Mass

 

A Paper On

MASS CUSTOMIZATION IN APPAREL INDUSTRIES

By

PRASANNA B. SABAT Mobile no: 9325608915 [email protected] & MANISH ZIMATE

 

DKTE’S TEXTILE & ENGINEEIRING INSTITUTE

 

ICHALKARANJI   •

ABSTRACT In the past, consumers were catered as individuals. However, in our modern society,

with the development of mass production and mass marketing, these values have been lost. A consumer can no longer enjoy that old feeling, of being individual and having the personal attention, by his/her tailor. While only the very privileged can afford to have, for example, a bespoke suit. With mass customization one can enjoy again these values without any significance costs and eventually at no added costs. As we have entered the new millennium, we are experiencing record breaking economic growth, rapid global expansion, and technological innovation. Mass customization is penetrating within many industrial sectors ranking from products to services such as banking and clothing industries. In this paper concept of mass customization, how it work in an apparel industries now a days and benefits of it has been discussed.

 

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INTRODUCTION

Mass customization in the clothing industry is the new edge ed ge to competitive advantage in the 21st century. This approach is marketing orientated as it offers the exact product with the exact individual measurements to the increasingly demanding consumers. In the past, consumers were catered as individuals. However, in our modern society, with the development of mass production and mass marketing, these values have been lost. A consumer can no longer enjoy that old feeling, of being individual and having the personal attention, by his/her tailor. While only the very privileged can afford to have, for example, a  bespoke suit. With mass customization one can enjoy e njoy again these values without any significance costs and eventually at no added costs. Although mass customization is a futuristic concept for the fashion industry, there are already some initiators companies, which have started customized fashion but have not combined all the existing components. This is due to very high price implementations of this new technological equipment. These pioneer manufacturers have already introduced personal tailored-made clothes with the aid of three-dimensional body-scanners, interactive point-of-view (POS) terminals and telecommunication networks (i.e. Internet). All these components are linking the customer’s decisions with the production line, wherever in the world it might be. This instantly brings together geographically far away consumers and manufacturers, consequently reducing dramatically time implementation for design, development and production. Mass customization is a new technology for consumers, as well as for manufacturers and retailers. All market participants will experience a new environment where whe re the distribution  process will alter, having on the top of its chain and priority the consumer. •

WHAT IS MASS CUSTOMIZATION??? Mass Customization is the customization and personalization of products and

services for individual customers at a mass production price. The concept was first conceived

 by Stan Davis in Future Perfect. It was then further developed by Joseph by  Joseph Pine in his book Mass Customization - The New Frontier in Business Competition.

 

Traditionally, customization and low cost have been mutually exclusive. Mass production  provided low cost but at the expense of uniformity. Customization was the product of designers and craftsman. Its expense generally made it the preserve of the rich. To-day, new interactive technologies, like the Internet, allow customers to interact with a company and specify their b y automated systems. Whilst this may at unique requirements which are then manufactured by first seem complicated and beyond the average av erage consumer, there are various ways to hide the technical details. In some cases the process will be handled by your staff, a third party, or  intermediary. •

MUCH MORE THAN MASS PRODUTION OR MASS PERSONALIZATION

Mass Customization is far more than making efficiency improvements through automated  production processes, integrated supply and delivery chains and the like, though these mass production techniques are still important. In mass production models, Research and an d

Development design new products or services, that manufacturing then make in quantity for marketing to then promote in order to stimulate consumer demand. Customers are then directed to the various sales channels to purchase one of these pre-built products. It is also more than mass personalization where the customer is involved at the final assembly stage, typically selecting additional options from a standard base product or o r service.  Nether-the-less, mass personalization can be an important step onward from mass  production towards mass customization. MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT

The three manufacturing environments, or strategies, includes mass production, shortcycle production and mass customization. The product type as well as the strategy used for  replenishment of the production will determine which of these three environments will be used for production. Each of these three manufacturing environments are

 

