D. S. Business Consulting Ltd
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To work with speed, responsiveness, and clockwork integration, apparel industry supply chain partners will have to collaborate closely in a demand-driven network.
More specifically, they will have to master two collaborative disciplines:
More specifically, they will have to master two collaborative disciplines:
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Collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment. (A real-time alternative to traditional forecasting)
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Collaborative product commerce. (A management philosophy that leverages a company’s supply chain to design and produce products.)
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Just five years ago such collaboration was not trusted as a method to success.
Defensive forecasting and finger pointing as a form of partner management were common. Product design was a jealously guarded trade secret.
Now technology is at a level where it can support process calibration and cost control - benefiting everybody involved - and the Internet provides the mechanism for real-time collaboration.
Responding rapidly and imaginatively to fashion trends is key to survival, absolutely requiring collaboration.
Collaboration is essentially the ability to share and interact upon critical data.
Synchronisation means possessing the channel intelligence to access the right product and the right service in the Supply Chain to satisfy the customer.
It demands that companies up and down the Supply Chain embrace the accompanying cultural and organisational changes as well.
While no one can disagree about the power of collaboration, there are many barriers that inhibit its implementation.
Corporate inertia and internal performance silos often pose an almost insurmountable barrier to building an environment that encourages openness, communication and mutual dependence. Another barrier is lack of trust. Companies fear that proprietary information will be broadcast to partners who will in turn pass it on to competitors or use it to unfair advantage.
The best collaborative relationships typically take years of good will, investment in resources and proof of mutual benefit.
Collaboration
