8 AUGUST, 2021OPINIONBy David Grant, Vice President, PLM, Design and Supply Chain Systems, Fast RetailingAPPAREL DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY: MAKING THE DIGITAL CONNECTIONIt's no secret that the apparel manufacturing industry has a history of slow adoption rate of new technology. The case can be made that innovative tools have not been available in our space; however, that has changed in recent years with the availability of emerging technologies such as 3D, 3D printing, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Availability of solutions is no longer an acceptable excuse. The challenge is no longer the technology, it's making it work for your process, connecting the digital dots.In the apparel design world, tech overload is a real thing! Place a touchscreen in a design studio and you may find your designers curled up in the corner clutching onto their sketch book. The tools need to enhance, or compliment the creativity and emotion that goes into the development of garments, not replace, or worse, cause fear.Where to start?Before you begin this transformation you need to understand the capability of your business. Questions to ask include: What is the digital IQ of your business teams? How motivated are they to work in a new way? Is there a team that may be more susceptive to a new technology? What areas will provide the most impact in the areas of simplifying and efficiency, resulting in a better cost and overall greater ROI?
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