Output details

Advances in apparel product development

This book chapter is concerned with the process of new product development. It aims to show that there are significantly different ways of managing the process and that there are major implications for supply chain management and for the strategy for marketing products. The biggest changes affecting the industry have come about because of globalisation and advances in information technologies, and the implications of these for new product development are discussed. The chapter is one of the publications linked to a DTI-funded project "Concurrent product development with design for the environment in the Textile and Clothing industry". This involved two departments within MMU and Cranfield University, together with a fibre/fabric producer (Tencel), a yarn producer (Patons), textile processors (PPT and Stevensons Dyers) garment producer (CV Knitwear) and a retailer (BHS). This project allowed the project team to engage in detailed analyses of how each of the participating companies approached the task of new product development and how each was affected by market trends and globalisation. The chapter reviews the major models of NPD and identifies the concurrent product development approach (piloted in the project) as one that offers significant improvements. Tools and technologies relevant to the process are discussed, notably computer-aided design (CAD) development systems and product data management (PDM) software. The chapter goes on to consider the implementation of change, and shows that the role of the retailer (as supply chain leader) is crucial. Finally, discussion of fast fashion brings to a head the importance of restructuring the product development process to bring integration to internal systems and to supply chain management.

The chapter has continuing relevance to clothing industry practices, because any company seeking to innovate finds it hard to achieve whilst maintaining traditional practices (which tend to be more compatible with globalisation).