Quick Response in Fast Fashion Industry. Management Essay (Essay Sample)

Quick Response in Fast Fashion Industry
Name
University
Date
Quick Response in Fast Fashion Industry
Introduction
It has been estimated that the apparel industry wastes over 25 billion dollars every years as a result of inefficient practices, long lead times as well as coordination between various channel partners. In response to the existing competition from the off shore producers, the major players in the industry need to devise ways in which they will be able to regain competitiveness. Both H&M and Zara being key players in the industry have resorted to the concept of Quick response, as the main strategy to increase their competitiveness. According to Deena & Amato, (2018) changes in technologies, information systems and management as well as channel relationships play a vital role in the implementation of an elaborate Quick response system. This will be addressed in five important platforms that include, information technology, information sharing and partnerships, cultural changes and manufacturing cycles.
CASE OF ZARA
Information Technology
In order to effectively achieve, Zara should be able to utilise information technology and telecommunication to capture what changes are being made and the advantages of an elaborate quick response. To realise this, Zara must employ a unique combination of information technology and human intelligence. Human intelligence is used to make most of the company’s decisions, while IT intelligence only consists of selected PDA devices that are used to send information collected by human intelligence. With the use of the PDA, an order can be sent to various managers asking information about the availability of garments and patterns of garment sales (Engel 2011). This order is then divided into various sections and transmitted to various employees who transmit it basing on the customer feedback earlier received. Aside from PDA, Zara also uses a pre-production Computer-assisted design software (PCAD). This software is mainly used in the designing different fabric fashion, pattern-making as well as maker-making. Tsan-Ming & Cheng (2015), raises an argument that, these software can be exploited to be used in different ways where a base pattern can be constructed out of a cardboard then placed on a designing table and the coordinates traced to obtain a better digital image of individual but many pattern pieces.