The textile industry is witnessing one of the most demanding historical contexts. A scenario that has accustomed the consumer to a unique immediacy in recent years. And at the same time, it has become an unprecedented challenge.
Every year more textile companies start or promote their digital transformation. To do this, they must adapt processes, products, and working methods to take advantage of the digital train. And it is not surprising since the Catalan Fashion Cluster (Modacc) calculates that with the digital transformation, the production systems of the textile industry will be 30% faster and 25% more efficient so that those who do not compete digitally will be destined to disappear.
Changes in consumer habits, competitiveness between firms and distributors, and the need to be more productive are three factors that knock on the door of the textile sector to promote its digital transformation. We will analyze the digitization of the textile sector and how to use Big Data to accelerate a global facelift of the industry.
The pandemic served as a focus that illuminated what was hidden under the tip of the iceberg. Although the first (and most obvious) line of action consisted of implementing e-commerce services to alleviate restrictions on citizen mobility, When it came time to sustain these new models, many companies realized they still had a long way to go.
Digitization, therefore, is not just about selling fashion or accessories online: it is also about providing digital tools to the entire value chain, from points of sale to garment manufacturing, including developing new materials. And through distribution channels.
In a broader concept, the digital transformation of the textile sector requires combining tools and strategies based on technology to improve the user experience since it is the only way to ensure their subsistence.
This new perspective draws a demanding horizon for the textile industry, in which the new online sales models, the automation of production processes, and sustainable development will be forced to come together.
In the most challenging months of the COVID-19 pandemic, sales plummeted, and companies were forced to transform their business models to respond to the highly uncertain scenario that we all contemplated at the time.
This difficulty came to add to the intrinsic demands of the sale of fashion and accessories: customers accustomed to immediacy, a supply chain with too many manual procedures, and a sales channel based almost entirely on face-to-face attention and sales trends. They change rapidly.
In addition, as technology and intelligent devices have penetrated the daily lives of consumers, the number of followers of online purchases has not stopped growing: It is estimated that these business models have grown by 25% during 2021, a figure destined to increase in the coming years.
Contrary to what one might think, digital transformation in the textile sector is more comprehensive than software, an app, or an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system to distribute or sell products. Still, instead, it is a process that goes a long way. Beyond. Digital transformation is a new way of thinking and acting that will involve, to a lesser or greater degree, all company processes and, therefore, its organization and management. Let's look at why the textile sector's digitization is essential.
A small immersion in Big Data applications opens up a very hopeful perspective, specifically about the textile sector, since it is about getting the attention (and retention) of the client and giving the best possible experience to the user, at the same time that a production that is as sustainable and ecological as possible is achieved.
On the sales and marketing side, Big Data allows companies of virtually any size to predict the demand for the following season, breaking it down into different product families: what colors will be worn, what garments will be the best sellers, how it will affect the weather to sales or how much stock will be needed to guarantee immediate availability.
This way, the predictive model strategy ceases to be fed exclusively by historical data. It passes to a level that includes information of interest to the consumer, translated into interactions on social networks and browsing statistics... Any data contributing to creating a customer profile will be processed with Big Data tools.
At the same time, in garment manufacturing and development, Big Data tools will allow the organizations involved to move in an intelligent production environment and apply predictive models to an industrial environment where managers can make the best decisions for their business.
In this sense, both the production processes and the supply of raw materials will be the two main focuses of this digitization: it will be possible to create production models with minimal environmental impact and whose materials are easily recyclable.
Consequently, companies in the sector will be able to filter their suppliers, optimize their inventories, monitor their activities, and gain productive efficiency: in this way, they will be able to respond to the demand of distribution and guarantee a supply that matches movements and trends from the market.
Big Data acquires a leading role in the digitization of the textile sector: an industry needing renewal that has already begun to enter online sales channels massively and is aware of the importance of providing an excellent user experience to resist the demands of this market.
The textile industry is a crucial sector of the world economy. The production of fabrics is an intensive process of resources, which requires using water, energy, and raw materials and correct waste disposal processes.
In recent years, the textile industry has significantly reduced its environmental impact thanks to adopting more efficient technologies and the diffusion of more sustainable practices.
However, several steps must be taken to make the textile industry fully sustainable. To accomplish this goal, it is essential to continue investing in research and development to improve existing technologies and develop new ones. Furthermore, the textile industry must continue encouraging the adoption of sustainable practices by producers and consumers.
Sharat Chandra
Blockchain and Emerging Tech Evangelist
Shiv Aggarwal
CEO and Founder MyearthID
Nayeem Ekbal
CEO and Founder at REVEMAX
Chris Moraites
CEO and Founder SIKI
Gururaj Potnis
Co-founder Nu10
Suyash
Cofounder- Purplle
Sachin Narode
Co-founder-XeniApp
Darshit
Co-founder- Solster.Finance
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