[TC]² Bi-Weekly Technology Communicator
Seminar Offerings at [TC]²
June 2 – 4 |
Pattern, Grade and Marker Development |
Are you seeking to engineer patterns for improved garment fit and efficient production? [TC]² offers 3 training days in apparel patternmaking, grading, and marker making condensed from our popular Pattern Development and Grading for Fit seminars.
This seminar focuses on major steps from first pattern to production marker. You will draft a women’s pants sloper from body measurements, use two flat pattern techniques to manipulate scaled slopers, develop grade rules for one upper and one lower body garment, make a scaled marker, and study key product development terms. Maintaining style intent through the process will be emphasized.
Prequalification is an understanding of basic fabric characteristics and sewn construction processes.
June 10 |
Lean Strategies for Product Development |
This one day program explains how lean concepts apply to a company’s product development area and the hindrances which block the path to effectiveness.
Key areas of “waste” are spotlighted that lead to many other areas of improvement.
The seminars will be presented at [TC]²’s facility - 5651 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC.
For additional information on these programs or to register, contact Debra Gill at 919.653.3501, or use our contact form.
To download or print a copy of [TC]²’s 2009 seminar offerings, click here (pdf).
Deeply Rooted In Technology
Part 2
By Jud Early, Corporate Vice President, [TC]²
Part 1 of this series covered the founding of [TC]² and its technology focus on equipment development. Much of the early work on equipment took place before [TC]² had a place of business or a full-time staff. In 1987 when the decision was made to open a technology center and bring in full-time staff, training was a part of the [TC]² core. The first full-time Managing Director, Joe Off had founded a company called Train-A-Mation. The Assistant Director, Frank Hughes had pioneered self-paced training while at Cluett Peabody. Frank’s passion was video production on laser disc, with built-in testing and automated manager reporting on student progress. The laser disc player provided a technology foundation that served for many years, eventually becoming obsolete due to compact disc and later DVD. I-Pods had not yet been invented, or I’m sure training would have been found on the I-Pod platform.
Over the years from 1989 through 2000, a video training and production department was a part of [TC]². MTB, the media technology branch of [TC]², employed about fifteen videographers, editors, content specialists and technicians engaged in the production of content and packaging for projects as diverse as spinning frames and carding machines to consumer CDs teaching how to knit and crochet, sponsored by Coats & Clark and sold at Wal-Mart. This business was renamed MindWorks Multimedia, and was spun out to independent ownership and today continues to produce high quality video.
To read this article in its entirety, please click here to be redirected to the techexchange.com library.
Connecting Through Creativity, Technology and Business
Designers and Product Developers Meet the Challenge
August 12-13, 2009
Philadelphia University, Philadelphia PA
‘Connecting Through Creativity, Technology and Business’ is a symposium for professionals working in design and product development areas of the textile, apparel, home furnishings and related soft goods industries. Program attendees will have the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of experts that will address topics and issues related to:
• Sustainability
• Emerging technologies for product design, communication and production
• Product design and management within the global supply chain
• Innovation in product design
• Maintaining and/or generating creativity among designers
• Managing product cost and quality
In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to network with other professionals in the design field and discuss technologies and business strategies that support innovation, creativity, and sustainability as key factors in the development process for soft goods.
Confirmed speakers include: Duncan Ross, AVA CAD CAM; Tom McCall, TCM Group; Datacolor (speaker to be named); Joy Boutrup, Designkolen Kolding; Lisa Hayes, Drexel University; Gary Barraco, ecVision; Dani LoCastro, First2Print; Gerber Technology (speaker to be named); S. Lee and Michael Pope, Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Jill Simmons, Lectra; Trevor Little and Lisa Parillo-Chapman, North Carolina State University; Gretchen Morrisey; Marcia Weiss, Philadelphia University; Scott Constance and Kevin Schwartz, PRTM Management Consultants, Inc.; Kerry King, [TC]²; Joe Walkuski, TEXbase; Duncan Neil, University of Ulster, Belfast; and Ellen Piper.
Click here to register. For program details, click here.
Co-Produced by
[TC]², AATCC, and Philadelphia University
Update from the IMB Show
Behind the Seams – May 4, 2009 Issue
www.spesa.org
Reprinted with Permission
COLOGNE, GERMANY – According to exhibitors at the recent IMB – World of Textile Processing show, tough economic times are forcing apparel retailers, brand owners, and manufacturers to re-evaluate their investments in technology. Exhibitors at the IMB show were also unanimous that 2010 will be the year when trade starts to improve again.
