The digital transformation of the professional clothing industry.
The fashion sector is storming ahead in the textiles industry with innovative technological advancements. Utilising AI-powered trend monitoring, alongside augmented and virtual reality, fashion is creating a new, experimental, and interactive experience for consumers.
This is a glimpse into what is in store for the future of professional clothing. The sector is now undergoing the next wave of digitalisation with Industry 4.0 technologies, simplifying workflows to enhance productivity, efficiency, and sustainability.
Lectra integrates digital technology with Gerber AccuMark®
As the professional clothing industry embraces the next wave of digitalisation, Lectra is at the forefront of streamlining workflows with a fully integrated suite of 2D/3D CAD software applications, from concept to completion.
Gerber AccuMark® brings designs to life, transforming the development process by allowing users to visualise designs, create accurate patterns and optimise markers with AccuMark’s suite of products.
Innovating to expand what is possible with time-saving techniques, design teams are more equipped to experiment with various colours, patterns, and fit on 3D renderings to make decisions while maintaining the production ready pattern. Design teams can add 3D accessories, such as zips and trims, whilst leveraging the Gerber Yunique PLM Material Database for enhanced realism.
A seamless integration of technology
The AccuMark® system not only improves the pattern-making process, but it also seamlessly integrates with body scanning technologies like 3DLOOK. This integration allows for accurate measurements used within the software to produce high-quality, production- ready patterns that design teams experience in 3D.
By creating professional clothing designs that are true-to-size from the start, manufacturers can increase speed-to-market rates, whilst reducing fabric consumption and waste, due to fewer physical samples required.
An overhaul of uniform production
Technology offers a way to overhaul uniform manufacturing for the better with more sustainable practices. Body measurements and fit data can optimise current garment patterns to fit a broader range of employees, reducing the number of standard sizes in garment ranges.
Utilising AccuMark®’s integration with 3DLOOK’s body scanning technology creates a fully-connected, on-demand workflow that can also support bespoke and made-to-measure services. Leveraging 3D CAD to visualise production ready patterns improves the customer experience as less time is wasted on returning ill-fitting uniforms and logistically complicated fit events.
Fit, quality, price and sustainability are the key differentiators in the workwear and uniform markets. Manufacturers adopting the latest technology to streamline workflows are now capable of delivering digital design and fitting to final garment in shorter timeframes. With less waste and errors, these tech- equipped companies are improving their competitiveness in the marketplace.
Digitally connected manufacturing
The advancement into Industry 4.0 technologies sees the future of professional clothing manufacturing to become more resource efficient with digitally connected infrastructure.
IoT-enabled cutters integrated with the AccuMark® solutions provides agility for both mass- production and on-demand manufacturing. The entire production system from CAD design to cutting is connected in this intuitive, game-changing system that utilises powerful algorithms to eliminate errors, reduce costs and minimise textile waste.
Using one integrated system, manufacturers have the facility to send individual items to production to cater for specific customer requirements with the agility they seek.
Contact Person: Leanne Howard
Sizer Technologies removes the guesswork
Sizer Technologies won the crown with the prestigious PCIAW® Award, ‘Best Application of Innovative Technology’ in 2021 for its achievements in AI-powered body measuring technology.
On a mission to transform how garments will be fitted across the professional clothing industry and consumer fashion markets alike, Sizer is helping buyers to select the right size, first time.
Sizer was first to market with its body measuring technology and offers a powerful, convenient, and friendly sizing data solution that empowers companies to leverage valuable sizing data, improve their value chain, product offering and service.
AI-driven sizing recommendations
Using just the front camera of any smartphone or tablet, Sizer’s patented body measuring platform captures a user’s body measurements with extreme accuracy. By applying a proprietary combination of computer vision, deep-learning computer algorithms and artificial intelligence, the platform delivers a personalised size recommendation that is tailored to fit the consumer’s needs.
The user is guided to perform a few simple poses, plus a full 360-degree turn as they interact with the app, during which time a series of images are captured from different angles that help decipher the user’s exact body contours.
After the images are processed, the captured data is automatically streamlined into Sizer’s intuitive online dashboard which allows customers to manage multiple accounts with great efficiency and with detailed customised reporting.
Sizer’s innovative, award-winning platform was developed by some of the brightest minds from the Israeli tech industry. Advanced computer vision technology and unique measurement algorithms deliver a 97% accuracy rate to determine the precise size recommendation for each user. Their highly experienced developments teams are continually working at pace to drive the platform to the next level.
The modular platform is built around “mix and match”, customisable components, enabling a robust sizing-data solution to be perfectly built and matched to a client’s exact needs.
Sizer works with its clients in partnership to understand their sizing challenges and determine the best solution for their business needs. The platform includes a fully customisable white-label app; a web-based eCommerce solution and the Sizer Kiosk – a multi-scan solution for quick on-site scanning on the same device; and components that are fully compatible with Windows, iOS and Android systems.
