Detox Fashion: Supply Chain Edited by Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu

Contents

Toxic Free Supply Chain for Textiles and Clothing
P. Senthil Kumar and S. Suganya

Abstract The existing structure of supply chain of textile industry is complex at every level that it leads for inter-dependencies across a network starting from raw material to manufacturing, clothes reaching customers. Complexity contributes to variability and uncertainty where a change in one element can have an effect on other elements. To feature such cumulative and combinatorial effect throughout the supply chain, good practice in labour standards leading to a legal minimal wage and realistic living wage, working hours, safety and integrated infrastructure have to be monitored by government bodies. The intention of this article is to serve idea on risk reduction measures for hazardous substances at every level through supply chain by identifying the toxic substances and its hazardous properties. For example, substantial shares of silver, triclosan, triclocarbon are released after the biocide treatment of textile from laundering. To avoid such human risk, the REACH registration is a source of limited knowledge on risk assessment of many substances used in textiles. Indian Garment Industry finds that inventory management, visibility, lead time, collaboration with private and government sector, technology as risk factors all over the supply chain. Based on target customer groups and scale size on production, most of the private companies are facing appropriate supply chain strategy for product offerings. The use of safer chemicals in the entire life cycle and production in apparel brings a substitution plan for hazardous chemicals. The aim of this chapter is to assure the use of safer chemicals and their substitution in acceptable range in the whole production procedures of textile products. That should meet customers demand for a cleaner production with no or less pollution in order to protect environment, new or modified environmental policies and regulations in order to protect workers and consumers health. Other regulative measures to aware customers by labeling toxic free clothes and suitable method for the pre-determination of toxicity in research laboratories must be taken into consideration by textile manufacturers.

Keywords Supply chain _ Traceability _ Logistic approach _ Technology up-gradation _ Human risk assessment

1 Introduction
In today’s world, the textile and garment industry having major contribution in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in economy. The recognized presence and high stature in the global market build them strong supply chains to compete with global trend. It gains advantage over world’s trend and retailers by proffering the best value to the customer demands. The apparel industry is having full of variability in playing their role at every level of their supply chain. It considers refashion with lot of structural, operational and performance differences all over the world. The more interconnected textile industry is facing high exposure to shocks and disruptions. The complex supply chain networks sporadically steer missteps and miscalculations which have major consequences as their impact hinder the whole process right from raw material selection to the customer desired product. In such case the supply chain management (SCM) has become very critical to manage risk, dynamism, and complexities of global sourcing. It also focuses on the instrumentation that information created by people and system generated. It is being controlled by flowing out of sensors, actuators and radio frequency identification technology tags (RFID), global positioning system (GPS) and more to detect their content and inventory count itself [1].

“The supply chain will ultimately be measured based on its ability to produce bottom-line results, such as EBIT and cost-to-serve techniques. However, with significantly increased input costs, relying only on these measures can mask true supply chain performance”. A totally integrated supply chain is required for the company to get gain the maximum benefits. It is assured by the interconnected of customers, suppliers, IT system and its parts, monitoring objects. Extensive connectivity enables trending in apparel industry by introducing world class design through world wide networks [2].

The aim of supply chain strategies and operation must be understood in order to build the most effective considerations on cost containment, visibility, risk, customer intimacy and globalization. The focal point of supply chain management is performance measurements that identify the success and failure in products reaches customer. It deliberately knows the right sources to be selected, processed in the global business environment. It is also responsible to satisfy or support corporate’s strategy. This approach consists of many organized entities which are highly structured as well as the small scale, non-integrated spinning, weaving, finishing and apparel-making enterprises and handicrafts having capital intensive and most of the brand value, in the market by the handlooms and power looms [3]. It brings contrary to the adversarial relationships, suggests seeking close relationships in the long term with less number of partners and small scale handlooms and power looms.

The structure of apparel industry performance can be enhanced qualitatively and quantitatively by offering more joint vendor programs, employment to small scale weavers, maintaining long terms relationships in terms to bear the rapidly changing market conditions and to present the best value in customer seeking products in the fastest way. This relationship aims for the new designs, technology up-gradation, sharing information and warehouse to emphasize SCM strategy. Such a partnership strategy regards as earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) upgrades the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to the beneficiary [4]. Although, top industries of this sector face infrastructural issues at every level which configures logistics related challenges. It can be managed under high pressure by the executives charged. The vulnerable supply chain finds it difficult in shortage of supply chain improvement projects. So expert suggests SCM to be transparent, demand-driven and more efficient.

Smarter supply chain implies set of responsibilities that executives can achieve in field that who are able to optimize complex networks of global capabilities. In such significant positions smarter system enables the limitation of human intervention by deciding automatically. It helps in an alternate evaluation against the complex and dynamic set of risks and constraints. Anyway supply chain framework has to be designed separately as per the requirements by particular companies to make it competitive in global market. The organized entities relieve players at every level having their individual brand value in terms to the total production of cloth and creating the largest employment [5]. This chapter discusses the structure of garment industry and its challenges with intensified product offerings, regulated strategies and framework of supply chain management with explored dimensions. It comprises of alignment, strategic depth, customer satisfaction with supply chain performance, supply chain network design, macro and micro agility, technology management, collaboration intensity and supply chain culture.