It helps make the whole process transparent and keep the customer informed throughout the process building better customer relationships.
5. Cost Efficiency
Implementation of digitization greatly aids in saving costs. Traditional methods being used in industries cause the loss of a lot of money as their production processes are outdated and produce substandard goods that are full of complaints. Whereas the advancements in “industry 4.0” helps monitor the production process through programmed software with minimum chances of error. Though machines may not be as smart as humans, they are more efficient and work harder. Machines work longer hours and also at a higher speed which helps the manufacturer save more.
Why Digitization in the Garment Industry is the Way Forward
As we have already discussed how beneficial digitization is for garment manufacturing industry let’s move on to talk about how it is upgrading the customization process. Printing technology has evolved tremendously over the years; started from using a printing plate to print on garments. The systems used now are fully digitalized.
There are now softwares available that help provide a mockup of your product, be it printing or embroidery. You can see beforehand the colors used, their size, and how the end product will look like. Below, we discuss a few points why it is necessary to ditch the old ways of customization and adopt digitization.
1. Quick Turnaround Time
Manual labor is time-consuming and makes the process slow when you have to produce goods in mass quantities. Digital Embroidery or printing makes the entire process fast. All you have to do is program the machine once and it will only stop when your target is achieved.
2. High Quality
Through manual printing or embroidery there is a higher chance of inaccuracy but when it comes to a machine; it is programmed to produce a standard quality. No matter how large the quantity is the quality will always be consistent and the products will always be accurate. Also, it is impossible to produce fully sublimated custom apparel manually so for them you will have to have machines.
3. Cost-Effective
As digital customization options do not require any additional equipment to fulfill the order requirement, it saves a lot of money as compared to the older, traditional ways. Especially for the shorter print runs, it saves equipment costs.
4. Versatility
Digital printers and embroiders can customize an extensive range of materials and fabrics with high efficiency. Manual methods have their constraints and so cannot be very versatile.
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After knowing the benefits of digitization in garment industry, are you looking for a service provider? Then look no further; ApparelnBags is one of the leading online custom merchandise stores in the US that offers worldwide shipping. They provide high-quality customization services such as embroidery, screen printing, heat transfer, digital printing, full sublimation for bespoke custom apparel, and more. They also stock a variety of customizable sportswear, hoodies, athletic shirts, and many more which you can use to promote your business, team, or a special cause. Explore their online store and you will surely find what you’re looking for and more.
Author Bio:
Shawn Joy is a community manager by profession and a blogger by passion. He loves to write his thoughts into his blogs.
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Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