MASS CUSTOMIZATION  A short-cycle manufacturing environment that is applied to an individual customer is called the

mass-customization manufacturing environment. Mass customization involves the ultimate consumer in the customization of fit, design or o r personalization of the product. Because the ultimate consumer is involved with design and/or fit choices, it may appear that mass customization can best be categorized as a design variation. However, mass customization deals with products that are already designed; the customer is simply customizing the  product. Thus, the topic of mass customization cu stomization is well suited to a discussion of  manufacturing environments. The emergence of new technology has provided a means to link the customer at the retail store to the apparel factory, resulting in mass customization. The cost efficiency of the mass production is maintained. One key point in mass customization is that the customer  selects and pays for the product before it is produced. Thus, the phrase sell one, make one is appropriate. Mass customization requires electronically linked, seamless integration of components throughout the entire supply chain in order to operate. It requires a manufacturing environment suited supply chain in order to operate. It requires a manufacturing the entire suited to individualization, yet with a fast turnaround time and at a low cost. Custom tailors and dressmakers are not producing these goods; within the mass customization manufacturing environment, agile manufacturing s required. The mass customization manufacturing

 

environment utilizes all the newest computer technologies, supply chain management, PDM/PLM, and some level of customization of the product for the individual customer (see fig.  below). The key technologies include body scanning, pattern alteration software, virtual try-on, and ink-jet printing. Each of these technologies will be discussed.

As previously mentioned, there are three types of mass customization : fit, design and  personalization. Each of these will be discussed below: FIT CUSTOMIZATION

The pattern is developed based on a company’s target customer size standard. The “standard” size apparel fits some bodies better than others. With the development of new computer technology, PDM/PLM, and supply chain management, a type of custom apparel different from the custom-made apparel produced by personal p ersonal tailors or dressmakers of the  past is possible. “It is a consumer-driven strategy that allows limited customization of a standard style, such as size, color, or trims choices”. On the other hand, made-to-measure apparel “is a fully customized process where a garment is made specifically for one individual based on his/her measurements and preferences”. The different between madeto-measure and mass customization is the degree of customization offered. However, the different is blurring blurring customization.

as technology technology provides tools to to blend made-to-measure with with mass mass

 

FIG. Mass customization is m made ade possible by computer ttechnology echnology

Brooks brother, a retailer and manufacturer of men’s and women’s classic professional clothing,  provides an examples of mass customization with which customers can build their own dress shirt. “Ordering shirts from the catalog is a simple process that gives customers basic choices, such as: neck size, sleeve length, choice of three body style, choice of three cuff  style, and 17 top-end fabric selections. It should come c ome as no surprise that customers love this process”. Pattern making software provides the capability to adapt the standard pattern to specific measurements, such as making one sleeve longer than the o other ther to fit the customer’s different arm length. Delivery takes two to three weeks. Early venture in made-to-measure using mass production at the factory included men’s tailored suits. The customer was measured at the tailor’s retail store. With some system, front, back and side view photographs of the customer standing in front of measurement grid were also sent to factory. The customer’s measurement were input into the computer  that was linked electronically to the apperal factory’s computer. The body dimention were translated into specific differences between the “standard” pattern and the customer’s

 

needed adjustments. The pattern changes were made b computer calculations, and customized pattern was plotted. Laser cutters allowed fast, single-ply computerized cutting of garment pieces. With careful tracking through production, the cut pieces for each customer returned to the retail store for a final “fitting” for pant hemming and other minor  adjustment handled by the retailer before the customer received the finished goods. Brooks Brother formed a partnership with suit manufacturer Pietrafesa Crop. Of Liverpool,  New York. The Brooks Brothers/ Pietrafesa partnership is the culmination of four year  R&D, which began with the introduction of manual made-to-measure process that required stores to fill out and mail to Pietrefesa order form with alteration information. Today, eMeasure has evolved into a touch-screen Kiosk system that allow customers to create and visualize 25 different made-to-measure suit silhouetts in 300 to 500 fabrics, which can be referenced through swatch books in the store. After the selection process is complete, a sales associate enters en ters the order into the system along with the customer’s measurement information taken at the retail store. One of the challenges of made-to-measure apparel is the assessment of customer fit preferences, since some customer prefer a looser fit, while other prefer a more snug fit to their suits. The system “suggests a try-on size from the store’s inventory, which is an integral part of the  process”. Mass customization options that include customizing the fit have expanded greatly with the continued development of electronically linked body measuring , pattern making, cutting, and production technology. Body Scanning Technology

