[TC]² Bi-Weekly Technology Communicator

Academic Use of [TC]² Scanner Expands

By Karen Davis, [TC]²

Kansas State University has become the 32nd college or university worldwide to incorporate [TC]²’s 3D full body scanning technology into their research and academic program. 

One of the first research projects that will use the [TC]² body scanner is a team project led by Dr. Steve Eckels, Director of the Institute for Environmental Research at Kansas State. The study will attempt to simulate the flow of thermal energy in the spaces between garments and the body, in order to test virtual prototypes on multiple body shapes in varied conditions. Thermal simulations could be used to improve the thermal performance and design of military uniforms, insulative clothing, or athletic garments.

It would also reduce the need for instrumented and human subjects based testing of prototypes. Dr. Eckels supports the U.S. Marine Corps with these and other types of studies, with M2 Technologies, Inc., as part of the Urban Operations Laboratory at KSU.

Dr. Diana Sindicich, Associate Professor in the Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design Department, will use the scanner for continuing research focused on the sizing and fit of ready to wear and specialty clothing. It will include the development of sizing systems for special populations such as wheelchair bound individuals, and for portions of the general population not served by current sizing systems. Individuals whose body proportions are outside the normal range have difficulties finding clothing that fits their bodies and are often forced to settle for garments that do not fit, or to spend large amounts of money on alterations.

[TC]² offers reduced pricing on its 3D body scanning system to academic institutions, as well as additional measurement extraction software licenses to educational institutions for classroom instructional purposes.

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[TC]² Seminar Offerings

Implementing lean strategies into the product development process will aid in: shorter development cycles, lower sampling costs, improved quality and less rework. This one-day program addresses the following:

• What are the basic principles and terminology for Lean Businesses?
• How are lean practices being applied in product development?
• What are some established tools, such as value stream mapping and visual management that can improve my business?
• What are the supporting technologies that should be incorporated into my lean strategy?

The program will conclude with case studies that will show how companies have made real improvements by adapting these time proven techniques to the design, technical design, and sourcing areas.

You will leave this seminar focused on identifying and reducing all non-value added activities in the Product Development process. The resultant knowledge of internal and external barriers to effectiveness coupled with practical examples of improvement will give you the tools to investigate and improve the “concept to delivery” steps at your own company.

Attend a second presentation of a free 30 minute webinar on Thursday March 5, at 11:30 a.m. EST that previews this program. To register, go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/814574687.

[TC]²’s best attended in-house seminar, Intro to Apparel Manufacturing, offers an overview of the entire manufacturing process with numerous hands-on exercises. Topics covered include: textile fundamentals, fiber formation and fabric design, fabric characteristics, material utilization, spreading and cutting theories, and much more. Key apparel terms and concepts are featured, along with standard terminology for seam and stitch formations.

Don’t miss this opportunity to establish common ground for all members of the supply chain. Attending this seminar will allow fabric and trim suppliers to better understand their customer needs and brands and retailers will recognize not only the manufacturing constraints but also the cost drivers within the design-manufacture-delivery process. Newcomers to manufacturing can grasp a firm understanding of the entire undertaking in less than a week.

Seminars will be held at [TC]²’s facility at 5651 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC.

A complete description of these programs and others can be viewed at http://www.tc2.com/what/seminars.html.

For additional information or to register, contact Debra Gill at 919.653.3501, or via our contact form.

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Fast Fashion in a Recession
At Fashion Business Incubator, California Market Center
May 28, 2009

UK’s Industry Forum, and [TC]² are joining together to present a Fast Fashion workshop for the West Coast May 28th at the Fashion Business Inc. at the California Market Center in Los Angeles. In a recessionary environment with unpredictable demand, having shorter supply chain pipelines becomes critical.

The presentations will include Fast Fashion examples of tools and techniques which have been successfully applied in Europe. [TC]² will show how Fast Fashion meets the sustainability agenda and how advances in digital technology will make processes even faster.  

This workshop is a must in understanding the management processes and behavior required to achieve speed and low cost - two key criteria in a recessionary market.

Registration fee is $200 for the one-day program (9 a.m.-4 p.m.).  For more information or to register, contact Debra Gill at 919.653-3501, or complete our contact form.

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Reverse Logistics Strategies

By Kim Anderson, [TC]²

A liberal return policy is a strategy used by many apparel retailers to lure the increasingly elusive consumer. Talbot’s, Eddie Bauer, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Lands’ End and L.L. Bean have all adopted liberal return policies in an attempt to build a competitive advantage over other retailers. However, there is a downside—the lost revenue attributed to returns is estimated to be around $43 billion a year, representing an average of 15%-20% of all goods sold.

The return movement of goods and services in the supply chain has been coined reverse logistics. The formal definition of reverse logistics is defined as “the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of recapturing value, or proper disposal.”

