We have presented this report in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Bachelor of Science degree in. We certify that this is a project thesis report submitted in fulfillment of the requirement of a BSc in Textile Engineering Degree from Sonargaon University (SU). This article reports on a case study of the product development experience of a clothing company's sustainable sweater program.
The triple purpose of this study is to document the current challenges the company has experienced, discover product development strategies that have been implemented in fulfilling the corporate sustainability goals, and. The company in the case is Eileen Fisher, an international branded womenswear company committed to social and environmental initiatives. Data was collected from thirteen in-depth interviews with members of the case company and its suppliers.
This study hopes to provide guidance to apparel manufacturers and suppliers to overcome the challenges faced in product development of sustainable apparel products. Selim (Associate Professor), Department of Textile Engineering, Sonargaon University (SU) for his continuous guidance, help, criticism, suggestions and encouragement throughout the progress of the project work.
INTRODUCTION
- Background
- Justification/ Significance of Study
- Purpose
- Objectives
- Research Questions
Practices for teaching sustainable apparel design in the context of university-level educational courses have been reported (Cao, Frey, Farr, & Gam, 2006; Gam & Banning, 2011; HaBrookshire & Norum, 2011). Niinimaki and Hassi (2011) conducted a qualitative study surveying consumers' perspectives on their concerns and attitudes regarding environmental issues in the textile and clothing industry, and how likely they were to engage in environmentally friendly design strategies that emerged. , such as slow fashion,. The Business Report by DEFRA (2011) summarizes the progress that has been made in improving environmental performance, consumer trends and behaviour, education, creating market drivers, supply chain and accountability in the UK textile and clothing industry.
The specific objectives of this case study were to document the challenges faced by the company, to discover the design and product development strategies that were used to meet the business objectives of sustainable design, and to determine the principles that guide the design team and its interaction with the supply chain at the upper part of the chain. RQ1: What were the product design and development challenges you encountered in creating a sustainable product line. RQ3: How did this process affect the relationships within the respective firm and its upstream supply chain.
The case company is based in the New York metropolitan area and has suppliers all over the world. As such, the case company and its upstream suppliers represent only a small sample of a supply network in the textile and apparel chain, and do not focus on the many other functions in the supply chain that determine a product's sustainability.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Product Development Considerations
In the case of the Herman Miller Mirra chair, the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for the armrests did not meet the requirements between the cradles. Trade-offs based on customer value, sustainability metrics and cost are becoming part of the design process (Waage, 2007; Huang et al., 2009). In the effort to produce more sustainable clothing products, sustainability is a concept used to manage the supply chain.
In addition, relationships between supply chain partners are considered to be an integral part of product success (Rossi, et al., 2006). Historically, a supply chain operated in a linear fashion with supply chain members working somewhat independently. Type II, the efficiency-oriented supply chain, is operated by a powerful clothing manufacturer and requires cooperation among supply chain members to.
Participants for the main study were recruited through purposive sampling methods, within the case company and among two of the case company's suppliers. In addition, its socially minded tradition of empowering women fits with the working model of the suppliers in the chain. If it's sustainable, that's a bonus.” This case study explains how EF managed to overcome challenges with its product and processes through the efforts of the company's design and product development departments, as well as with its upstream supply chain partners.
So for the Peru project, the design team adjusted their calendar to give the Peruvian supply chain enough time to operate at its own pace and still overcome the consistently late arrival of product:. The EC's demand for high quality standards and wider yarn variety raised the level of craftsmanship of Peru sweater production and became beneficial to members of the supply chain. Participants stated that local sourcing and a small supply chain were unique and key factors in the durability of the sweater product and the success of the program.
This is the beauty of Peru; there really is a good supply chain and everything is very local. EF has defined its path to a sustainable product through the product's aesthetic features, as well as its sustainability features and supply chain. As previously mentioned, the literature review and case study observations suggest useful practices for nurturing sustainable development of new products and supply chain relationships.
In addition, only one of the current case company's sustainability initiatives was reported in this paper. A scenario analysis approach to the sustainability of an industry sector applied to UK clothing and textiles. Organization of environmental supply chain management: Experience from a sector with frequent product changes and complex product chains: The case for the Danish textile sector.
Greening a cotton textile supply chain: a case study of transitioning to organic production without a powerful central company.