enhan ced the capability of  The development of body scanning technology has greatly enhanced mass customization. At the retail store, the customer is provided with w ith a close-fitting garment to wear while standing in scanning chamber or on a platform, in just a few seconds, the scanning chamber or on a platform. In just a few seconds, the scanner capture the body dimension data of the customer (see fig.). Software later translates the data into  body dimensional measurement measurement to be used by pattern making software. software.

 

FIG: Body scanners capture precise body measurement data into computer system

Brooks Brother has invested heavily in digital tailoring. Body scanners located at their  retail stores are used stores are used to gather the measurement data for each customer. “the sales associate confirms the order by sending it to Brook Brothers’ manufactureing facility in North Carolina, the same facility that makes custom garments for the firm based on traditionally collected measurements. Pattern alteration software

Body measurement data are electronically to an integrated computer pattern making system used for adapting the pattern. At the factory patterns and Markers are made automatically using a comput com puter er patter pattern n altera alteratio tion n progra program. m. Curren Currentl tly, y, the mass mass custom customize ized d turn-a turn-arou round nd tim timee is approximately 10 business days for shirts and 15 business days for suits. Advance Adv ancess in comput computer er patter pattern n design designing ing sy syste stems ms have aided aided the implem implement entati ation on of mass mass customization. In some case, once the customer’s measurements have been input, the software

 

analyzes the measurement and compares them to standard profiles to recommend a best size. Some made-to-measure software systems have built in poster adjustments that can be requested, such as for round shoulders. Reorders

The body measurement data can be saved on a smart card that contains the customer’s body measurement. This data can be used again and updated by rescanning the customer if the body size changes. One of the benefit of using a made to measure pattern system is that the customers data are saved, ensuring accuracy and consistency for reorders. The use of manufacturers or  retailers internet site for reorders becomes a fast and easy option. The selection of other colors and fabrics for a style that a customer wants to reorder through the internet is also an option. For the manufacturing and retailer, the advantage to mass customization includes the following: •

Reducing large inventories that eat up profits and floor space

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Minimizing returns

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Reducing distribution cost

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Building strong customer relationships

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Solidifying brand loyalty

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Identifying customer preferences and buying habits Another product well suited to mass customization is footwear. Each person’s left foot is so some mewha whatt diff differ eren entt in size size from from the the right right foot foot.. By sc scan anni ning ng ea each ch fo foot ot,, th thee sh shoe oess ca can n be customized to each foot precisely. The huge inventories of shoes stocked in varying lengths and width, styles and colours can be greatly reduced by customization, while the customer’s shoes fit can be enhanced by scanning technology. CAESAR project

 

Compiling the body scanning data of many individuals creates a large bank of information about current curre nt customer customer sizes. sizes. An internatio international nal project project termer termer CAESAR CAESAR (CIVILION (CIVILION AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SURFACE ANTHROPROMETRY RESOURCES) was launched in the late 1960s 196 0s by U.S. U.S. air forces. forces. This This projec projectt was seeking seeking better better fitting fitting unifor uniforms ms and gears. It is  partnership among the following: •

Military

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Several apparel companies such as lee, Levi Strauss & co. And Janzen

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Companies such as Boeing, Nissan motor co. And caterpillar that build products (such as airplanes, automobiles, farm equipment) that people need to fit into

The bodies of thousands of men and women in the United States and Europe were scanned to   build a database of body dimensions of the current population. From this accumulated data, manufacturers may determine new size standards for their target customers. The project partners have exclusive rights to database of body measurement for one year before being released to  public. The CAESAR project was implemented prior to size USA study. Some manufacturers have utilized the data gathered from size USA in their pattern grading specification. In England a national sizing survey to body scan thousand of men women and children has been funded by leading British retailers in partnership with technology vendors and universities. The intention is to use the data to manufacture made to measure clothing and for three dimensional virtual shopping. DESIGN CUSTOMIZATION CUSTOMIZATION

Another Approach to mass customization is designing customization. Style preferences, as well as color and print choices are available for each style offered, can be viewed by the customer at an interactive kiosk, or even at home through e-commerce. A customer selects a styles that is shown in video catalogue; then he or she selects a preferred colour , fabric print, and perhaps a choice cho icess of styles styles featur features es the custom customer er can view view his or her select selection ion a threethree-dim dimens ension ional al computer image.