Although reverse logistics has become a necessary business activity in almost all industries, most companies still concentrate their efforts on getting products out the door and to the customer. The focal point of many contemporary supply chain logistics is sales and planning of the outbound process, from raw materials to manufacturing to final consumption. But firms are beginning to realize that reaching the final customer does not necessarily represent the end of the journey for a product.

Products flow backward after reaching their point of consumption for numerous reasons. A recent study reported that 51.65% of apparel companies agree to take back returned apparel because it is defective or it was damaged in shipment. Approximately 48% take back merchandise, not because it was defective, but because the wrong model or size was purchased. Other apparel companies report that they take back product in an effort to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty as well as to create good will.

After considerable trials and tribulations, companies have developed some simple and effective strategies for setting up a successful reverse logistics process.

Security
Returns should be separated from items bound for distribution. One of the main reasons is related to security. It is recommended that the reverse logistics area be designed to have only one entry and exit point.

Return items sent back by mail are often lost or misplaced, resulting in poor customer service because of delays in charge backs, erosion of the company’s reputation and financial loss. If the budget allows—metal detectors and personal security agents can also drastically minimize the number of lost or misplaced returns.

Shipping and Receiving
A common problem is the unloading of returns at the incorrect location within the distribution center. In this scenario returned products can block the flow of outgoing merchandise. The returns can also be mixed with new products waiting to be shipped out. It takes time to sort through the merchandise mix. Returns often have to be manually returned to the correct area. To avoid this complication, a separate mailing address should be assigned to the returns dock.

Labor
Returns inspection is considered to be the most complicated function performed in reverse logistics. Numerous requirements regarding the condition of the returned product have to be accounted for by the inspectors. Better educated, better trained, and highly motivated employees are necessary to fill the positions.

The work load involved with returns is unpredictable. It has been found that establishing a mix of full-time and hourly workers for handling returns is a successful way to handle labor utilization. One company found success by hiring all returns inspectors as full-time employees, and hiring support personnel to unload returns, palletize and distribute the returns to the inspection stations, and pick and pack the processed returns according to disposition options. The support personnel are hourly wage employees. The rationale is that it is much easier to hire additional support employees than returns inspectors because they are not as highly trained.

The Return Policy
Companies should have a clear policy format regarding returns. The policy should include basic return guidelines for return authorization information, return product eligibility requirements, return shipping guidelines, freight damage guidelines, and a general corporate policy regarding returns. The return policy should be carefully communicated to customers.

Inspect Returns
Return inspectors should practice a systematic process. It is beneficial for each inspector to have their own personal code to ensure strict and personal accountability. Products should contain electrical profiles with pertinent information such as the manufacturer’s number, the product’s serial number, invoice number, etc. Inspection involves comparing the data with the physical condition of the product.

Assign Disposition
The task of deciding what will be done with processed returns is known as assigning disposition. There are three major disposition categories—sell at a discount on secondary markets; return to the manufacturer/supplier; and return to stock/sellable.

Selling at a discount on secondary markets entails selling products that are in good operational condition, but which are packed in containers that have been damaged and /or compromised or have the manufacturer's seal broken.

It is helpful to use the term “secondary” to distinguish the difference between returned products and new products. The term secondary indicates that they have already been sold as new and are now going back to the market for the second time. For some companies, website selling has been a successful venue to resell secondary products.

Return to manufacturer/supplier entails pushing returned product back to manufacturers /suppliers. Because of the implications of direct cost this is considered the highest priority concerning disposition options. Specific criteria between the vendor and manufacturer/supplier should be clearly established. Important criteria to define include:

• Does the product have to be factory sealed
• Will they accept products that were damaged in transit
• Will they accept products that were sent with poor quality or the wrong technical specifications.

Return to stock/sellable is the final option. These returns are considered new with the original manufacturer's seal intact. A return stock/sellable product is placed back in inventory and sold as new. This is the preferred option for manufacturers and suppliers, since returns transportation costs are avoided and valuable inventory space is preserved.

The obvious reason for neglecting to implement a state-of-the-art reverse logistics program is cost related. Companies are already hard pressed to cut costs—including logistics expenditures—to a minimum; dealing with returns is considered an unnecessary and costly effort. However, the cost of not dealing with returns can be extremely costly.

Liberal customer service policies, along with rapid product obsolescence resulting from ever-shortening product life cycles, have made product returns a daily headache for many retailers. Before returns begin building up in the distribution center, slowing down the supply chain and negatively affecting the bottom line, it is prudent to implement clear and cogent strategies which will ease the return process as well as build customer satisfaction.

References
Curt Barry, “How to Develop a Reverse Logistics Strategy: 8 Tactics to Try.”
Catalog Success Magazine, 2003.+http://www.fcbco.com/articles-whitepapers/Reverse-Logistics-Strategies.pdf

Reverse Logistics Executive Council, http://www.rlec.org.