There are encouraging signs of optimism among suppliers of production software to the global apparel industry as manufacturers, retailers, and brand owners turn to new technology to prepare themselves for an eventual uptick in business.
"There are signs in the global economy that are very strong, and I believe the rebound will be first in the U.S., between the second and third quarters of this year," said Daniel Harari, CEO of Lectra. Citing improvements at banking and financial companies (including better credit availability), measures taken by the Obama Administration to help consumption, and increasing orders from retailers who have cleared a backlog of inventory, he said: "I believe we have touched the bottom and that there are signs of recovery. At least people know where they are, even if overall business is down by 20-30%.”
Companies are looking for quick projects to give quick benefits – for example, they're investing in PLM (product lifecycle management) to decrease time to market and to improve agility. In the last recession of the early 1990’s a lot of companies invested in technology and processes and turned themselves around – so now is the time to be thinking about it again. Companies that previously said they were too busy are now taking a breath and are investing and preparing for when the uptick comes.
Reducing cycle time, getting closer to customers, and improving margins cannot be done without technology. One would think that what's happening in the economy would mean companies aren't investing in technology, but companies are seeing more activity now on a global basis. Retailers and brands realize they need to set themselves up for when the economy picks up, so they are focusing on their business processes, organizational set-up, and new technology to make sure they're successful in the future.
Many companies have a recovery plan to keep basic production in Asia but also manufacture or source locally to take advantage of fast fashion trends. Fast fashion companies have no other option than to optimize the end-to-end fashion chain and decrease the time it takes to get garments into the stores.
Yes, there is a lot of pain in the industry at the moment, retailers being aggressive on price, and manufacturers are under-booking orders to ensure they make delivery deadlines. This practice is not sustainable. Many firms are avoiding late delivery but are taking the pain somewhere else. So they're fire-fighting on delivery but creating excess cost. Many companies simply can't cope; they're not coordinating or planning well and are losing efficiency. The solution is collaborative planning between buyers and vendors (factories and textile suppliers) for better visibility, faster response, and reduced manual work and errors.
When there's a shakeout there are winners and losers. Many companies that have had time to assess the current situation are realizing they still need to manufacture to make money. They are becoming more rational now, whereas before there was so much fear about the future.
Companies need to position themselves to get through the economic slowdown and they need to get to know their customers better. There is a natural culling of excess in the market and a natural survival of the fittest purge. The strong will get stronger and consolidation is already happening. The apparel industry should come out of this economic morass in better shape than before.
SPESA will be presenting SPESA Expo 2010 May 18-20, 2010, the major international trade show event for the sewn products industry in the Western Hemisphere, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. This triennial event will co-locate with ATME-I/MEGATEX and Techtextil North America to create a concept-to-delivery event. Booth space is still available at discounted rates through the end of May. For more details, visit www.spesaexpo.com.
[TC]² Activity
PeruModa 2009
April 22 – 24, 2009
By Arturo Rodriguez, [TC]²
After attending Expotextil in Lima in October of 2008, I was back in the City of the Kings for the 12th edition of PeruModa. Since the first edition of PeruModa, back in 1997, the objective of this show is positioning the label “Made in Peru” in the global arena of the apparel world…and it seems to be working. Back in ‘97, it started with only 74 exhibitors, and in this past edition there were 450! Just last year, there were 350, so the jump was +43%. This puts into perspective the dynamism that the textile and apparel industry has in this Abean country.
The 2009 show was a hit, combining with PeruGift, it boasted 17,000 square meters in the heart of the San Borja neighborhood. In its 2008 version, PeruModa closed deals for $73 million dollars and preliminary estimates predict that these numbers will have been surpassed after this year’s 3 day show.
Eight thousand five hundred visitors arrived to see and walk the show – 860 of these were international buyers. This is no small feat since all we hear in the industry is downsizing. Granted, even in Peru the outlook for 2009 is gloomy – their main export markets (USA and Venezuela) have fallen on hard times. Just in 2008, Peruvian apparel exports totaled some 2,000 million USD or an increase of +16.2% vs. 2007. But even as we brace for a decrement, Peru is still the only country in this region that will grow in the midst of this global recession (World Bank).
One key player in Peru for this impressive growth in their apparel exports is their Commerce and Tourism Minister, Mrs. Mercedes Araoz. This never tiring Peruvian launched the show on Tuesday, April 22nd and more than a political figure, she acts as the “godmother” of the sewn products sector in Peru.
