Volume 12 (2012): Issue 3 (September 2012)

As customers’ tastes become more differentiated, so must companies’ offerings evolve. The demand for variety may soon become unmanageable, and several companies are addressing this trend by adopting a system of mass customization. One project, Knit on Demand, has been conducted by the Swedish School of Textiles in close collaboration with a knitting company and a retailer of tailored fashion in Stockholm. Production and sales of customized products pose logistical challenges for the companies involved, including the one-piece flow through almost the entire supply chain and the demand for short lead times in an otherwise slow environment, adding to the cost of manufacturing mass customized garments. Customization has logistical benefits such as minimised inventory; hence, high inventory turnover and the possibility of fast response to meet customer demand. The Knit on Demand concept can be considered as leagile because it comprises both lean and agile components. It is lean in the manufacturing stage upstream and agile downstream to better respond to customer demand on the market.

Standard measurements identifying body measurements are very important in apparel manufacturing because they help in identifying different sizes, economize the material, and decide on production quantities according the needs. Despite this, the industry has not accepted any one particular system for garment sizing so far. It is a wellknown fact that the production companies and merchandisers use their own sizing system as a marketing tool convincing customers of the advantages over other products available in the market. Despite the sizing system used, all the systems are based on the myth that humans have a body with proportional measurements. At the same time, the changes in life styles, nutrition and ethnic composition of populations lead to changes in the distribution of body dimensions (e.g., the obesity epidemic), and require regular updating of anthropometric data collections. Regarding the consumption of the garment products in Albania, there are about 840 garment companies mainly working for the foreign market. Only 2% of them produce for the home market, in a low percentage of their total production. The number of companies aiming to enter into the full package of production is increasing considerably, even those registering their brand name for the Albanian market. We can find examples of garment and shoes production companies going for the full cycle production for the home market in Tirana, Fier, Berat, Kavaja, and Shkoder. The industrial full cycle production for the home market requires anthropometric measurements and setting up the sartorial system. There is no sizing system in Albania that the producers can refer to. The industrial standard helps manufacturers to improve mass-produced garment and reduce cost of production.