Stefan E. Genchev, Reverse logistics program design: A company study
Business Horizons, Volume 52, Issue 2, March-April 2009, Pages 139-148

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[TC]² Activity
[TC]² Scanners to be Used for National Childrenswear Survey

By Richard Barnes, Select Research, UK

A National Childrenswear Survey has been launched in the UK using [TC]² 3D body scanners for the data collection of 4-17 year olds in the survey of 6,000 children. A pilot study has already been undertaken in Birmingham, UK measuring over 250 children for the project.

The Shape GB project has been sponsored by 3 major UK retailers; Next, Monsoon and George at ASDA. Manchester Metropolitan University and Loughborough University, as owners of [TC]² scanners, will be involved in the measurement of children. A scanner is being placed at The University of Hertfordshire near London and scanners will be around the UK at various schools. Shape Analysis Ltd. will offer support to the project partners given their extensive experience with [TC]² scanners and [TC]² measurement extraction software.

The National Childrenswear Survey is being managed by Select Research who have long-term experience in sizing surveys, having undertaken four large surveys for M&S, the UK’s largest clothing retailer, which included a survey of 3,500 children in 1999. Select also recruited the 11,000 participants for the UK National Sizing Survey of adults in 2001, for which [TC]² scanners were also used.

For the adult survey in 2001, one [TC]² scanner was transported across the UK to various locations, but now the number of [TC]² scanners around the country allows the survey to be conducted in different locations in tandem. Measuring children is complex and requires more time, so the doubling up of locations will help speed up the data collection process and involves people already familiar and experienced with the scanning process. Using [TC]² scanners on this survey will also allow the adult and child data to be merged in due course to create a combined data set for the retailers using the same software.

The project is expected to last throughout 2009 and more information can be found on www.shapegb.org.  

To see a BBC Television interview and to view clips of the scanning survey, go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7921483.stm.

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Member Profile
Asheboro Elastics Corporation

By Karen Davis, [TC]²

The Customer Connection

Asheboro Elastics Corporation, headquartered in Asheboro, NC, has emerged as a leader in knitted elastic technology. The company supplies elastic to the men and women's underwear, athletic wear, home furnishings, pants, fleece, hosiery and industrial markets. With customers like Fruit of the Loom, HanesBrands, Jockey International, and VF Jeanswear, AEC employs state-of-the art knitting machines to create different elastics for thousands of uses. It is able to respond to orders for large quantities, and can process shipments quickly. A variety of technologies are used to serve diversified markets.

Asheboro Elastics works with its customers to develop elastic to meet product development needs for special features.  The customer’s vision is incorporated into the product design, with Asheboro’s trademark quality.  Elastics that wear cooler, sew easily, dry quickly, and retain shape after home laundering are important factors for its customers.  “We pledge to provide a product - a quality product - that is delivered on time and we pledge to conduct our business in a very professional manner and to be customer-focused,” Keith Crisco, President, states about the important and well-understood customer satisfaction factor in maintaining customer loyalty.

Asheboro Elastics emphasizes four key elements that contribute to its growth – Quality, Value, Service, and Timely Delivery.  Highly skilled employees work diligently to carefully guide every phase of production – to guarantee quality in all elastic fabrics. 

Asheboro Elastics continues to explore new frontiers in elastics technology. With the addition of a fourth manufacturing plant, AEC has been able to expand its production capabilities and speed deliveries to its domestic and international clientele.  Employing 150 staff members in North Carolina, AEC is a successful company that has experienced growth nearly every year since its inception in 1986. 

Some of AEC’s patented processes include Ravlok™, a technology designed to re-create the benefits of woven knitted elastic.  Knitted elastics can be created without top-edge raveling. Combined with an “Intertexture” concept developed by Beech Island Knitting, it is possible to have a similar hand and thickness to woven elastics.  These attributes make a perfect solution for waistbands in underwear – or any product in which knitted elastic is used.  With lower costs and a longer product life, these desirable products add to the long list of AEC’s offerings.  EZCord™ is another patented breakthrough technology in corded elastics. 

Keith Crisco has just been appointed Secretary of Commerce for the State of North Carolina by the state’s new Governor, Beverly Perdue.  In this role, Crisco will be called upon to promote North Carolina’s economy to attract new businesses to the state.

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Important Dates

March

April

For detailed information about industry events, visit www.techexchange.com

Thanks to the techexchange site sponsors
Apparel Magazine, Gerber Technology, Lawson, Lectra, Methods Workshop and Reach Technologies.

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A Look Ahead in the Newsletter



PeruModa
[TC]² Annual Meeting

View previous editions of this newsletter

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[TC]²
5651 Dillard Drive
Cary , NC 27518
www.tc2.com
Phone: 919-380-2156
Fax: 919-380-2181

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