Contact-free sizing is COVID secure and environmentally friendly
Amid COVID-19, Sizer’s technology has provided an immediate contact-free solution for companies to instantly measure and fit thousands of their employees 24/7, at home, or at work, without the need for any manual measurements to be physically taken or to try on any previously worn sample size sets.
With Sizer’s digital solution, companies can easily and quickly measure thousands of employees on mass – anytime and anywhere – in a matter of hours rather than weeks, experiencing savings on time, substantial costs, and can benefit from much more efficient and sustainable processes as the technology minimises the wasteful returns of ill-fitting garments.
Without the need to purchase additional hardware or cameras, Sizer delivers 97% sizing accuracy, with one mobile, fast and simple app.
Ecmanage digitises wardrobe management
Ecmanage has taken the pain away in managing uniforms, workwear and PPE by digitalising the process and providing greater functionality to users.
Ecmanage is the market-leading digital wardrobe management solution in the Netherlands where over a hundred workwear companies use the system.
Founded by Ron Wessels, Sales Director with over 20 years’ experience in corporatewear and workwear, alongside Evert van Es, Software Architect with over 20 years’ experience in IT, together developed the digital wardrobe management system dedicated to the professional clothing supply chain.
A growing international presence
Working with global companies, Ecmanage has a strong international presence and is growing in prominence with active users in the UK, Denmark, Germany, Austria with many more countries being introduced to the intuitive system. The scalable system can operate for an unlimited number of users and is available in several languages.
A flexible system with greater functionality
Ecmanage is capable of running alongside current systems allowing companies to enhance their original product alongside a system that is already in place. Being able to integrate with over 30 ERP systems, Ecmanage’s digital wardrobe management solution helps to ease the administrative burden of its customers.
Companies can set specific budgets for users to order professional clothing and accessories, whilst clothing set functionalities determine which items users can see and order based on their job function for ease-of-use. Return procedures can be carried-out within the digital wardrobe management system, simplifying the process and creating a record of the activity. In partnership with Sizer Technologies, Ecmanage allows users to adopt the latest 3D body scanning technology to recommend sizes to wearers and minimise the need for returns processes in the first place.
Providing greater insights to businesses
Reports are generated within the environment of the digital wardrobe management solution, which provides greater insights into the businesses’ use of the system and to minimising the admirative work conducted by management teams to be redirected towards their key objectives.
Certified security
Ecmanage is the only wardrobe management system that has been awarded the ISO 27001 certificate. Since the beginning, Ecmanage always placed great value on the security of the system and handled data with great care.
In 2017, they decided to take this to a next step by meeting the requirements set by ISO 27001 and NEN7510 standards in the context of information security. Customers can adopt a free trial of the digital wardrobe management system to get acquainted with the system. This is an accessible way to get a first view of the system and discover the benefits Ecmanage will provide.
www.start.ecmanage.co.uk (free trial)
www.ecmanage.eu (website)
+31 (0) 70-4157120
CleanChain uses technology to transform value chains sustainability practices
Digital technologies drive efficiency into production but they also provide data-driven solutions to help the sustainable development of the professional clothing industry.
The impact the fashion and textile industry have on the environment is well known and at COP26, nations and industries announced initiatives to help fast track the industry’s progress towards halving emissions by 2030.
Compounded challenges for professional clothing
The environmental challenges in the professional clothing industry certainly mirror those of the more high-profile fashion industry, and in some regard, these challenges are compounded. This is due to the performance requirements of professional clothing garments, often requiring higher water consumption and chemical usage in textile finishes.
Professional clothing garments are often made from mixed fibres with substantial amounts of chemicals – many of which are hazardous, such as some brominated flame retardants – and cannot be recycled in the same fashion as the likes of a traditional cotton garment. Although these chemicals are
often used in the manufacturing of fire-retardant materials which are vital to support those on the frontline of emergency services, it is crucial to ensure that the production process of these materials limits the discharge of such hazardous chemicals when the environmental impact cannot be countered at the end of the garment’s life.
The workwear industry is certainly not blinded to the fact that significant effort and cost is required to transform the entire industry with there being much focus on circularity, recycling, advancements in 3D printing, new cellulose and hybrid eco-synthetic fibres, to mention a few. Such efforts, if successful, can significantly lengthen a product’s lifespan, reduce landfill waste a wastewater discharge.
Technology-driven solutions for sustainability
While these changes to how the industry operates are critical, one must not lose sight of the immediate steps that can be taken and technologies already in place that can assist with this transition to more sustainable and considered business and production models.
CleanChain is such a solution. CleanChain is a supply chain analytics platform, for managing operational risk and waste associated with sourcing and manufacturing, chemical usage, and inventory. Our platform provides one secure and centralised location for all your chemical, wastewater and regulatory compliance data, providing you with the transparency and tools to seamlessly manage your sustainability metrics across your entire value chain.
Trusted by global brands and thousands of suppliers worldwide, our experience and shared commitment has made us the partner of choice within the industry to provide standards agnostic solutions to your sustainability data requirements.
Contact us for more information:
cleanchain.team@adec-innovations.com