 

FIG: Mass customization link the customer’s style preference selectedat the retail store or through the internet to the production site

College students were asked about their preference for types of apparel that they would  be most likely to customize. Researcher reported that both male and female students were most likely to customize jeans (Lee). Several companies offer customized Jeans (eg. JCPenney, makeyourownjeans.com). Levi Strauss & Co. offers customized jeans at some retail stores. Various styling option

are selected by the customer at an interactive Kiosk. The customer selects from the following: Several choices of leg styles Several choice of fly styles Several choice of waist styles Several fabric options

 

Individualization also includes a customized inseam length selected by the customer. Levi’s Customized jeans arrive at the customer’s home about two weeks later. Currently, the customized product costs more , but many customer are willing to pay an additional amount for it. A survey by Kurt Salmon Associates indicated that “more than one third (36%) of consumers said that they would be willing to pay up to 1 12% 2% to 15% more for custom-made apparel and footwear”. The customer is provided with what he or  she want, when he or she wants it. As mass customization is used more frequently as a manufacturing environment, e nvironment, the cost of the product to the consumer con sumer may well meet or fall below the co cost st to manufacture a similar style using mass production or short-cycle manufacturing environment. There is the  potential for a substantial saving to manufacturer and retailers by maintaining a reduced inventory and by not producing the the product until a customer’s prepaid order has been submitted. Combining design customization with scanned body dimension provides additional options. When a customer inserts a Smart Card into the system, a three-dimensional replica of his or her body is shown on o n a computer screen. Thus, the customer can view the appearance of the garment style he and she has selected draped on his or her own body image, as a virtual try-on, before the garment is ordered. The color, fabric print, as well as style preference can be changed on screen, and the customer can view a range of choices  before making the final selection. The future will include additions. Perhaps the pattern will be customized, the garment cut, a fabric printed with a customized print, and the garment sewn while the customer shops at one of the megamalls, returning a few hours later to collect the finished product. PERSONALIZATION CUSTOMIZIATION

One example of customizing a finished product, called personalization, is currently available at Levi’s San Francisco retail store. A designated area at the retail store offers embroidery, laser etching, and fabric ornamentation while customers cu stomers wait. Customers can

 

add these personalized details to just-purchased item or to previously purchased items. This option appeals greatly to customers by satisfying their desire for individuality within our mass society—with a minimum of expense and waiting time. NIKEiD (http://nikeid.nike.com/ ) offers customers the opportunity to personalized sports apparel and footwear. The three option for naufactureing environments—mass en vironments—mass production, short-cycle production and mass customization—provide the framework for examining the steps in production, from production sewing system through delivery of finished goods. The first phase of   production focuses on a discussion of the types of production sewing system WHY IS THIS NOW AN ISSUE??? 

End of a mass production era (supply)

The post war period was a time of economic growth when cu customers stomers would clamour for  whatever goods were available. To-day, mass production has in many cases produced an oversupply of very similar goods and, in particular, services. And in a global information based

society, ideas can easily be replicated by competitors; price wars are common and deadly. Customers are smarter and are wary of blandish marketing phrases ph rases such as "new", and "enhanced "enhance d formula". 

Individualism (demand)

People’s lives today are more turbulent and diversified. The "one size fits all" model is out-

of-date. Individuals now want to be seen and treated as individuals and many are prepared to pay for this. They are better educated and informed; able and willing to make their own decisions. 

Competition (demand)

All companies are promoting value for money, quality, durability, etc.. It is difficult to differentiate products. To make matters worse, in many industries there is a variety v ariety of new

 

entrants. Their strong brands can displace established leaders, especially when their products seem identical. 