In the words of Ricardo Briceño of Textil del Valle (one of the top 5 Peruvian apparel export companies), “technology is not only buying machines but rather giving them their correct usage so as to produce a just in time service (to the customer) as well as the required quality.”
Jose Luis Peroni, the actual president of SNI (Peru’s Transformation Chamber), stated that the Apparel Industry should be called the “Social Industry” due to the large concentration of workers and the relative ease with which good jobs can be created for the Peruvian people. In Peru, he estimates that there are some 380,000 direct jobs in the textile/apparel sector. It is by far the Number One export sector in the non-traditional category for Peru.
Esteban Daneluic from Topytop suggests that one good bet in this industry is to develop “private labels.” For Topytop, this seems to be paying off. With direct stores in Peru, Venezuela and Colombia, they are one of Peru’s top exporters. They also are experiencing a decrease in orders from their customers, and have laid off approximately 11% of their workforce.
Peru is traditionally a textile/apparel country with more than 4,000 years of experience and worldwide recognition. It also has one of the world’s most popular fibers – Pima cotton – as well as natural fibers of the camalid family (Alpaca and Vicuña).
If these are not enough reasons to bet on the continued success of the Peruvian textile/apparel industries, let’s not overlook the newly put into effect FTA with the U.S.
While attending the show as an invited guest of Promperu – show organizers and Peru’s export agency – and representing the SPESA EXPO 2010 show at PeruModa, I also made two presentations. One topic was for the exporters entitled “Service, the Name of the Game” and the other “How Green is Your Wardrobe?”
Partner Profile - The Fashion Business, Inc.
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
The Fashion Business, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, offers its members business education, technical training, sourcing, networking, marketing and consulting services. These services promote the success of FBI members and insure the future vibrancy of America's fashion industry. Members can participate through FBI’s resource center, online training and business partnerships.
FBI members can take advantage of discounted fees for seminar participation, and purchase of a number of products and services, as well as receive reduced rates for market space. In addition to web links and networking opportunities, small businesses have access to the FBI’s consultants, attorneys, professional photographers and models at a major discount.
A broad range of seminars and classes are available to educate and explain the many aspects of the apparel industry. The FBI has resources and networking opportunities that introduce new and small businesses to consultants who have expertise in needed areas.
In partnership with Microsoft, FBI is currently offering free seminars to help displaced workers improve job skills, prepare resumes, and brush up on interview techniques to assist in finding a position in the fashion industry. Other job-specific programs are offered, such as training on the AIMS software programs, grading skills for use with Gerber’s design software, and Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop training for technical designers.
The organization’s new location in the California Market Center includes a showroom floor and space that can be used for industry events, such as fashion shows during market week.
5th Annual SizeUSA User Group Meeting
August 18, 2009
**New Online Webinar Format**
[TC]² is soliciting submissions from academic and commercial SizeUSA users for inclusion in the SizeUSA webinar update. This online user group meeting format will provide more attendee accessibility and lower the cost of participation – which will be free for existing SizeUSA users and those who submit approved presentation content.
[TC]² will be presenting its latest research on shape and sizing analysis, especially with regard to virtual product development and virtual fashion. Its new avatar creation capabilities utilizing SizeUSA data will be highlighted.
August 18th has been selected as the webinar date. Program time, registration fees, and link information will be provided in upcoming Technology Communicator issues.
If you would like to be included as a webinar presenter, please send an outline of the proposed program content to Kerry King (via our contact form) for consideration by May 22nd. If you have questions, please contact Kerry at 919.653.3523.
Important Dates
May
19-21 |
Apparel Sourcing Show- Guatemala, for more information http://www.apparelexpo.com/apss |
June
2-4 |
Pattern, Grade and Marker Development - Seminar at [TC]² . For details, click here. |
4-6 |
SPESA Annual Meeting - Loew’s Portofino Bay Hotel, Orlando, FL. For information or to register go to www.spesa.org. |
10 |
Lean Strategies for Product Development - Seminar at [TC]² . For details, click here. |
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.
A Look Ahead in the Newsletter
FESPA
View previous editions of this newsletter
[TC]²
5651 Dillard Drive
Cary , NC 27518
www.tc2.com
Phone: 919-380-2156
Fax: 919-380-2181
Email our editor:
If you are not on our mailing list and wish to receive this bi-weekly newsletter, via email:
To subscribe to the newsfeed, copy and paste the following URL into your newsreader:
http://www.tc2.com/newsletter/newsfeed.xml
If you would prefer not to receive this free bi-weekly newsletter, and wish to be removed from our mailing list:
