CARGOCONNECT-MAY23 - Flipbook - Page 29
Continuously evaluating and
optimising our supply chain
process is helping us to stay
competitive and meet the
demands of our customers
in a rapidly changing market
The kinds of fabrics we make are
very much sensitive to constantly
changing fashion trends. Majority
of our customers are worldwide
leading brands and retailers. PostCOVID, customers have become
more aggressive in terms of their
needs as far as lead times are
concerned. They have increased
their buying frequency and also
started buying close to season.
All these have a huge impact on
the entire supply chain.
Having that said, our company has been able to adapt to
the changing demands of the
market and the increased pressure on the supply chain. To cope
up with such kind of a dynamic
scenario, we have to follow the
hybrid model in our supply chain.
We have to keep certain buffer
stocks of fibre/yarn/grey fabric
so that we are able to catch up to
required sharper lead times. The
hybrid model that we are using,
which combines holding buffer
stocks with JIT inventory from
a few suppliers, is very effective
in managing lead times and
ensuring timely delivery of colour
chemicals and yarns. Digitisation
of certain processes also helped us
in reducing non-value-added time
and better control of WIP. Our
operations are designed in such
a way that we can quickly adapt
to new product requirements
and provide a unique offering
to our customers. Continuously
evaluating and optimising our
supply chain process is helping
us to stay competitive and meet
the demands of our customers
in a rapidly changing market.
At Arvind, we have tried to
automate and integrate various aspects, made possible
by our in-house IT management cell
For companies to successfully
leverage technologies like AI,
robotics, and analytics in
their supply chain operations,
they need a clear strategy and
roadmap. Firstly, this involves
identifying the areas where these
technologies can have the greatest
impact, defining the business
case and ROI, and developing
an implementation plan. It’s
important to note that success
depends on having a clever
strategy, clean data, and a clear
roadmap for implementation.
Companies should also ensure
that they have the right talent
and resources to execute their
strategy effectively.
Once the path is laid out and
after implementing these technologies, companies can improve
operational efficiency and gain
better visibility into systems.
At Arvind, we have tried to
automate and integrate various
aspects, made possible by our
in-house IT management cell.
Continuous Kaizens and walk
arounds by the heads/leaders
across all departments have
helped us to identify and implement even small-scale automation, i.e. on a stitching machine
in a manufacturing line to big
ones such as yarn delivery by
implementing ASRS at a small
scale to implementing BoTs to run
automations in data entry and
retrievals from customer POs.
Companies must balance
meeting customer expectations for fast and reliable
delivery while keeping
margins intact
The pandemic has highlighted
the importance of resilience
and adaptability in supply chain
management, and companies
that are able to quickly adapt
to changing circumstances and
invest in the right technologies
and infrastructure will be better positioned for success. With
this in mind, we have partnered
with strategic service providers
where tracking and traceability is
playing a pivotal role with service
being a primary driving force.
Customer satisfaction levels are
being continuously monitored and
also feedback is being acted upon.
More importantly, the
pandemic accelerated the shift
towards e-commerce, increasing demand for speedy delivery
and putting pressure on logistics
and supply chain operations
during peak seasons in India,
such as Diwali or end-of-season
sales. To meet these demands,
companies are exploring hybrid
and agile logistics setups, which
may include crowdsourcing.
However, crowdsourcing comes
with challenges, such as ensuring
reliability and safety standards,
and can be more costly compared
to organised logistics. Companies
must balance meeting customer
expectations for fast and reliable
delivery while keeping margins
intact. It is crucial to consider
both short-term needs and longterm strategies to enhance service
levels for the next decade.
CARGOCONNECT MAY 2023 | 29
Interviewed by UPAMANYU BORAH
The pandemic
highlighted the importance of adaptability in
supply chain
management. To
address industry
constraints, companies
are implementing
approaches that
leverage new technologies. In the textile and
apparel industry,
digitalisation is being
adopted to improve
productivity, enhance
the customer
experience, and
increase efficiency. In
addition, sustainability
and ethical supply
chain initiatives are
becoming critical for
companies to remain
relevant and competitive in the market. By
devising innovative
strategies to address
these areas, companies
can build preventive
measures to achieve
long-term goals.
companies can remain competitive and stay ahead of the curve
in the ever-changing world of
consumer goods supply chain
management.