Profitability (demand)

In many businesses, 20% of the customers provide 80% of the profits but in many cases these profitable customers are discriminating. They want to have products and services that meet their particular needs. 

Technological progress (supply)

The new interactive technologies provide a new delivery vehicle whereby customer can  participate in the product design to create their own unique custom products or services. Database mining then allows individual profiles to be compiled and then analyzed for new n ew market opportunities to specific customers, both current and new.

BENEFITS OF MASS CUSTOMISATION  Higher Profits

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By providing tailored products to meet particular needs, you make comparative shopping difficult and you shift the focus from price to benefits.

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Whilst it is possible to manufacture at a mass produced price, you have the option to charge a premium whilst still retailing below the price of a custom product. This in turn

will open your product to a wider w ider market.  Lower Costs

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Mass customization allows the ordinary man or women in the street to acquire a product that has been produced to meet their own particular needs yet at a competitive price thus providing exceptional value for money.

 

 Market Exploitation

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Personalized and customized products and services will differentiate against commodity type products. With their similar cost they will be doublely attractive.

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Lead customers will provide a rich source of new ideas that can also be exploited with other customers or with new prospects. As a result, NPD has lower risk of failure and a higher chance of beating the competition.

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On-going service can be adapted throughout the customer's life because it can be linked to the unique product.

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Companies will forge close relationships with their suppliers, distributors and customers as they return time and time again for further unique products.

Satisfied and loyal customers provide excellent references and referrals. With Mass Customization you can have your cake and eat it! The uniqueness and

 profitability of customized products and services with the economies of scale and mass market  penetration stemming from the mass production techniques.

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CONCLUSION

Mass Ma ss custo customi miza zati tion on is not a fict fictio ion n of the the di dist stan antt fu futu ture re in In Indi dia. a. In fa fact ct,, mass mass customizat custo mization ion exists exists in industries industries besides besides just the apparel apparel industry, industry, such as the automobile automobile industry and the information technology industry. Although the industries that practice mass customization are not entirely successful in maintaining a low inventory and satisfying all their  consumers, new advancements in manufacturing technology will allow mass customization to be more ideal for both manufacturers and consumers. con sumers. In mass customization practices, the apparel industry shows similar processes of in-store ac acti tivi vity ty in th thee fo foll llow owin ing g way. way. When When custo custome mers rs enter enter th thee st stor ore, e, wi with th th thee help help of tr trai aine ned d salespeople, their sizes are taken by body scanning or by hand, and the styles and fabrics they  prefer are selected by sample swatches and displays. After that, information about customers is entered and stored in the computer system by trained sales people. With the computer system, every byte of information about the consumers is worked into the style pattern after being sent by modem. In every process, trained salespeople help the customer to choose what styles s/he

 

desires as specifically as possible. Another similar point of mass customization in the apparel industry is that size and style selections are limited to reduce the overhead costs. Every Eve ry step step of the mass mass custom customiza izatio tion n proces processs will will be contin continued ued dependi depending ng on the consum con sumer’ er’ss satisf satisfact action ion.. Specif Specific ic styles styles and sizes sizes are limite limited d under under mass mass custom customiza izatio tion n  processes. Based on the variety in possible choices, customer satisfaction becomes a subjective affair. Also, depending on how well the computer system adjusts style and size information to specific patterns, this process may need designer support. Ultimate success will be based on how satisfied consumers are during the early, pre-manufacturing steps of the process.

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REFERENCES

a) “THE BISINE BISINESS SS OF FASHI FASHION: ON: Designing, Designing, Manufact Manufacturing uring & Marketin Marketing” g” By Lesline Davis Burns and Nancy O. Bryant, b) Gerber, J. (June 1995), ‘Technology Leads The Future of Textiles’, Industry Outlook. c) “Mass customizat customization ion in Apparel Apparel Industry - have it on your own way” By: K. Saravanan Saravanan

Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore.

d) Intro Introductio duction n to clothing manu manufactur facturing ing by Gerr Gerry y Cooklin Cooklin.. e) http://www.spreadshirt.de/-C6221 f) www.fiber2fashion.com g) www.wikipdiea.com h) www.google.com

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