At the Dialog's Textil Bekleidung's (DTB) and MODINT's bi-annual Sourcing Convention held from March 6, 2014 in Düsseldorf, Germany, almost all presentations emphasized on the fact that the industry has re-discovered investments in factories and investments in the supply chain.
IAF’s Matthijs Crietee, in his speech, spoke about the elements of ‘2nd phase post MFA’ sourcing pattern following the first drop in imports of apparel from China in 2013. He said that the main beneficiary of a withdrawal from China is Bangladesh, which is clearly visible in the EU import figures of 2013. The most striking element of this new sourcing phase, remarked Crietee, is that the focus has shifted from moving production to improving production.
Among the other presentations, Portugal’s Twintex focused on the 52 per cent energy cost reduction they had achieved by investing in energy saving measures. Several presentations on Bangladesh too focused on investments made in transport infrastructure, investments made in structural safety of buildings and investments in lean manufacturing techniques. Consultancy KS and solution provider GT Nexus have made investments in the supply chain and collaborative planning software.
